The WBA has ordered cruiserweight champion Gilberto “Zordo” Ramirez (47-1, 30 KOs) to defend against mandatory Yunel Dorticos (27-2, 25 KOs) in his next fight.

The 38-year-old, Cuban-born Dorticos has fought just three fights in the past four years, overcoming shadowy, low-level competition to earn a mandatory spot in the World Boxing Federation. It’s not ideal for a fighter to get the top spot, but the cruiserweight division lacks talent. Dorticos is one of the few good fighters in this weight class, and he’s not young.

Unification delayed

Ramirez planned a unification fight against the IBF cruiserweight champion Jay Opitaya It must be put on hold. He would have to wait to finish this battle against Dorticus. Of course, there’s always the possibility of a deal being set aside if Ramirez’s promoters at Golden Boy want to go that route.

It’s too bad the IBF didn’t use former WBA champion Arsene Goulmirian as a mandatory, but that wouldn’t make any sense either, given that Ramirez defeated him last year on March 30 by a lopsided 12-round unanimous decision. However, this would be infinitely better than fighting against an inactive Dorticus.