Jose de Jesus Macias made life difficult for Erik Bazinyan, he pushed for the decision and it comes as no surprise to anyone at Eye of the Tiger.
• Also read: Boxing: Bazinyan wins such an intense fight as is fought at the Casino de Montréal
“We knew we were going to put Erik through a very physical fight and it was maybe at a slightly higher level than we expected,” admitted his trainer Marc Ramsay.
Promoter Camille Estephan, wanting to see Bazinyan’s spectacular looks, admitted he wished he was done before he reached the limit of the fight.
“If you look at Macias, nobody stopped him. Erik still dominated him. Would I have preferred a knockout? It is save. Could we have hoped for that? I think so.
“We will continue to develop Erik, we are not 100% where we want to be yet. He has greater potential.”
plans failed
Antonin Décarie, General Manager of Eye of the Tiger, didn’t hesitate to admit that Macias’ brave and tough fight had ruined the group’s plans.
“It’s not what we planned. We would have liked to get rid of it. But you have to live that in your career and take the positives out of it.
Macias bothered Bazinyan so much that he couldn’t meet the reporters because he had to undergo a medical examination. The Mexican isn’t the type to get off easily and he showed it.
“So it would have been fun to make a clear statement and really stand out,” Décarie said. But it was not so easy to settle the matter.”
Macias surprised even Bazinyan, who was very shaken up in round seven, Marc Ramsay was concerned, but not for the reasons we believe.
“Everyone saw him, he was shaken, but what worried me was that his energy was draining and there were three rounds left.”
Progress
Bazinyan still has a perfect 30-0 record and retains his NABF and NABA super middleweight titles, but he has endured a tough second straight fight after being snatched the win at Alantes Fox.
“We put him up against Alantes Fox on purpose, it was a very, very complicated fight,” supported Camille Estephan. Macias, we knew it was going to be complicated. He needed that experience. Those are things you can’t learn in the gym.
And it’s all part of the evolution of the boxer that Marc Ramsay wanted.
“Since the beginning of his career, we’ve been trying to see a little bit of everything that’s being done. In the last battles we increase the level of opponents. Fox was a technician, Macias was hyperphysical and a suicide bomber.
“When you play against a guy like Canelo (Alvarez), everything comes together: he is strong, fast and technical. If you haven’t tasted the soup and it’s hot, you’ll burn yourself.
see bigger
So it’s all part of a larger plan to prepare Bazinyan for fights on the world stage.
But putting him up against Alvarez right away, the Mexican who dominates the category, is out of the question.
“Is he ready for Canelo? No,” said Camille Estephan.
“Anyone ready for Canelo? It’s important for Erik to keep boxing at the moment,” Ramsay said.
“We’re waiting for a call, we know it will come one day, but we can’t just wait, we have to keep working and giving Erik some fights,” added the coach.
The Claggett Surprise
Before the confrontation between Bazinyan and Macias, Calgary’s Steven Claggett put in a very good performance by taking the KO. to Puerto Rican Alberto Machado, who won the NABF Welterweight Championship.
Claggett made short work of the left-hander who was never in the game.
“I’ve played against a lot of really good left-handers over the years and I’ve always felt confident. I knew I would find gaps in his defense.
I started strong and I like doing that because I know I can do all ten rounds.
Above all, the 33-year-old boxer wanted to show that he still has a lot to offer despite a record of several losses (35-7-2, 25 KOs).
“You don’t have to be undefeated, perseverance is important. You have to be able to hold your own against the best boxers. I want to show that I can achieve my goals despite the incomplete record.”
For his part, Camille Estephan rubbed the hands of a boxer he spoke to after this performance.
“I like to give a second chance and he deserves it. I think he’s ready for anyone at 140 pounds. We can hope for a world championship with him. He knew how to seize his chance.”