Gilberto Ramirez insists that 2022 will be totally different and that he will finally be able to fight for the world title he has been waiting for; however, he knows that nothing is written in stone in boxing and the fact that he is the mandatory challenger for the WBA does not guarantee that he will be able to face Dmitry Bivol immediately.
That's why the Sinaloan is making contingency plans in an attempt to stay active.
With Artur Beterbiev and Joe Smith unifying three of the four crowns this weekend, the Mexican knows that a fight with either man in the near future is unlikely, but there are options like Callum Smith or Joshua Buatsi in case Bivol decides to take another path.
"It wouldn't be ideal, because I want everything that Bivol has (all that magic he gained when he beat Canelo) but I can't wait for years, so I can look at opponents like Callum Smith or Joshua Buatsi," Ramirez told DAZN.
Callum Smith was the WBA super middleweight champion until he met Mexico's Saul Canelo Alvarez in December 2020 and lost by unanimous decision. He then moved up to 175lbs nine months later and beat Lenin Castillo with a brutal second round knockout last September.
Joshua Buatsi, meanwhile, poses a bigger challenge. The Olympic bronze medalist is undefeated in the professional ranks and beat British rival Craig Richards on points last month, but travelling to the UK to face either Smith or Buatsi is something that doesn't faze the light-heavyweight contender.
"I can see myself fighting in England (against Buatsi), at the end of the day there are two people in the ring and nobody helps you, not even the judges. I'm delighted to fight in the ring, to fight anywhere in the world, because that's what I do best. I'm a born warrior and I'm delighted to fight and to be known there."