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As had been expected, a Dec. 14 rematch between WBO super middleweight titleholder Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez and Jesse Hart is now official, with the announcement made on Tuesday.
The two will meet at American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas, streaming live on ESPN+.
Ramirez (38-0, 25 KO) beat Hart (25-1, 21 KO) on Sept. 22, 2017, with Hart coming off the canvas in the second round to make it a very close, very competitive fight. Scores were 114-113, 115-112, and 115-112, all for Ramirez. There wasn’t controversy, but it was definitely a fight that proved that Hart, who was stepping up in competition, could compete at the top level.
A little over a year later, they’ll do it again. Since the loss, Hart has rebounded to score TKO wins over Thomas Awimbono, Demond Nicholson, and Mike Gavronski. Ramirez has successfully defended his title against Habib Ahmed and Roamer Alexis Angulo, a pair of underwhelming challengers who offered little resistance.