Lerrone Richards, though he did not get the decision most observers felt he deserved, exposed Albert Ramirez's claims that he's ready for the world's best at light heavyweight.

The 12-rounder inside the Montreal Casino in Montreal, Canada, was perhaps hard to score in places but it appeared the English challenger, slick and evasive throughout, had done more than enough to wrest the WBA interim title from Venezuela's Martinez. 

Richards, 19-2 (4 KOs), came with a strong game plan alongside his coach Dave Coldwell. His jab was accurate and his approach drew increasing desperation from Ramirez, 34, whose swings grew ever wilder as the contest progressed. On industry, perhaps, the two scores that went in the beltholder's favor, both 115-113, might have been justifiable if winning rounds is purely down to who can hurl the most leather. But Ramirez, in truth, barely landed anything of note.

In contrast, the 32-year-old Richards kept the all-southpaw fight at his own pace, making Ramirez look clumsy at times as he tied him up on the inside, countered expertly, and slipped most of what was coming his way. 

Richards' effectiveness, in fact, convinced even Ramirez, 23-0 (19 KOs), that he'd lost by the end. There were no mock celebrations at the final bell and, to his credit, he only offered congratulations to Richards when it became clear that only one score - a realistic 116-112 - had been tabled for the challenger. 

Richards, at the very least, deserves a rematch on home turf.