Albert Ramirez will defend his WBA interim light heavyweight title against Lerrone Richards on June 4 at the Casino de Montreal in an Eye of the Tiger promotion. The fight was originally scheduled for February 5, but was postponed after Ramirez fell ill at the last moment, leading to a reshuffling of the event. The matchup will now headline a major card four months later than planned.
Ramirez, currently ranked No. 4 by The Ring, earned his place among the division’s rising names after training in Russia alongside former undisputed champion Artur Beterbiev. He first gained attention with a first-round knockout of Braian Suárez in 2022, followed by a seventh-round stoppage of Adam Deines, before capturing the interim WBA title with a win over Jerome Pampellone on August 8. Reflecting on the delay, Ramirez said the setback only strengthened his mindset: being a champion, in his view, is also about handling difficult moments. He enters the rescheduled bout confident, stating he plans to prove his status from the opening bell.
Lerrone Richards (19-1, 4 KOs), a former British, Commonwealth, and European champion at super middleweight, previously established himself on the world stage with a split decision win over Carlos Góngora. His career, however, has been disrupted by inactivity and setbacks, including withdrawal from a planned fight in 2022 and a shock stoppage loss to Steed Woodall in 2024. He returned to action in September 2025 with a points win over Dylan Courtney and now steps up to light heavyweight aiming to become interim champion and re-enter full world title contention. Richards described the matchup as a meeting of two of the best at 175 pounds, emphasizing his goal of positioning himself for a WBA world title shot.
The undercard features several returning prospects, including Imam Khataev (11-1, 10 KOs) and Jhon Orobio (17-0, 15 KOs), all looking to strengthen their standing in their respective divisions.
