French boxing K.O. Arsen Goulamirian, the only French world champion until Saturday, lost his WBA light heavyweight belt on points against Mexican Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez in Los Angeles.
Arsen Goulamirian (36 years old), who had not fought since the end of 2022, was never able to impose his rhythm on Ramirez (32 years old), named the winner unanimously by the three judges after the twelve rounds of combat. “He won, he performed better today. I’m missing a ring. However, I had good weeks of sparring (training), but we cannot replace combat. I was waiting too much, my hands wouldn’t go away. I had too many problems before the fight. I think that’s what disturbed me in the ring. But the king is not dead, I am still here, I will come back strong, and why not for revenge.”
Arsen Goulamirian, who had been WBA champion since 2018 and had defended his belt four times, despite powerful blows, never seemed able to falter the Mexican, who hit the Frenchman clearly and regularly. “It’s uncomfortable, I didn’t imagine it would be this bad. The coach had warned me though. It’s a snake. I couldn’t touch him. A friend who trained with him told me: he doesn’t hit, he hits, but he’s not a hitter. He gets in the way. It’s the ring, he was stronger, I just congratulate him. It goes everywhere, you don’t know where to touch it.”
The three judges gave a score of 118-110 largely in favor of Ramirez, in the YouTube Theater in Inglewood (south of Los Angeles), adjacent to the immense SoFi stadium of the Los Angeles Rams (American football team). Goulamirian conceded his first defeat in 28 fights. “It’s a defeat but I call it more of an experience, I’m going to come back strong, already in June, normally in the United States,” confided the boxer. “I’m going to take 10 days and go back to training, I’m not going to stop. I’m disappointed in my skill, which I wasn’t able to do, but I’m not disappointed in my defeat. There I gave him the victory.”
WBA champion since 2018, he had defended his belt four times, but according to him paid for his lack of fight, while he had only entered the ring once since the beginning of 2020. Ramirez, at Conversely, perfectly relaunched his career, he the former WBO super middleweight champion from 2016 to 2019, who has since moved up two categories but had been slowed down by a setback in November 2022 against the Russian Dmitry Bivol at light heavyweight. The Mexican now has 46 wins for just one defeat.
