Ramirez and Richards Finally Get It On In Montreal

It feels like a fight that has been hanging around for months, but on June 4 the wait is finally over as unbeaten Venezuelan Albert Ramirez (22-0-0) meets Britain’s Lerrone Richards (19-1-0) over 12 rounds in the main event at Montreal Casino.

Eye of the Tiger have quietly put together a strong card here. There are prospects looking to take another step forward, a couple of regional title fights with genuine significance, and a main event that could end up being a lot trickier than some people expect.

Main Event: Albert Ramirez vs Lerrone Richards

Albert Ramirez has done everything asked of him so far. Twenty-two fights, twenty-two wins, and he’s steadily climbed the light heavyweight ladder without attracting the sort of attention some of his rivals receive.

That might change if he gets past Lerrone Richards.

Richards is one of those awkward fighters who never seems to get the credit he deserves. He’s mobile, defensively sharp and rarely gives opponents a clean target. Even in defeat, he’s shown enough to suggest he’s capable of causing problems for anyone willing to chase him around the ring.

The big question is whether Ramirez can consistently pin him down. The Venezuelan tends to throw the heavier shots and looks the naturally bigger puncher, but Richards has made a career out of frustrating opponents and breaking their rhythm.

From a fan’s perspective, this is a fascinating style clash. Ramirez will probably need to force the action. Richards will be looking to make him miss and drag him into a fight fought at his pace. If Ramirez wins clearly, it says a lot about where he belongs in the division.

Co-Main Event

Imam Khataev (11-1-0) faces Mickael Diallo (21-2-2) for the North American Boxing Federation Light Heavyweight title.

Khataev is trying to rebuild momentum after suffering the first defeat of his career and this is not a soft touch. Diallo brings experience and has only been beaten twice in twenty-five fights. Ten rounds at light heavyweight should tell us a lot about where Khataev currently sits among the division’s contenders.

Other Title Fights

Unbeaten Belarusian Dzmitry Asanau (12-0-0) takes on former world champion Roger Gutierrez (29-7-1) in a lightweight contest carrying both the IBF Inter-Continental and WBC Continental Americas titles.

Gutierrez has been around at a much higher level than most of Asanau’s previous opponents, making this one of the more interesting tests on the card. If Asanau wins convincingly, he’ll have every reason to start calling for bigger names.

At super lightweight, unbeaten Colombian Jhon Orobio (17-0-0) meets Jonathan Montrel (19-4-0) for the WBC Continental Americas Super Lightweight title.

Orobio’s perfect record is on the line against a fighter who has already shared the ring with solid opposition. It looks like a sensible step-up fight and one worth keeping an eye on.

Undercard

Avery Martin Duval (15-0-1) continues his unbeaten run against Mexico’s Jose Rodolfo Macias Enriquez (22-4-2) over ten rounds at lightweight.

Canadian prospect Wyatt Sanford (6-0-0) faces Juan Pablo Ilharregui (11-1-0) in an eight-round lightweight contest.

At super middleweight, Keven Beausejour (2-0-0) takes on Davorin Brajkovic (3-5-0) over four rounds.

The card also features the professional debut of Nickenson Denis, who meets Lukasz Kucharski (1-3-0) in a four-round super middleweight bout.

Final Thoughts

Ramirez against Richards isn’t the loudest fight of the week, but it might be one of the most intriguing. Add in Khataev’s return, a serious test for Asanau and several unbeaten prospects looking to keep moving forward, and Montreal has a card that’s well worth checking out on DAZN.