Richards on Ramirez heartbreak: 'I cried like a baby'

Lerrone Richards wept in his dressing room after dropping a split decision to Albert Ramirez for the WBA interim heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight title in Montreal on June 5, a result he and his team are now preparing to appeal.

Two judges scored the bout 115-113 and 116-112 for Ramirez, handing the 33-year-old southpaw his first professional loss despite what ringside observers widely saw as a commanding performance. "I'm a grown man and I'm not much of a crier but I cried like a baby," Richards told The Ring. "When I got there I just started crying. I was devastated."

Ramirez apologizes after controversial scorecards

Richards said Ramirez approached him immediately after the announcement to express regret. "Ramirez came over and apologised," Richards said in the interview. "Because even he knew he lost. He even told my coach Dave Coldwell. He apologised to Dave and said 'I'm sorry. Richards won that fight.'" The London-based fighter, who reviewed the tape and scored himself a 118-110 winner, said he felt his energy drain the instant he heard the first 115-113 card read in Ramirez's favor.

Despite the setback, Richards entered The Ring's heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight rankings at No. 8 while Ramirez dropped from No. 3 to No. 9, an unusual outcome that reflects how observers viewed the actual fight. Richards and his S-Jam management are reportedly filing an appeal with the WBA, seeking either an immediate rematch or the loss removed from his record entirely. "If I win a fight by 10 rounds, what can you do?" he said. "At that point they should give me the decision."

Richards said he was fighting for his two sons and his parents when he jumped on the ropes after the final bell, convinced the hard-earned victory would change his family's life. The next scheduled WBA business meeting will determine whether the sanctioning body reviews the scorecards or orders a rematch between the two men.

Source: ringmagazine.com