Albert Ramirez

Bio

Albert Ramirez is exactly the kind of fighter the rest of the light heavyweight division would rather avoid. The unbeaten Venezuelan is a heavy-handed southpaw who has stopped the bulk of his opponents inside the distance, and he holds the WBA interim title at 175lbs — a belt he has earned the hard way against awkward, durable opposition.

Make no mistake, Ramirez can crack with either hand. He fights with genuine spite and a finisher's instinct, and when he hurts an opponent he does not let them off the hook. In a division ruled by the brilliant Dmitry Bivol, Ramirez has quietly built himself into a man nobody wants to share a ring with.

The questions are about the championship rounds and his recent health. Ramirez was hospitalised overnight with a suspected appendix problem ahead of his original date with Lerrone Richards, and coming back from a genuine scare is never simple. He has also yet to be taken twelve hard rounds by a slick, disciplined boxer — and that is exactly the test Richards represents.

On June 4 he finally gets his chance to settle the rivalry at the Casino de Montreal, live on DAZN. Win, and Ramirez stays firmly in the mix at the top of one of the best divisions in the sport. If you know, you know — this is a man with the power to change any fight in a heartbeat.