A cruiserweight fight between Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramirez and Joe Smith Jr. will take place October 7 at The Cosmopolitan Resort of Las Vegas, Golden Boy Promotions announced Monday.
The bout marks Ramirez's debut at 200-pounds, after a WBO super middleweight world championship reign from 2016 to 2018 and a light heavyweight journey that culminated with a first loss, by decision, to Dmitry Bivol, last year.
Smith, dubbed 'The Beast from the East,' has been a light heavyweight mainstay himself and, like Zurdo, is looking to bounce back from a loss having dropped a second-round stoppage to 175-pound puncher Artur Beterbiev.
“I am ready to take over the cruiserweight division and prove to myself that I can add another championship belt to my resume,” Ramirez said, adding that he and Smith were once on a collision course at light heavyweight but that they now get to do it at cruiser.
“I’m glad we can make it now," he said. "See you all in Las Vegas!"
Explaining Ramirez's jump to boxing's second biggest weight class, Golden Boy President Eric Gomez previously told ProBox TV: "He is a big kid, he has been at that weight for a long-time, and sometimes just your body betrays you.
"Just because you were able to make weight three months prior, four months prior, your body changes, and he learned that the hard way. It is behind him now, and he has been training hard. So we’re anticipating that we are going to get the best possible Zurdo that we have seen in the past."
Smith, meanwhile, said that he has endured a tough time of late due to the death of his brother Alex. "He would be happy to see me back," he said.
Golden Boy Promotions chairman Oscar de la Hoya said "there is renewed fire in Kurd's eyes" after coming off a loss "and with a new weight division to conquer.
"I expect an impressive outing and a first step towards a cruiserweight world championship.”
The bout will air on DAZN.
