Why Ramirez Might Beat Benavidez: No Easy Answers at Cruiserweight

Gilberto Ramirez's trainer couldn't muster much of an explanation at Thursday's press conference when asked how his fighter would beat David Benavidez. Julian Chua's answer at the MGM Grand: "He's Zurdo Ramirez." That's it. According to The Ring's Keith Idec, it was a response that revealed the difficulty anyone faces trying to build a case for the unified cruiserweight champion against an opponent ranked seventh on the sport's pound-for-pound list.

Ramirez has run through the cruiserweight division since moving up from 175 pounds. He lifted the WBA strap from Arsen Goulamirian and the WBO belt from Chris Billam-Smith in back-to-back twelve-round decisions last year. The Ring ranks him the top contender for Jai Opetaia's remaining title. But as Idec notes, this cruiserweight landscape isn't what Oleksandr Usyk conquered on his way to undisputed status, and the Mexican southpaw has never beaten anyone at the elite level. His lone loss came against Dmitry Bivol in November 2022, a fight where the pound-for-pound star handled him without much trouble.

Benavidez Favored Despite 25-Pound Jump

That history explains why oddsmakers have installed Benavidez as at least a four-to-one favourite for Saturday's pay-per-view main event at T-Mobile Arena. The former WBO middleweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">super middleweight champion is climbing 25 pounds from heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight, yet handicappers still see him dominating a man who owns two cruiserweight titles. Oscar De La Hoya, who promotes Ramirez, told reporters this week he expects his fighter to land "a haymaker" that changes everything. But as Idec observes, vague predictions about one big punch don't inspire much confidence when you're searching for tangible reasons to back the underdog.

Ramirez will hold a size advantage for the first time in Benavidez's twelve-year professional career. The 34-year-old Mexican is durable, having never been stopped, and Benavidez hasn't faced anyone with that kind of bulk. Still, the cruiserweight champion is considerably slower than the aggressive volume puncher coming up to meet him. Ramirez hasn't scored a single knockdown in four fights at 200 pounds, and Benavidez's chin is among his best assets. De La Hoya questioned that chin this week, pointing to a knockdown Benavidez suffered against David Morrell in January 2024, though replays showed their legs tangled.

Benavidez asked De La Hoya to make this fight two years ago because he views it as lower risk than the legacy-defining bouts waiting for him back at light heavyweight. He wants Bivol next, and hundreds of rounds of sparring have convinced him this move up in weight won't present problems. As a Mexican who always brings action, Ramirez represents perfect marketing for Benavidez's attempt to own the Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence Day weekends in Las Vegas. But even Ramirez's strongest supporters struggled Thursday to offer evidence he can pull the upset. The fight airs Saturday night on pay-per-view.

Source: ringmagazine.com