Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez from sunny Mazatlán, Mexico, showed Joe Smith Jr. of Long Island, New York, who was boss in a thrilling 10-round WBA Cruiserweight Eliminator fight. They both brought the excitement big time in their recent switch to the cruiserweight division. Ramirez, however, managed to shout a little louder, showing he’s got the mojo to chase that World Champion belt. Zurdo displayed dominating performance, and all three judges echoed the same sentiment, scoring the fight 99-91 in favor of Zurdo. This spectacle was generously delivered to fans by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, hosted at The Chelsea in The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, and streamed globally on DAZN.
“I’ve turned a new leaf,” quipped Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez. “Returned better, quicker, and with strategy. Hats off to Joe Smith. The man’s a respectable boxer and a tough nut to crack. My respect for him knows no bounds. Inside that ring, it was pure business. Given Joe’s power-packed punches, taking risks wasn’t on my agenda.”
The co-feature saw Bektemir “The Bully” Melikuziev, hailing from Shoimbek, Uzbekistan (but California now claims him), defending his WBA Intercontinental Super Middleweight Title with a fourth-round knockout against Maryland’s own Alantez “SlyAza” Fox. Despite a bleeding eye in the third round, “The Bully” secured his TKO badge at 2:44 in the fourth.
“I’m done making rookie mistakes,” asserted Bektemir Melikuziev. “I’ve taken on some weird fighters in this division. If anyone’s getting cold feet, better step aside!”
Light heavyweight excitement ensued when Darius “DFG” Fulghum had Alan Campa of Guaymas, Mexico, reminiscing about the floor design, courtesy of a significant punch to the liver. Down he went at 2:58, and that was all she wrote!
“Consider this my mic drop,” declared Darius Fulghum. “Golden Boy Promotions, are you seeing this?”
Kicking off the show, Jose Sanchez from Albuquerque handed Fort Lauderdale’s very own Eric Tudor a ‘nice try’ medal in their eight-round super welterweight fight. Meanwhile, Texas’ Tristan “Sweet T” Kalkreuth had Aaron “Ghozt Mas” Casper of Augusta doing the floor tango not once but twice! After a two-step in the third and fifth rounds, Casper decided he’d seen enough floor for the night.
There’s always that one surprise at the party, right? Erick Benitez of Guadalajara played the role perfectly, handing Daniel “Ikaika” Luna his first professional ‘oops’ in their lightweight contest. Benitez, despite his aggressive approach, secured a unanimous nod from the judges. And in a make-or-break junior middleweight bout, Victor Toney from Youngstown dished out a little surprise of his own against Star Boxing’s Jahyae “Golden Child” Brown. The verdict? Majority for Toney.