LOS ANGELES, CA (September 21, 2023): Former World Champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (44-1, 30 KOs) hosted a media workout at Brickhouse Boxing Club ahead of his grand debut in the cruiserweight division against former light heavyweight World Champion Joe “Common Man” Smith Jr. (28-4, 22 KOs) of Long Island, New York on Saturday, October 7. The clash is presented in association with Star Boxing, will take place live from The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and live around the world on DAZN.
A number of undercard fighters of the Zurdo vs. Smith Jr. event also participated in the workout to promote their upcoming matches. Recently signed to Golden Boy, John “Scrappy” Ramirez (12-0, 8 KOs) will co-headline with a 12-round, WBA Super Flyweight Final Eliminator fight against Panama City, Panama’s Ronal Batista (15-3, 9 KOs). Bektemir “The Bully” Melikuziev (12-1, 9 KOs) of Shoimbek, Uzbekistan, who also proudly represents Indio, will face Upper Marlboro, Maryland’s Alantez “SlyAza” Fox (28-4-1, 13 KOs). Daniel “Ikaika” Luna (3-0, 3 KOs) will participate in a four-round super lightweight fight against Guadalajara, Mexico’s Erick Benitez (4-5, 1 KO).
Here is what today’s participants had to say:
GILBERTO “ZURDO” RAMIREZ, FORMER WORLD CHAMPION:
“I am excited for me an my team to return on October 7 in Las Vegas. I am most excited for myself because some of the best shows happen in Vegas.”
“I feel great at cruiserweight, this is typically the weight I’ve walked around my entire life. I feel much stronger in this class and most importantly I feel healthy.”
“Dealing with the Bivol loss was really tough. It hurt my soul and it hurt my ego as a warrior. Now that I have been able to move past it, I want to come back even stronger and I want to win. I want to feel like I can do it.”
“I’ve been watching Joe Smith Jr. for many years now; probably his whole career. He is a great fighter and it’s exciting for me to face him because he is a former world champion, he has faced many former champions and great top opponents.”
JOHN “SCRAPPY” RAMIREZ, SUPER FLYWEIGHT WORLD TITLE CONTENDER:
“This final eliminator is just another fight, something that I have been working for and it has finally came into fruition. It’s all about staying ready so you don’t need to get ready.”
“My path to a world championship is fight to fight, opponent to opponent. Right now, my focus is the man in front of me. He is Panamanian, has tremendous experience, he is hungry, and he is looking for that opportunity to make a statement. So I am not taking him lightly. When the competition is good, I perform better.”
BEKTEMIR “THE BULLY” MELIKUZIEV, SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT FIGHTER:
“I feel good after my great win against Gabriel Rosado. I am excited to finally be back. We’re ready for all the big fights in the division. Gabe was a very principal fight for me. I am now in my hunting mode for the world titles.”
“My team have done their homework on my opponent. It doesn’t matter to me who I fight. I know he is very tall for our weight class, he is very awkward, tough, and always in good fights. I am not looking past my opponent, it’s going to be a very interesting fight.
DANIEL “IKAIKA” LUNA, SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT PROSPECT:
“We had a really quick night last month with my second-round knockout, so I just thought why not? My team and I talked about it, and we felt that I was all ready, in-shape, and prepared to come back this month. We just want to stay busy.”
“We don’t focus on the knockouts, we focus on staying busy. If the knockout comes, it comes. I know my opponent is pretty tough and comes to fight, but so do I.”
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Zurdo vs. Smith Jr. is a 12-round cruiserweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Star Boxing. The event will be available worldwide to all subscribers on DAZN, both live and on demand.
Media interested in covering the fight can apply for a credential at: https://www.emccredentials.com/10-07-23. Applications are due EOD, October 2, 2023.
For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.StarBoxing.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @StarBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy, www.facebook.com/StarBoxing and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy, @StarBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #ZurdoSmith
