One hundred and twenty eight fighters began an arduous journey toward glory in March of this year, but only four managed to realize their dream, taking home the José Sulaimán Trophy and the champion’s belt at the WBC Grand Prix Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Here are the results of this weekend's final-round bouts:
Kevin Ramírez W8 Ahmed Krnjić... Argentina's Kevin Ramírez became the WBC Grand Prix heavyweight champion by defeating Bosnia’s Ahmed Krnjić via unanimous decision. A natural cruiserweight, Ramírez ended up dominating the heavyweight tournament. He controlled the fight from start to finish, which was reflected in the open scoring. Ramírez showcased great mobility, high volume, and excellent combinations. “I’ve gone through things no one knows about and I was on the verge of hanging up the gloves. Now I want to be the cruiserweight world champion,” said Ramírez.
Brandon Mejía W8 Muhamed Qamili... Mexico’s Brandon Mejía won the featherweight tournament, defeating Muhamet Qamili of Italy via a unanimous decision. This was the “heart” of the tournament, a true and veritable war in the ring where both avidly sought a knockout. Mejía landed the cleaner combinations and moved out of the line of fire, while Qamili focused on counter-punching. Despite a gritty performance from the Italian, Mejía took the win. “I faced a very resilient and complicated opponent… it is a tremendous pride to be the first WBC Grand Prix champion,” Mejía expressed.
Carlos Utria W8 Mujibillo Tursunov... Colombia’s Carlos Utria claimed the junior welterweight title by defeating Uzbekistan’s Mujibillo Tursunov. Utria’s technique and power were evident from the outset, making the Uzbek fighter retreat—something unseen previously in the tournament. Utria dominated the scorecards and used sharp uppercuts to secure the win. “This victory is for my people in Soplavientos. The cup is coming home!”
Dylan Biggs W8 Derek Pomerleau... Australian middleweight Dylan Biggs defeated Canada’s Derek Pomerleau via unanimous decision in a fight he controlled from the first bell. An early knockdown by Biggs set the tone for the strategic encounter. “This is what I’ve dreamed of since I was 10 years old. We finally got here and achieved our goal,” said Biggs. The fight was highly strategic, as both boxers were well aware of their opponent’s fight might. The first round began with great excitement; Biggs managed to land a punch that, while it didn’t seriously hurt Pomerleau, he did score a knockdown, setting the tone and creating a key difference in the bout.
