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Mike Coppinger, ESPN Boxing Insider
Mexico’s Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez and England’s Chris Billam-Smith will meet in a cruiserweight title unification Nov. 16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, it was announced Tuesday.
The matchup will headline a five-fight Riyadh Season “Latino Night” card promoted by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy. Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, said the event would be broadcast globally for free, though no details were revealed.
“This card features some of the best Latino fighters around and continues our drive to deliver top-tier boxing events by giving fans throughout the world the fights they want to see,” Alalshikh said.
The previously reported Jose Ramirez-Arnold Barboza junior welterweight fight — slated for Sept. 28 in Las Vegas — will serve as the co-feature in a battle of Mexican-Americans. Mexico’s William Zepeda, a top lightweight contender, will prepare for a planned February title fight against Shakur Stevenson with a bout against former champion Tevin Farmer.
Puerto Rico’s Oscar Collazo will defend his WBO strawweight title against Mexico’s Edwin Hernandez, and Mexico’s Oscar Duarte will meet Chicago’s Kenny Sims in a 140-pound bout.
Ramirez (46-1, 30 KOs) won the WBA title at 200 pounds with a decision victory over Arsen Goulamirian in March. The 33-year-old former 168-pound champion is rated No. 5 by ESPN at cruiserweight.
The 34-year-old Billam-Smith (20-1, 13 KOs) will make the third defense of the title he won from Lawrence Okolie in May 2023. Billam-Smith — ESPN’s No. 2 cruiserweight — is coming off a June decision over Richard Riakporhe.