Zurdo Ramirez vs Benavidez (Fight Analysis)
By Ralph Rimpell
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 01 May 2026
On May 2, 2026, two-division champion and unified WBA (Super) and WBO Cruiserweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (48-1, 30 KOs) will defend his titles against fellow two-division champion and unified light heavyweight titleholder David “The Mexican Monster” Benavidez (31-0, 25 KOs).
In a rare show of cooperation, Golden Boy Promotions (representing Ramirez) and Premier Boxing Champions (representing Benavidez) joined forces to make this "Big Fight" a reality. It is a rare occurrence for these rival promoters to reach an agreement of this magnitude. Interestingly, these two fighters are well-acquainted, having sparred frequently in the gym years before they reached the pinnacle of the sport.
The Stakes and the Date
For Benavidez, major matchups against superstars like Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Dmitry Bivol, and Artur Beterbiev have thus far proved elusive. A fight against a fellow Mexican star like "Zurdo" is highly appealing, offering Benavidez the chance to become a three-division world champion. Conversely, a victory for Ramirez would significantly elevate his standing in the boxing world.
The fight carries extra weight due to its timing on Cinco De Mayo weekend, a historical date commemorating the Mexican victory over France in 1862. In recent years, this coveted date has been reserved almost exclusively for Canelo Alvarez. However, with Alvarez still recovering from elbow surgery following a loss to the now-retired Terence “Bud” Crawford, Ramirez and Benavidez have stepped in to claim the spotlight.
Keys to Victory: David Benavidez
It is no secret how Benavidez fights. He is a relentless, aggressive boxer who leads with a stiff jab, tight defense, and punishing combinations. To win his third world title, Benavidez must:
Be First: He must dictate the exchanges and land his punches before Ramirez can set his rhythm.
Utilize the Weight: Now fighting at 200 lbs, he should benefit from a less draining weight cut and must bring that extra strength into the ring.
Forget the Past: He cannot rely on his memories of sparring a younger Zurdo. The man he faces now is stronger, smarter, and far more experienced.
Keys to Victory: Gilberto Ramirez
Benavidez has claimed publicly that he hurt Ramirez during their sparring sessions years ago. This potential overconfidence is something Zurdo can exploit. To retain his titles, Ramirez must:
Disrupt the Rhythm: Establish a consistent jab to keep Benavidez from getting into his flow.
Earn Respect: Zurdo must land with power early to ensure Benavidez respects his size and punching ability.
Dictate the Pace: He needs to use superior conditioning to outwork Benavidez over 12 rounds while maintaining a disciplined defense.
The Verdict
This fight promises to be a high-intensity, back-and-forth battle. While it is incredibly difficult to separate these two elite champions, this writer picks David Benavidez to win by a narrow split decision.
Boxing Notes
Canelo trainer, Eddy Reyanoso, has recently said a fight against David Benavidez is no longer an option because he has moved up to the Cruiserweight division and should go to the Heavyweight division afterwards. That reasoning seems odd for two reasons because Canelo previously said he wanted to make history by winning a cruiserweight title, which would be his fifth in as many divisions. Remember in 2021 Canelo received permission from the WBC to fight then WBC cruiserweight (200lbs) champion Ilunga Junior Makabu. For whatever reason the fight did not materialize. Then in 2023 an offer was sent by the Canelo camp to Badou Jack the then WBC cruiserweight champion to fight Canelo. Badou declined the fight alleging that Canelo wanted to fight for his cruiserweight title but it would have to be at a “catchweight” of 180lbs, so Badou would have to lose 20lbs to fight Canelo. If Benavidez beats Zurdo, he will have two cruiserweight titles which will give Canelo an opportunity to make history if he defeats Benavidez for a 5th world title should they fight. But based on what Benavidez is saying now, his goal is to return to the 175lbs division. So the question remains: Why is Canelo refusing to fight Benevidez?...Word is WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora is in negotiations to fight former undisputed junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo. If this fight can be signed and delivered it would be great for Jermell as he has lobbied for a fight against Jaron Ennis or Errol Spence, which he did not get as of yet. Fundora is arguably the best in the division. A win against Fundora will likely get Charlo any fight he wants in the 154lbs division…The Boxing world received confirmation that former WBO jr middleweight champion Tim Tszyu will fight former unified welterweight champion Errol Spence in Australia July 26, 2026. This a comeback fight for Spence after a 3 year layoff when he lost to Terrance “Bud” Crawford back in 2023. It’s sad the fight will be held in Australia and not be in the United States at AT&T stadium in Texas or Las Vegas as Spence fans had hoped for 3 years…Fight Fans want to know when Gervonta “Tank” Davis will return and who will he fight? Will he rematch with Lamont Roach, Floyd Schofield, or rematch with Pitbull Cruz? Fight fans appear to be more interested in a dream matchup of Tank vs Shakur fight than any other proposed matchup. Tank is currently tied up with legal issues, but as per reports he is able to return to boxing while his legal troubles are dealt with his Attorneys…Reports are Dimitry Bivol and David Benavidez are in negotiations for a fight later in 2026 provided both fighters win their scheduled upcoming bouts. Negotiation are reportedly dependent on Benavidez defeating Zurdo on May 2, 2026 and Bivol defeating his mandatory opponent Michael Eifert on May 30, 2026 in Russia. Let see what happens.
***Ralph Rimpell is a writer based out of New York and is a Boxing Correspondent for Philboxing.com. Ralph holds an undergraduate degree from City University of New York. He has been a Boxing Writer for over ten years having written for several top boxing websites on the World Wide Web. Before becoming a writer, Ralph's passion was for professional wrestling until he realized professional wrestling was entertainment and not a real sport. It was at that time the 1984 US Olympic team made up of future stars such as Evander Holyfield, Meldrick Taylor, Pernell Whitaker, etc. entered the professional ranks and signed with promotional outfit Main Events.It was also at that time a young exciting Heavyweight originally hailing from Brooklyn named Mike Tyson also turned professional and became the face of boxing. Young boxing fan Ralph just couldn't get enough of boxing as a large part of it was being broadcast on "free TV". As time went on, Ralph felt boxing writers were not being forthcoming with their boxing coverage, opinion pieces, interviews, etc. So Ralph decided to write an article and submitted it to a Boxing website thinking it would be deleted and ignored by the Editor. To Ralph's surprise his article was posted on their website and the readers embraced it. The rest is history.
"I thank God for the Internet because it has created opportunities for writers like myself who likely would not have been given an opportunity to write for print publications. I hope someday soon to expand my role in Boxing on different levels." -- Ralph Rimpell
Contact Writer: RLuvsboxing@aol.com
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