Gilberto Ramirez dominates Arthur Abraham, wins super middleweight title

— -- LAS VEGAS -- Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez etched his name in Mexican boxing history, becoming the first fighter from that country to win a super middleweight world title as he dethroned Arthur Abraham by shutout decision on the Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley Jr. III undercard on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

All three judges scored the fight 120-108 for Ramirez, who also became only the second Mexican to win a world title in a division heavier than middleweight; the late Julio Gonzalez won a light heavyweight world title from Dariusz Michalczewski in 2003 in Germany.

"I took to him a Mexican boxing school," Ramirez said. "He was a very, very strong puncher, but he couldn't take any movement. I knew halfway through the fight I was going to win the fight. I came here to make history, and I did it."

Abraham did virtually nothing at all in the fight. He was lethargic and seemed like he was in the ring to go the distance and collect his check.

Mandatory challenger Ramirez (34-0, 24 KOs), 24, meanwhile, was energetic throughout the fight. He got off to a very good start. He was moving and punching, while Abraham (44-5, 29 KOs), who was making the sixth defense of his second super middleweight title reign, did very little early in the fight. A powerful right hook from Ramirez, a southpaw, rocked the 36-year-old Abraham just before the end of the second round.

Abraham spent long stretches of the fight covering up with a high guard and not throwing any punches, while Ramirez was continually busy with his long jab and movement that seemed to frustrate Abraham. By the end of the fifth round he had swelling around both eyes. At the end of the sixth round, a tiring Abraham took a deep breath as he walked back to his corner.

The fight continued to play out the same round after round, with Ramirez punching and moving and Abraham doing almost nothing. Abraham, who showed no sense of urgency, not even in the final round, dropped to 1-3 fighting in the United States, having previously knocked out Edison Miranda in a 2008 rematch but losing lopsided fights to Andre Ward and Andre Dirrell in the Super Six World Boxing Classic.

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