In a battle of two undefeated competitors, the WBA Super light heavyweight title will be on the line this week as Dmitry Bivols defends his crown against Gilberto Ramírez. After the WBA ordered Bivol to take a mandatory title defense, his next opponent will be the former WBO super middleweight champion Ramírez. With a current professional boxing record of 20 wins and zero losses, the 31-year-old from Russia is coming off the fight of his career with a unanimous decision victory over Canelo Álvarez in May of this year. Opposing the champion will be the 44-0 Ramírez who also won in May with a knockout victory over Dominic Boesel at the Toyota Arena in Ontario. Truly a battle of the sport’s best, this should be an awesome bout.
For this article, SBS will be going over what each fighter brings to the table along with a prediction and even more notes about wagering on boxing.
In his showdown with Álvarez from earlier this year, Bivol was able to score a unanimous decision victory (115-113 on all three judges’ scorecards) after 12 rounds. However, there was some controversy during this fight as many members of the media pointed out that all three judges had scored Álvarez as the winner of the first four rounds. Nonetheless, Bivol was eventually crowned as the winner with his opponent soon after wanting a rematch. In this match, the Russian fighter entered as a +400 underdog by some outlets but still was able to pull away soundly.
In his career, Bivol has been known for knockout power at times with 11 knockout victories to his credit. Since winning the WBA light heavyweight title back in 2016, the Russian competitor has defended his title an astonishing 12 times over the course of the last six years. Ranked as the best light heavyweight in the world by multiple publications from The Ring to BoxRec, Bivol is definitely one of the most must-see fighters in the entire globe. A former World Combat Games gold medalist, it would appear that this will be another fantastic test for the champion.
Scheduled to square off against the champion is the also undefeated Ramírez who has an impressive record as well with an astounding 30 knockout victories. Normally a super middleweight fighter, the 31-year-old Mexican fighter will have his hands full when he touches gloves with Bivol. Known as “Zurdo de Oro” or the “Golden Southpaw,” the veteran has been ranked as one of the top three fighters in his weight class at any given time. Coming off five straight knockout wins by either KO or TKO, the 31-year-old has devastating power for his weight class and something Bivol will have to pay close attention to.
A professional fighter since August 2009, Ramírez will be facing his toughest challenge yet in the form of the WBA (Super) light heavyweight champion. The WBO super middleweight title holder from 2016 to 2019, the Golden Southpaw is also the first boxer from Mexico to win a major world title in that weight class.
Prediction: This will be a great encore performance for Bivol, or it could also be a letdown matchup after his triumph over Canelo. Nonetheless, the Russian fighter should prevail here thanks to his superior experience in the light heavyweight weight division.
Once you are all caught up to speed regarding your picks for the upcoming bout between Bivol and Ramírez, SBS has you covered with a ton of other great resources. For instance, our boxing betting sites guide is exactly what you need when it comes to finding the latest betting markets related to the sport. Moreover, if you are someone who is maybe uncertain about which payment options are the best fit for you, then the SBS payment methods rundown is a must-read resource to see what kinds of ways you can deposit and withdraw your money. Finally, our VIP sports betting sites overview is a great way to see if the high-stakes world of VIP betting is the right thing for you.
About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football and basketball across the country. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones. CURRENTLY Business Development and freelance sports writing RESIDES IN Reno, NV EDUCATION University of Nevada BS and MBA EXPERTISE -Sports writing proficiency in: NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and some motor sports -Topical news -Promotional and marketing ideas/updates -Business development Summary Chris Boline serves in a business development sales capacity as his day job. He has previously held sales/marketing positions with The Applied Companies (TAC), KTVN 2 News and the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. He is a Reno native and is a member of various community boards including the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET and the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA). Chris graduated from the University of Nevada in 2015 with a bachelors in management and economics and also earned his MBA from Nevada in 2023. More about Chris: Past president of the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA) 2022-23 Two-time honoree for University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year (Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, 2017 & COBAA, 2021) 2021 NCET award for Professional Services Organization of the Year with TAC Northern Nevada Human Resources Association 2020 Best Places to Work-Northern Nevada, Second Place with TAC 2016-17 Reno Bighorns MVP from the Sacramento Kings The Nevada Sagebrush editor-in-chief 2013-15 Associated Collegiate Press 2015 Four-year Non-daily Newspaper Pacemaker honoree University of Nevada, Reno College of Business Dean's List honoree (5x) from 2011-2015 Nevada Press Association award for Best Sports Column – Community in 2015 Education
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