David Benavidez unified WBA WBO cruiserweight champion now after beating Gilberto Zurdo Ramirez. He set a record in boxing as well.
Becoming a three weight-world champion was impressive enough.
So was moving up in weight and knocking out a bigger foe inside six rounds.
But there’s more. A fast look at the facts of what transpired at the weekend just gone.
- Benavidez won WBA (Super) and WBO cruiserweight titles.
- Became unified champ in his cruiserweight debut.
- Stoppage came at 2:59 of round 6.
- Ramirez was defending titles he won from Goulamirian & Billam-Smith in 2024.
- Benavidez dropped Ramirez in rounds 4 and 6.
- Ring Magazine graphic: “unified cruiserweight world champion”.
- BoxingNews graphic: Benavidez “bludgeons Ramirez” to unify.
- Fight was for both WBA & WBO belts at T-Mobile.
- First fighter to rule 168, 175, and 200 lbs.
- Benavidez still holds WBC light heavyweight title too.
He became the first fighter ever to win world titles at those three weights above — super-middleweight, light-heavyweight and cruiserweight.
Joe Calzaghe the super-middleweight supremo from Wales back in the day never even did that.
He never stepped all the way up to cruiserweight to win a world title.
Impressive.
Benavidez accordingly for now moves to number three in the Boxing News and Views pound for pound boxing rankings.
Well deserved.
Who knows what fights he will have to contend with next but a good win at the weekend.
