Boxing News
Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramirez-Yuniel Dorticos heading to Anaheim on June 28
Apr 17, 2025 • 4:49 PM ET
The fight between Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez and Yuniel Dorticos for the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles, on June 28, is on course to take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Ramirez, the defending champion and of Mexico, has been matched with Cuba’s heavy-handed Dorticos, 39, ahead of what is to be hoped will be a sought-after fight between he and Jai Opetaia later in 2025.
Until then Ramirez-Dorticos – the date was already known – is likely to be staged in southern California. It was in nearby Inglewood where Ramirez, 33, defeated Arsen Goulamirian in March 2024. His unification title fight with Chris Billam-Smith, in November, was in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Golden Boy Promotions will oversee Ramirez-Dorticos. It will be broadcast by DAZN.
Opetaia, of Australia, defends his IBF title against the Italian Claudio Squeo on June 8.
Lance Pugmire has been a full-time boxing writer for nearly 20 years, serving now as BoxingScene’s U.S. Senior Writer and assistant producer for ProBoxTV’s “BoxingScene Today.” Pugmire capped a near 20-year career at the Los Angeles Times (sports investigations, NHL/MLB beat work, law enforcement/courts and boxing/UFC) to join The Athletic, and then USA Today. Pugmire’s stint at The Times started with the first Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez fight and the Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather Jnr then-record pay-per-view, leading through a slew of ringside assignments at major bouts, including Mayweather-Pacquiao, Mayweather-Canelo and the Canelo-Golovkin trilogy. Lance’s appreciation for boxing is rooted in his admiration and appreciation for the fighters, gladiators who have proven to be the most forthcoming and candid of all the athletes he has interviewed over a career dating to 1990. Lance was honored to be named the 2022 winner of the Boxing Writers Association of America Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence and he’s collected many BWAA writing awards in categories ranging from breaking news to deep-dive long features.
