Ramirez vs Benavidez: Unified Champ Opens 4-1 Underdog

Gilberto Ramirez's trainer struggled to explain how his fighter beats David Benavidez when asked at Thursday's press conference at MGM Grand. "He's Zurdo Ramirez," Julian Chua said, per The Ring's Keith Idec. Nothing else.

That vague response captures the challenge facing Ramirez despite holding the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles. Most sportsbooks installed Benavidez as a 4-1 favourite for their May 3 clash at T-Mobile Arena, even though Ramirez unified the division last year with wins over Arsen Goulamirian and Chris Billam-Smith. The Ring ranks Ramirez as the top contender for Jai Opetaia's undisputed crown, yet oddsmakers see Benavidez — moving up 25 pounds from heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight — as the safer bet.

Why Benavidez commands respect at cruiserweight

Ramirez has never stopped an elite opponent. His lone defeat came against Dmitry Bivol in November 2022, a loss that exposed him at the highest level. He hasn't scored a knockdown in four cruiserweight outings and relies on durability rather than concussive power. Benavidez wanted this fight for two years because he considers it manageable before chasing Bivol at heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight. The unbeaten Mexican-American has hundreds of rounds of sparring at heavier weights and told reporters he expects less risk moving up than Ramirez posed staying at 200 pounds.

Oscar De La Hoya, who promotes Ramirez, suggested his man could land "a haymaker" to upset Benavidez's plans. That scenario hinges on Benavidez's chin cracking under cruiserweight force, though his only official knockdown — against David Morrell in February 2024 — came when their legs tangled. Ramirez will hold a size edge for the first time in Benavidez's 12-year pro run, but he's noticeably slower and hasn't shown the pop to trouble a volume puncher ranked seventh on The Ring's pound-for-pound list.

The fight streams on pay-per-view with Benavidez attempting to claim the Cinco de Mayo weekend in Las Vegas long term. Ramirez, 34, needs the best performance of his career to prove the odds wrong.

Source: ringmagazine.com