Gilberto Ramírez Kept His Cruiserweight Belts Against Dorticos
Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramírez defeated Yuniel Dorticos by unanimous decision on June 28, 2025. The twelve-round contest at Honda Center in Anaheim, California, ended with scores of 115–112, 115–112 and 117–110, preserving Ramírez’s WBA and WBO cruiserweight championships.
An experienced challenger sought another championship
Dorticos entered as a former cruiserweight world champion with twenty-seven victories, twenty-five of them by knockout. Ramírez brought a forty-seven-win record with one defeat and had already established himself in the division.
The matchup placed the champion’s southpaw work and volume against a challenger known for finishing power. Dorticos began aggressively, but the completed contest ultimately favored Ramírez across all three cards.
The unanimous verdict preserved the unified position
Ramírez moved to forty-eight victories and one defeat, while Dorticos suffered his third professional loss. The champion retained both belts through a full-distance performance rather than a stoppage.
Although every judge agreed on the winner, their margins differed. Two returned three-point advantages, while the third favored Ramírez by seven points after the twelve-round assignment.
The Billam-Smith victory had brought the belts together
Ramírez had unified the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles by defeating Chris Billam-Smith in November 2024. The Dorticos contest became the first defense of that combined championship.
The result kept him positioned among the division’s leading titleholders after another demanding opponent. His immediate achievement was the completed defense in Anaheim: a unanimous decision that maintained the championship status earned through the earlier unification victory.
Sources
- WBA: June 28 date, venue, challenger background and Billam-Smith unification
- WBA: actual scores, opening pressure and post-fight records
- FIGHTMAG: WBA and WBO title retention and first unified defense
Article Tags
Yuniel Dorticos, Boxing
