WBO Cancels Interim Title Fight as Ramirez Returns to Cruiserweight Control

Ramirez is scheduled to defend his title against David Benavidez on May 2, and the WBO confirmed that his return removes the justification for maintaining an interim championship. An injury to one of the interim contenders further eliminated the remaining basis for the fight to proceed, leading the sanctioning body to terminate the bout entirely.

The cancellation prevents a mandatory challenger from being installed through the interim route. Instead, the WBO Championship Committee now determines the next challenger through its rankings and eliminator process, giving the sanctioning body full authority over how the contender line is rebuilt following Ramirez’s return.

That distinction places greater importance on the Ramirez vs Benavidez fight itself. With the interim fight cancelled, the Ramirez vs Benavidez winner will now determine who emerges as the next WBO challenger rather than inheriting an opponent already positioned through an interim title.

Ramirez returns as the lone WBO cruiserweight champion, and the interim structure created during his absence has been removed before it could produce a permanent challenger. The next opponent will now come through the WBO’s rankings rather than an interim title, placing the order of the division back in line with the champion’s activity in the ring.

Gilberto’s title was never stripped, but for a time, the division was preparing to move without him. That possibility is now gone. His return has erased the interim path and placed the future of the WBO cruiserweight title back in his hands.