Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez doesn’t expect to be the next Oscar de la Hoya—but having the Hall of Fame former six-division titlist certainly can’t hurt his cause.

“Now that we are a team, we can make something great of my career,” Ramirez told BoxingScene.com of his recent alignment with Golden Boy Promotions. “Oscar can make me even bigger, turn me into a superstar.

“Plus, he is my idol and role model. He was a fighter and now is a promoter. I am anxious to follow in his footsteps.”

Ramirez (41-0, 27KOs) made a splash with the news of his signing with Golden Boy Promotions this past February, more than seven months after officially severing ties with longtime promoter Top Rank. The move came with Ramirez having not fought since a 4th round knockout of Tommy Karpency in April 2019, his lone fight following his three-year super middleweight title reign before moving up in weight.

More than 20 months would go by between fights before Ramirez resurfaced last December. The unbeaten 29-year-old from Mazatlán, México defeated Alfonso Lopez via 10th round knockout on a show promoted by his own Zurdo Promotions in Galveston, Texas.

Zurdo Promotions will remain in play, working in association with Golden Boy as Ramirez plots to take over the light heavyweight division. The plan is also to establish himself as among the sport’s leading starts both in the United States and his native México.

“Mexican boxing has been a worldwide force in this sport for as long as I can remember,” de la Hoya said of his company bringing Ramirez into the fold. “Along with its legacy of courageous fighters, it possesses a fanbase with a unique culture and energy that comes alive every single time its fighters step into the ring.

“That’s why we are delighted to have signed Gilberto Ramirez to a multi-fight deal, an undefeated former world champion from the land of warriors in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico. As we in the United States look towards re-opening to bigger and bigger audiences, we know that Ramirez will bring even more excitement to the stacked 175-pound division as he sets course for all the world champions.” 

A fight date has yet to be attached to Ramirez’s next ring appearance, though tentatively targeted for the springtime. Later in the year, the goal is to land a showdown with unbeaten WBA titlist Dmitry Bivol.

From there, the plan is to conquer the world with the additional promotional muscle behind him.

“It was exciting to promote my first show. Now I move on and think I can do great with it now that I am partnered with Golden Boy,” notes Ramirez. “Oscar told me he can support me with shows here in Mexico. I want to become the biggest star in the sport today. That’s why it was important to bring (aboard) someone like Oscar, one of the most popular fighters (in recent history).”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox