Dmitry Bivol had soundly defeated Craig Richards in May. So it appeared all Gilberto Ramirez had to do was take care of former Bivol foe and light heavyweight title challenger Sullivan Barrera in July to secure an opportunity at the WBA champion.
Ramirez held his end of the bargain, stopping Barrera quicker than Bivol did with a fourth-round knockout. During his post-fight interview, Ramirez laid down the gauntlet and challenged Bivol since he was the one who called out the Mexican fighter.
According to Ramirez, the fight was agreed upon. He signed a contract and was just waiting on Bivol to sign. Instead of them squaring off, Bivol changed course and fought Umar Salamov last Saturday, winning a lopsided decision. Not wanting to be inactive, Ramirez locked in another fight, his third in 12 months, as he takes on Yunieski Gonzalez in WBA title eliminator Saturday from the AT&T Center in San Antonio, which can be seen worldwide on DAZN. For Ramirez, it was pretty disappointing that he didn't get the fight he was looking for. Ramirez sent Bivol a message to let him know that he couldn't avoid him forever.
"Boy, it was a little bit disappointing for me because he was calling me out before the fight," Ramirez admitted to DAZN News. "He said he wants to make the fight happen, and then he run(s) away, and now that didn’t happen. I signed a contract, and he didn't sign. It was a little sad for me because he was calling me out. Now is a title eliminator fight. He can run, but he can’t hide."
Fighters aren't scared of another person. But some are reluctant for one reason or another. Ramirez can't put his finger on why Bivol doesn't want to face him.
"I don't know. Maybe he's scared that he’s about to lose the belt," Ramirez defiantly said.
Before he can entertain the opportunity to lock horns with Bivol, Ramirez (42-0, 28 KOs) has got a stern test in Gonzalez (21-3, 17 KOs), who is coming off a knockout win over Tommy Karpency in September. Anything can happen in a fight. The best example is George Kambosos Jr. upsetting Teofimo Lopez to become the unified lightweight champion. "Zurdo" knows he can't lose focus with Bivol clash on the horizon if he emerges victorious against Gonzalez.
"You have to believe in yourself," Ramirez said. "You have to prove yourself every time. I was really surprised I didn’t get the title fight. If I can’t control it, it doesn't matter. I have to pass through this guy to get the title fight. I need to be focused all the time."