Eric Gomez of Golded Boy Promotions says negotiations are taking place for a fight between David Benavidez and WBA and WBO cruiserweight champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez. Both fighters must win their next fights for the fight to happen. That is the major complication that could hinder the contest from taking place.
Gomez Confirms the Talks
Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) is defending his WBC light heavyweight title against Anthony Yarde (27-3, 24 KOs) on November 22, 2025, in The Ring IV on DAZN PPV, at the ANB Arena in Riyadh. That’s a fight that Benavidez is expected to win.
Gomez says that ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (48-1, 30 KOs) will be facing IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia next in a unification. That contest is far from a sure-thing win for Ramirez, as Opetaia (28-0, 22 KOs) is considered by many as the best fighter in the cruiserweight division.
“Yeah, look, we’re working on it. Right now, the negotiations are underway for a big fight in 2026 between Zurdo and Benavidez,” said Golden Boy president Eric Gomez to Salvador Rodriguez on X about a fight between David Benavidez and WBA and WBO cruiserweight champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez.
Zurdo Faces Opetaia Danger
It would be a better idea for Golden Boy to wait for the Ramirez vs. Opetaia fight to happen rather than starting negotiations with Benavidez now. That fight is too risky for Gilberto, as his promoters would be in the early stages of planning his next fight against Benavidez. If Ramirez loses to Opetaia, there will be a lot of upset fans who pinned their hopes on the belief that Gilberto would win.
If Either Loses, It’s Over
“Of course, it all depends on them winning their next fights. Zurdo has his [unification] against [IBF champion Jai] Opetaia in cruiserweight, and Benavidez has to get past [Anthony] Yarde at light heavyweight,” said Gomez. “But if they both come through, this is happening.”
If Golden Boy took the fight with Benavidez first for Ramirez, fans would be pleased. Of course, that would put the Opetaia fight at risk because Benavidez would have an excellent chance of beating Ramirez.
“There’s a ton of interest on both sides. David [Benavidez] is super excited—he’s been telling me, ‘Man, I want to fight Zurdo; that would be a monster Mexican showdown.’ We’ve had really good conversations with Sampson Lewkowicz, Zurdo’s promoter. Everything’s lining up. This isn’t about a Canelo rematch or anything like that—it’s about unifying these divisions, putting on a high-stakes clash between two beasts. It could be huge for boxing.”
“Absolutely real. We’re operating [on it]—we’re showing the way,” said Gomez. “And yeah, Benavidez loves the idea. This fight is on the table, and it’s going to be a total war.”
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