It has been announced that WBA interim light heavyweight champion Albert Ramirez will face England’s Lerrone Richards at the Casino Montreal on June 4.
Ramirez (22-0, 19 KOs), a 33-year-old Venezuelan southpaw, had to pull out of his original date due to suspected appendicitis. His promoter, Camille Estephan’s Eye of the Tiger, exclusively told Boxing Social that “Ramirez was in hospital for a week” following the cancellation one day before the fight, but did not have appendicitis.
Eight fights will join Ramirez vs Richards this summer. Fellow light heavyweight, Imam Khataev returns on the card alongside Belarusian lightweight contender Dzmitry Asanau. Colombian hopeful Jhon Orobio will also return, while Montreal’s Christopher Guerrero will defend his WBC Continental title against Gatineau’s Samuel Rodriguez in a local derby! Undefeated prospect Avery Martin Duvaland and Canadian Olympic medalist Wyatt Sanford will also look to continue there ascent through the ranks.
Richards (19-1, 4 KOs) has struggled to find willing dance partners after claiming the EBU title against Giovanni De Carolis in May 2021 and the IBO title against Carlos Gongora six months later. Following his title success, Richards would become inactive for nearly 18 months, returning in an under-the-radar fourth round stoppage against Harry Matthews scheduled for six rounds. Richards outpointed Mickey Ellison later that year in Brighton, but would pick up a career-first loss against Steed Woodall in June 2024, falling in the sixth round.
Eye of the Tiger have some serious skin in the game at 175 pounds, hot the heels of the division elite; Dmitry Bivol, David Benavidez and Artur Beterbiev. Ramirez sits behind the WBA’s world champion Bivol and regular champion Benavidez. Estephan’s other charge at light heavyweight, Khataev (11-1, 10 KOs) was considered unfortunate to lose a ten-round split decision against David Morrell last July, having dropped the Cuban in the fifth round. The Russian knockout artist sits in third place with the IBF, where It has been heavily reported that its champion, Bivol, will face his IBF mandatory, Michael Eifert, on the Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven undercard at the Pyramids of Giza on May 23.
Khataev is also ranked in fourth place for Benavidez’s WBC belt and in fourteenth spot for Bivol’s WBO title.
