When Sébastien Bouchard returned to full-time education, he had just become a father for the third time. Bad timed coordination, some would say, but not for him. He had waited more than a year for this opportunity.
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In fact, Bouchard (19-2-1, 8 KOs) has only stepped into the ring twice in four years. He suffered serious shoulder and bicep injuries and the pandemic paralyzed the boxing world.
“It’s not the scenario I would have liked. We asked Yvon [Michel] “It’s given me several close fights because the inactivity has ruined my career,” he said yesterday as he ate fruit after hitting the scales at 60kg. About two months ago he weighed 184 pounds!
“He was really unlucky,” confirmed his promoter. […] He wants to give himself one last chance to reach his full potential.”
The boxer from Baie-Saint-Paul in Charlevoix knocked on the door of Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) to restart his career because at 36 years he is running out of time.
“Do I have another year, three years, five years? Two, three or ten fights? I don’t know. But one thing is for sure: I don’t want to go through what I’ve been going through for the last few years, I don’t want to be inactive for another year. As long as I have a goal, I’ll keep going, but if we stop, I’ll stop,” Bouchard assured.
The most important support
The contractor’s ability to give himself one last chance is largely thanks to his wife Natasha Pageau, who has boxed with him for the past 20 years. That’s saying something as she looks after her young children aged 4 months, 2 years and 5 years.
“She never stops! I am leaving company, family and friends for three months. My life revolves around boxing and nutrition. It means a lot of sacrifices,” admits Bouchard.
Don’t make the same mistake
That’s why he doesn’t want to repeat the mistake he made against the Mexican Ricardo Lara in March 2022, when he scored a draw in Trois-Rivières.
On Friday night against Fernando Altamirano Marquez (11-1, 9 KOs) at Place Bell in Laval, Bouchard is looking to get back to his good habits as an undercard in Kim Clavel’s fight.
“I don’t want to try to be a new Sébastien,” he said. We wanted to counterattack [contre Lara], but my livelihood has always been physical strength and pressure. Tomorrow I’m going to shake it up physically like I always have.
Bouchard therefore hopes to make a good impression to return to the ring often and face off against significant opponents in front of his family in Quebec.
Volny, a name to remember
If there’s another boxer who has everything to prove and deserves to be known, it’s Montreal’s Patrice Volny (16-1, 10 KOs) who defeated Abraham Juarez Ramirez (21-10-1, 10 KOs). ) starts.
Volny will see more action in the La Belle province thanks to an agreement between Ontario promoter Lee Baxter and GYM.
Photo Pierre Paul Poulin
Patrice Volny will be in action at Place Bell in Laval on Friday night.
“He was among the top contenders at 160 pounds when he fought Esquiva Falcao for the IBF playoffs [un revers à son dernier combat il y a un an et demi à Las Vegas]. “Inactivity knocked him out of the rankings,” Michel said.
“I never left the gym even though I was inactive in the ring. We never stopped. “We can’t wait to get into that to see what we’ve done, what’s evolved to put into practice what we’ve been working on, like distance and control in the ring,” said Volny, who notably spearheaded the topic of gloves with former world champion Caleb Plant.
▶ All boxers complied with the weight limit this afternoon.
▶ There will only be five fights at tomorrow’s gala at Place Bell in Laval since the of Thomas Blumenfeld was canceled due to his rival not making the trip.
▶ The duel of the evening could be the one between the Paris-born adopted Quebecers Caroline Veyre (3:0) against the French Emma Gongora (6:2). They were supposed to play against each other in March, but Gongora suffered an injury in training. “Gongora’s manager is so sure she’s going to win, he’s already offered me a rematch!” said Yvon Michel, laughing.
Photo Pierre Paul Poulin
Caroline Veyre and Emma Gongora looked each other straight in the eye while being weighed.
▶ Spectators who arrive early can catch a rising star in action at Alberta Alexas Kubicki (6:0), who lost only one amateur fight in the colors of Canada and Poland.
Photo Mylene Richard
Boxer Kim Clavel with her father Pierre.
▶ What Kim Clavel (16-1, 3 KOs) she wants to confirm that she still has her place and can become world champion again. In her final against the Mexican Naomi Arellano Reyes (9-2, 5 KOs), the 32-year-old Quebecer can count on her biggest fan, her father Pierre. “She’ll be there to box, not fool around!” he has told reporters.