Gilberto Ramirez will likely enter hostile territory for his first world-title opportunity.
Saulerand Promotions won Wednesday?s purse bid and now controls the WBO super middleweight title fight between champion Arthur Abraham, their boxer, and Ramirez. The German-based company won with a bid of $1,563,000. Top Rank, which promotes Ramirez, bid $1.5 million. The bout is being targeted for April 9 in Berlin.
Abraham, a native of Armenia, is wildly popular in Germany, where he currently resides and routinely draws big crowds. The 35-year-old is coming off a split-decision victory over Martin Murray in November, and has now made five consecutive defenses of his 168-pound title.
Abraham also held a title at middleweight, but then entered the Showtime Super Six tourney in 2009, where he suffered three lopsided defeats, but opened up the action with a crushing knockout of Jermain Taylor. He?ll now enjoy the comforts of home for his sixth title defense.
Ramirez (33-0, 24 KOs) defeated Gevorg Khatchikian in November, the main event of a truTV card in Las Vegas. The 24-year-old Mexican is a tall ?68-pounder at over 6-foot-2, but doesn?t really use his height to his advantage. He?s yet to be tested and will be stepping way up in class with the Abraham assignment.
Abraham (44-4, 29 KOs), as champion, will receive 75% of the purse split, while Ramirez will receive the remainder. Top Rank wanted to make the bout the HBO PPV co-feature to the third meeting between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley on the same date, but it appears those plans have now gone by the wayside.
