Gilberto Ramirez Starts Next Stage, Aims To Return By Year's End

By Miguel Rivera

The first world super middleweight champion in the history of Mexican boxing, Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramirez, has begun the next stage of his rehabilitation for his right hand to see if he can make the next defense of his belt this year, either in late November or December, after receiving the green light from his doctor.

Specialist Steven Shin congratulated him on his recovery, and now has to put in work in building up his hand after going without movement in the area during the last six weeks, because of an injury to the middle knuckle.

"Now the doctor said I could start doing therapy with the hand, lifting, grasping, normal things. I just can not make contact. I can begin to strengthen the hand, strengthen the forearm, biceps, shoulder. I'm training four times a week," revealed Ramirez to ESPN Deportes.

"The next review will be in six weeks. I was told that in late October I could start hitting, so I hope to be ready to step into the ring in late November or December. I want to be ready by then."

Ramirez last climbed into the ring in April, as part of the Pacquiao-Bradley III undercard at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, when he dethroned Arthur Abraham by way of a dominating decision to capture the WBO super middleweight crown. He was going to make his first defense in July as part of the Terence Crawford vs. Viktor Postol undercard, but the injury forced him to withdraw from that opportunity.

Shin told Ramirez that his recovery occurred fairly quickly, and he was glad to see such good results. Based on the doctor's information, Ramirez believes that he won't have any more problems with that hand after dealing with pain in his knuckle for more than a year."