Gilberto Ramirez to WBSS winner: ‘Let’s make it happen’

Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez is set to return tomorrow night on ESPN, when he’ll defend his WBO super middleweight title against Ghana’s Habib Ahmed.

While that fight is questionable in quality thanks to Ahmed (25-0-1, 17 KO) being untested and unknown at this level, if Ramirez (36-0, 24 KO) wins, he’s looking to the future and a potential fight against the World Boxing Super Series 168-pound tournament winner.

From ESPN:

“Let’s make it happen with the winner of the tournament. I would like to be there. I want the good fights. I couldn’t participate so I want to look good here against Ahmed. All the guys (remaining in the tournament) are good fighters. But I don’t care who wins. I only care about the winner because that is who I want to fight. I don’t have any preference.”

The two semifinal matchups in the tournament are George Groves vs Chris Eubank Jr (February 17) and Callum Smith vs Juergen Braehmer (February 24). The winner of the whole shebang would obviously be a great opponent for Ramirez, and vice versa — Ramirez, if he wins tomorrow, is arguably the No. 1 super middleweight in the world, anyway, and he would be at worst No. 2 after the tournament concludes.