Arsen Gramilian strikes a pose following the weigh-in for his WBA cruiserweight title defense against Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez on March 30, aired on DAZN from the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California. Photo credit: Chris Esqueda, Golden Boy Promotions
Arsen Gramiryan admits to missing the sensation of achieving a knockout. He has concluded eight of his last 10 fights in this manner. Despite winning his recent bout against Alexei Egorov in November 2022, breaking his streak of six consecutive stoppages.
The 36-year-old fighter, originally from Armenia and currently based in France, has struggled with maintaining top form since the pandemic hindered his regular training. He is eager to avoid leaving the fight’s outcome in the judges’ hands during his debut in the U.S. against Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez.
“I want to finish this fight with a knockout,” expressed Gramilian in an interview with DAZN/Golden Boy’s Beto Duran following the weight cut. “I believe it’s what the fans want. Both I and my opponent have a similar aggressive fighting style, and I believe it’s more captivating when a fight ends with a knockout.”
This Saturday, the Gramilian-Ramirez bout will headline a DAZN event at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California.
Ramirez from Mexico (45-1, 30 KOs), currently ranked 10th in the 200, is favored by both the fans and bookmakers. Moreover, speaking of cruiserweight title aspirations, he is under the banner of Golden Boy Promotions, with whom Ramirez, now 32, signed three years ago.
Despite these statistics, Gramilian (27-0, 18 KOs), positioned sixth in the 200, remains undeterred.
His main goal is to provide American fans with a reason to anticipate his future fights in the United States regularly. Gramilian, who hones his skills at Abel Sanchez’s camp in Big Bear, California, has primarily competed in France. The upcoming event will mark his second appearance in North America.
“This is something I have longed for,” shared Gramilian. “There was never a prominent cruiserweight opponent that would draw this level of attention to the States. But now that Ramirez has entered the cruiserweight scene and Golden Boy facilitated this opportunity for him to fight in America.”
In essence, he aspires to engage in more frequent matches to satisfy fans’ expectations.
Gouramilian captured his second WBA title in March 2018 by defeating the undefeated Ryan Marley in 11 rounds. A year later, Oleksandr Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs) relinquished his cruiserweight title and opted to compete in the heavyweight division. This strategic move propelled Gramilian to the status of full WBA titlist. However, he defended the title merely thrice in four years.
Upon receiving the WBA’s directive to defend his title against Ramirez, the path was paved for Gramilian’s long-awaited venture to the United States. This sudden turn of events annulled prior instructions to face former double titleholder Yuniel Dorticos.
Ultimately, this turn of events proved beneficial for both Ramirez and Golden Boy Promotions.
Ramirez previously held the WBO super middleweight title until transitioning to the cruiserweight division in 2019. Failing to secure the WBA light heavyweight title from Dmitry Bivol in November 2022, the Mexican boxer’s only subsequent victory came against Joe Smith in Las Vegas on October 7 of the same year. The fight was contested at a contracted weight of 193 pounds, seven pounds below the cruiser weight limit, seemingly catapulting Ramirez into a mandatory challenger position.
Irrespective of the pathway that led him here, the defending titlist is appreciative of the opportunity and committed to retaining his title without allowing the judges to decide the outcome.
“I am tremendously thrilled,” stated Gramilian. “For me, the excitement of the fight commences now. It has always been a dream of mine to compete in America.”
Jake Donovan assumes the role of a senior writer for The Ring and serves as the vice president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
