Arizona heavyweight Dante “The Inferno” Stone is the last remaining American boxer competing in the WBC Grand Prix in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The 31-year-old heavyweight, who lost his professional debut before winning 21 on the bounce, is preparing to face Argentina's Kevin Cristopher Ramirez, 10-0-2 (4 KOs) in the tournament’s semifinals on October 25. The winner will advance to the championship final in December against the winner of the other semifinals match between Ahmed “Bosnian Steel” Krnjic, 6-0 (4 KOs), and Keaton Gomez, 13-3 (11 KOs).
Winners of the four divisional championships will receive the Jose Sulaiman Trophy, more than $200,000 in prize money, and a shit at the WBC silver strap.
“Being the only American left in this tournament is hard to describe,” Stone, 21-1 (13 KOs), admitted. “There were other Americans when we started, but I was only focused on myself. I didn’t realize that I was the last American standing until I got home after my last fight. There’s a little bit of extra pressure being the only one left representing my country and I’m trying to live up to that.”
Prior to participating in the initial stage of the WBC Grand Prix—where he defeated Indalesio Teran by knockout in the second round—Stone had not previously travelled to Saudi Arabia.
“It takes almost a whole day to get there,” Stone, promoted by Azat Torosyan's Toro Promotions, said. “We usually go there three or four days before the weigh-in. Because of the time zone differences, we get there and just sleep. Then, we weigh in, fight, and go home the next day. Everybody is fighting under the same conditions as far as I know.
“Finding reliable, consistent sparring partners has been the most challenging, especially in my area [Chandler, AZ]. Good sparring is the most realistic to a fight. I’m consistently going to other states to find good sparring.”
In the second and third phases of the competition, Stone respectively defeated Emeliano Ezequiel Mendoza and Youness Baala by way of six-round unanimous decisions.
Ramirez, an Argentinian cruiserweight competing as a heavyweight for this tournament, has beaten three previously undefeated opponents during the WBC Grand Prix with a 23-0 accumulative record. In the semifinals, Ramirez fought Piotr Lacz to a draw; after a deadlock in the tiebreaker, the WBC Executive Panel voted 4-1 in favor of Ramirez.
In that bout, the 25-year-old weighed 205lbs. For context, Stone has weighed between 258 and 274lbs for this three bouts.
“Ramirez is a smaller fighter for the heavyweight division,” Stone sobserved. “He works hard, and I respect him for fighting as a heavyweight in this tournament. I’ll treat him at his best like I do with every opponent because, to beat the best, I need to beat the best.”
Unlike many fighters, Stone is not claiming to only be focused on the task at hand. He's dreaming big.
“I think about the championship final all the time,” he said. “When I win, I get that trophy. I have a good support system in my cad and coach. Like my dad (Damien) says, ‘when you win this tournament, the sky’s the limit.’ I respect all these fighters (in the tournament) because most of us have to work (a job) to fight. I’m a care provider for my brother. So, I’m hoping to win this tournament and become a full-time fighter.”
