On February 5, at the Cabaret du Casino de Montréal, Albert Ramirez will take part in one of the most important fights of his career as he faces Britain’s Lerrone Richards in the light heavyweight division (175 pounds).
In front of the Montreal crowd, the Quebec-based boxer will put his WBA interim title on the line. Undefeated and known for his power, Ramirez will look to solidify his status among the division’s elite against an opponent renowned for his tactical discipline and experience. Richards, a former super middleweight, is moving up in weight in hopes of pulling off an upset on Quebec soil.
I spent afternoons watching fight cards in England that featured Lerrone Richards on the undercard. Nicknamed Sniper the Boss, the promising southpaw is highly regarded by promoter Frank Warren. With an amateur record of 91–9, nine national titles, and a narrow loss while representing Ghana against the world’s No. 3 fighter, Richards narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Olympic Games.
“Richards is a boxer who has long been avoided, both on the British scene and worldwide. But when you work as hard as Albert Ramirez and have his mindset, you don’t turn down any challenge. It will be quite a fight, but this first title defense is only the beginning of a great story for Albert,” added Albert Ramirez’s manager, Karim Bouzidi of Versus Sports Management.
Photo: Champinon.info – Tommy Langford vs Lerrone Richards
As a professional, Richards quickly made a name for himself, and many saw him as a future world title contender. He strung together victories over Tommy Langford, Lennox Clarke, Timo Laine, and Giovanni De Carolis. He also became the first fighter to defeat Carlos Góngora, capturing the IBO title in the process. After a dispute with his management team kept him out of the ring in 2022—completely halting his momentum—Richards was dominating Steed Woodall with his jab and reach before a right hook dramatically altered the course of his career.
Today, he is back alongside his trainer Dave Coldwell. The tall southpaw is a structured and disciplined boxer, known for his technical mastery, ring IQ, and composure under pressure. A natural left-hander, he builds his style around a strong jab, effective distance control, and a desire to dictate the pace of the fight. He can neutralize an opponent’s power or explosiveness with a clean, methodical, and efficient boxing approach.
However, his strengths also come with weaknesses. Richards too often adopts a waiting, reactive style in the ring, leaving him vulnerable against opponents who can increase their punch output or apply constant pressure round after round. He is not known for his punching power and cannot always earn respect with a single decisive shot. These limitations are likely to be even more apparent at 175 pounds. While highly gifted technically, he has shown several weaknesses at close range, notably against Steed Woodall. In the small ring at the Casino, one can already anticipate that this will be central to Albert Ramirez’s strategy.
Photo: Vincent Ethier – Albert Ramirez
While Lerrone Richards remains a formidable technician, capable of controlling the tempo and dictating the exchanges, Albert Ramirez represents a serious challenge with his power and determination. Both fighters bring complementary assets to the table: precision and experience on one side, strength and grit on the other. Everything remains to be written, and this duel could swing at any moment, promising a matchup where strategy, composure, and decisive punches will make the difference. I’m genuinely curious to see how this fight unfolds—Ramirez could just as easily catch him early and close the book, as Richards could, with his technical brushstrokes, paint a masterpiece at the Casino de Montréal. A victory over Albert Ramirez would be life-changing for the English boxer.
Bonus – Author’s opinion
EOTTM is playing with fire and will eventually get burned. The stylist Lerrone Richards against Albert Ramirez. The Swiss troublemaker Ramadan Hiseni versus Steven Butler. New Brunswick’s Dominic Babineau facing Thomas Chabot. I would even add Russia’s Pavel Silyagin against Osleys Iglesias. In 2026, the opponents are stronger than ever and carry significant international reputations. Will EOTTM fighters be able to keep winning against this level of challenge?
