Julian Chua has aspirations to become one of boxing’s most influential trainers. Coaching Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez to a win in his cruiserweight unification title fight against Chris Billam-Smith on November 16 in Saudi Arabia would go a long way toward meeting that goal.
Chua has already made great strides in that direction, helping the 33-year-old Ramirez improve to 46-1 (30 KOs) with a win over Arsen Goulamirian in a cruiserweight title fight in March.
Chua and Ramirez first met in 2018 when Ramirez, then 39-0, was seeking a new head trainer. Their initial meeting, in Santa Monica, California, marked the start of a partnership that has only grown stronger.
“We clicked right away,” Chua said. “I researched his training history to help him improve. We balanced each other – he traveled to Wild Card [Boxing club, in Hollywood], and I went to Long Beach.”
Since taking over as Ramirez’s trainer in 2019, Chua has guided the fighter through weight classes, with Ramirez moving up to cruiserweight and defeating former light heavyweight titleholder Joe Smith Jnr. last year.
A win over Billam-Smith, 20-1 (13 KOs), a 34-year-old cruiserweight titleholder from Epsom, England, would add another building block to Ramirez’s legacy while further bolstering Chua’s reputation as a trainer who can help lead fighters to new heights.
