Gilberto Ramirez has already made history as a Mexican fighter, and this weekend he’ll get a chance to replicate it in the ring. But what he has in mind beyond that could hold even greater implications for his country and its young fighters.

Ramirez (45-1, 30 KOs) will challenge Arsen Goulamirian for the WBA cruiserweight world title Saturday at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California. A win would cement Ramirez, in his first scheduled bout at cruiserweight, as the first Mexican fighter to earn a title at 200 pounds.

“Zurdo” is threatening to turn this into a trend. In 2016, Ramirez became his country’s first-ever super middleweight titleholder when he snatched the WBO belt from Arthur Abraham.

But as much as anything he does inside the ring, the 32-year-old Ramirez seems excited about what he can accomplish on the other side of the ropes. Establishing Zurdo Promotions in the midst of his professional fighting career, Ramirez headlined a card put on by his own promotion – a bout against Alfonso Lopez in Galveston, Texas – in December 2020.

Since signing with Golden Boy Promotions in 2021, Ramirez has been angling toward bigger things for Zurdo Promotions.

“I eventually want to bring it to the U.S.,” Ramirez told Boxing Scene. “I think I’m the bridge for Golden Boy and Mexico.”

Ramirez owns a gym in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, and also runs Zurdo Promotions and his charitable arm out of Mexico. He says he eventually wants to bring his fighters directly to Golden Boy, calling the promoter “a pleasure” to work with.

“I love being a part of the Golden Boy family,” Ramirez said. “We have been working very hard. Obviously, Oscar De La Hoya is my idol – and Bernard Hopkins, too. It’s great to work with them; they give me really good advice all the time.”

Ramirez, who anticipates a June date for his next promotion in Mexico, wants to help his country’s up-and-coming fighters with the same support he once received.

“I like to work with all the people there because that used to be me there,” Ramirez said. “These people used to help me, to come for nothing. Now I can help them. I like to do that. We don’t charge anything, everything is free. We make sure that they are always motivated.

“I’m always training there, and they get to see me in the gym and make it on the TV. I love to spend time with them, and they love it, too. I don’t know if I can be a trainer, but I like to help the fighters.”