Unbeaten light heavyweight contender Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (42-0, 28 KOs) showed that he’s a new monster in the 175-lb division with him demolishing the capable Sullivan Barrera (22-4, 14 KOs) by a fourth round body shot knockout on Friday night in a fight scheduled for 12 rlou9nds in the main event at the Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles. California.
The former WBO 168-lb champion Ramirez stocked Barrera around the ring, landing shots in a back and forth clash through the first three rounds. There wasn’t much to separate the two fighters during rounds one through three.
The fight changed dramatically in the fourth round when Zurdo hit Barrera with a left to the body that sent him down in a delayed reaction. Barrera had just thrown a right hand at the moment Gilberto nailed him with a left to the body.
After that knockdown, Barrera looked like he was not able to handle any punches downstairs from Ramirez. It didn’t matter that Barrera knew the punches were coming from Ramirez.
He couldn’t handle them. As such, two body-shot knockdowns quickly followed. The referee Thomas Taylor decided he’d seen enough after the third knockdown, and he chose to waive it off. The time of the stoppage was at 1:38 of round four.
After the fight, Gilberto called out WBA light heavyweight champion Dimitry Bivol.
“Bivol, you’re next,” said Ramirez in calling out Dimitry Bivol.
“I was training all the time for that shot,” Zurdo said about his body shots. “This is my division, I want to take all the belts. You have to ask him [Bivol] if he’s ready for me.”
Joseph ‘Jo Jo’ Diaz Jr. defeats Javier Fortuna
In a thrilling clash, Joseph ‘Jo Jo’ Diaz Jr. (32-1-1, 15 KOs) moved up in weight from 130 to defeat former WBA super featherweight champion Javier Fortuna (36-3-1, 25 KOs).
The scores were 117-110, 116-111, and 115-112. The victory for Diaz Jr makes him the WBC mandatory for lightweight champion Devin Haney.
Fortuna fought Diaz Jr to a standstill in the first six round, but then he faded in the second half of the contest. Diaz Jr came on late to hurt Fortuna in the 10th with a flurry of shots.
To his credit, Fortuna kept throwing a lot of punches down the stretch, but they were arm-shots and they lacked the power that Diaz Jr was throwing with.
Diaz Jr was docked a point for rabbit punching in the fourth. He’d been warned on two occasions previously by referee Raul Caiz Jr.
The way that Fortuna was holding frequently. It put Diaz in the position where he had no choice but to keep punching while being held.
In the third round, Diaz Jr. was cut over his left eye from an accidental head-butt. In the following rounds, Diaz Jr did an excellent job of staying on the outside mostly, which kept Fortuna from taking advantage of his cut.
Diaz Jr turned in the second half of the contest, stalking Fortuna around the ring and hitting him with the harder shots.
Whatever chance Fortuna had of winning, it went out the window in the championship rounds by him failing to stand his ground. Diaz Jr was the one coming forward all the time, pressuring and landing the harder shots. Ultimately, that impressed the judges enough to give the rounds to Diaz Jr.
After the fight, Diaz Jr said he wants to fight either Ryan Garcia or Devin Haney next. For a lot of boxing fans, they’d like to see Ryan and Diaz square off in a war. It would be interesting to see if Diaz Jr can handle the power of Garcia.
Seniesa “Superbad” Estrada defeats Tenkai Tsunami
Undefeated Seniesa “Superbad” Estrada (21-0, 8 KOs) used her high volume punch attack to dethrone Tenkai Tsunami (28-13-1, 16KO) by a 10 round unanimous decision.
The younger 29-year-old Estrada took the fight to the 36-year-old Tsunami, outworking her every round and landing the harder shots.
Although Tsunami kept coming forward, she couldn’t match the tremendous work rate or the power from Estrada. The scores were 99-91, 98-92, and 98-92.
Other Zurdo vs. Barrera early results
- Naoko Fujioka MD 10 Sulem Urbina Ochoa
- Azat Hovhannisyan UD 10 Jose Santos Gonzalez
- Bryan Chevalier UD 10 James Wilkins
- Lamont Roach KO 2 Daniel Rosas
- Sparkinson Wilson Castillo KO 2 Miguel Contreras
- Mihai Nistor KO 2 Colby Madison
- Gregory Morales UD 6 Rodrigo Guerrero
- Miguel Gaona UD 4 Gilberto Aguilar
Preview:
How to Watch Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ vs. Sullivan Barrera
Start time: Tonight’s card will start at 9:00 p.m. ET
Location: the Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles. Calfornia
Where to watch: DAZN
If Ramirez wants to fight for a world title, he’s got to be busier. Fighting once a year isn’t going to do the job as a contender. It might work if Ramirez held a world title at 175, but not as a contender.
This is a loaded Golden Boy Promotions card with a lot of interesting fights. The co-feather bout between lightweights Joseph ‘Jo Jo’ Diaz Jr and Javier Fortuna could step the show from the Ramirez vs. Barrera match.
The winner of the Diaz-Fortuna will be mandatory for WBC 135lb champ Devin Haney.
We could see them challenging for a title this year unless Haney (26-0, 15 KOs) can get an interesting fight against Ryan Garcia. I’m not holding my breath, waiting for that to happen.
Undercard fights:
Joseph Diaz Jr vs. Javier Fortuna
Tenkai Tsunami vs. Seniesa Estrada
Hector Tanajara Jr vs. William Zepeda (
“I want Devin Haney next, especially because we’re fighting for the WBC interim title, and Devin Haney is in his prime right now, and I’m in my prime,” said Joseph Diaz Jr to Fighthype on his fight with Fortuna tonight. ”
“I’m 28-years-old right now, and I feel like I’m in my prime. I’ve covered all my bases in my career as far as fighting tough challenges, fighting experiences where I know a lot.
“I’ve seen a lot of things inside that ring where I feel like my experience is going to be one of my key factors for my victories inside the ring from here on out in my career.
“I don’t know what that was about. Devin Haney was calling Fortuna a bum,” said Diaz Jr. “He probably saw all the interviews that we’re doing. Don’t get me wrong; I rank him as a fighter at number four or five.
“I speak nothing but facts. Devin Haney is a good fighter, but he hasn’t beaten anybody to be a top fighter at 135 pounds. Jorge Linares was a good fighter, and he was a good step up. But Jorge Linares is already getting on in his career.
“Jorge Linares is not in his prime anymore. I feel like Devin Haney has got to fight guys like me to get that recognition, and if he fights guys like me, I know that he’s going to get the respect, but I’ll beat Devin Haney,” said Diaz Jr.
Former WBO 168-lb champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez fights Sullivan Barrena in the headliner tonight live on DAZN, which should be exciting to watch at the Banc Of California Stadium Los Angeles, California.
Ramirez, 30, may have thought the grass would be greener when he moved up to 175, but he’s still not found the same success in this weight class as he did at 168. His lack of fights has hurt Ramirez’s progress towards a world title.
