With no cruiserweight bracket in the WBC Grand Prix, Argentina’s 25-year-old Kevin Ramirez has stepped up to heavyweight without bulking up. A career cruiser who often scales under the 200lbs limit, Ramirez weighed 200¼lbs in round one and blasted out 244.25lbs Brian Zwart inside a round. Feverish and short on prep in his next bout, he still floored 240.75lbs Reagan Apanu in the fourth and eased to a unanimous decision. “You can feel the weight difference,” Ramirez admitted. “But I’m not gonna run away from any challenge.”
Ramirez’s inspirations span home and abroad - Marcos Maidana’s fearlessness, plus Puma Martinez and Brian Castaño - while Oleksandr Usyk’s move from cruiser to heavyweight “motivates” him. Even so, Ramirez is candid: heavyweight mass isn’t for him long term. He’ll cap around 207lbs during the tournament, then return to cruiser at roughly 198. “Fear? Never,” he said.
Next is his biggest Grand Prix test: Poland’s unbeaten Piotr Lacz (14-0, 10 KOs), 27, in the August 13 quarterfinals. “We’ve been studying him. He’s strong,” Ramirez said. “But it’s not always the strongest who wins - it’s the smartest. I’ll do my thing and prevail with the weapons we’re working on.”
Away from the lights, Ramirez sweeps streets and collects trash in Buenos Aires. The goal remains simple and audacious: a world title. “I come from a humble background… we’ve always had to grind,” he said. The Grand Prix is his stage to prove that brains, bravery, and a cruiser’s engine can outwork heavyweight size.
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