It was a comfortable rocking. The perfect moment to catch up with RDS’ Jean-Luc Legendre and Francis Paquin, PC’s Frédéric Daigle, Punching Grace’s Matthieu Casavant and TVA Sports.
Also there was Virginie Assaly, Vice President of Eye of The Tiger Management.
And Marc Ramsay, Samuel Décarie and the others who are still a bit jet lagged after their return from London.
All but one Mexican exception gained weight. And indeed everyone was in a good mood. Apart from Jean-Charles Lajoie, but Jici wasn’t in the casino.
Camille Estephan was pleased with the turn of events. BoxRec awarded five stars to the gala on March 23, the finale of which will be presented by Christian Mbili. Mary Spencer is set to return and the whole gala is in tune.
As for tonight’s gala with Erik Bazinyan in the semifinals and Yves Ulysse jr. As far as the final goes, everything is sold out. BPM Sports’ Max Truman got hold of the last tickets. Unfortunately we couldn’t find a chair strong enough for Georges Laraque.
At Monday’s usual press conference, Camille Estephan said he hoped to organize an event in 2024 that could attract 30,000 spectators to the Olympic Stadium.
A CHALLENGE
Yesterday, some colleagues, still shocked by the statement, returned to the indictment. Estephan didn’t show up. On the other hand !
“I said it with a purpose in mind. challenge me An obligation. have a dream Without making a dream come true, you never achieve anything great,” he said with a smile.
“The potential is there. The market will recover from Covid. We have athletes who are world class. We need our boxers now to win the big fights they will be involved in. Arslanbek Makhmudov is fifth in the WBC, just ahead of Anthony Joshua. He will be involved in a brawl in the US in May. Those in front of him will clash and that will vacate a position. Makhmudov, we hope, can then be involved in a title fight.
“I’m telling you, a defense of this championship against a Joshua or any of the big names in heavyweight could draw 30,000 people with a full card of very good boxers,” Estephan says.
If there were 21,105 spectators at the Bell Center for a pocket team, I suppose anything should be possible.
BETERBIEV IN MONTREAL?
During a conversation, Estephan insisted that his group Eye of The Tiger Management would be interested in showing Artur Beterbiev’s next fight in Montreal if the opportunity arose.
“I’m confident it will be Dmitry Bivol, despite the problems caused by the WBC’s decision to ban Russian boxers from major WBC-sanctioned bouts. This is the fight everyone wants. It remains to be seen how Canelo Alvarez will decide who has the option for a rematch against Bivol,” added Estephan.
Some will get a sore throat reading Estephan’s comments.
It is worth remembering that Jean-Yves Perron, director of the RIO in 1980, only dreamed of a big boxing match.
On June 20, 1980, Roberto Duran met Sugar Ray Leonard. In the Olympic Stadium in front of well over 35,000 people.
The struggle is life
Erik Bazinyan looks so fragile. It’s not the right word. Vulnerable. He’s 1.80m tall but we’re looking for his muscles. He’s slim, skinny, but he has to hit hard, his KO rate is 75 percent.
vulnerable ? Perhaps. If I can believe his eyes, which are those of a quiet man, an exemplary father and husband. Seeing him with his father and small family at the beautiful Armenian Church on 15 before arriving in Laval, one could not imagine that this tall, quiet boy was making a living in a boxing ring.
Then the brown look shines even deeper when you know that he lost his father a few months ago. He was his father, his friend, his confidant. The one who talked to him about Armenia, the countries, the people.
THE RETURN
Bazinyan fought for years against the Armenian government, which prevented him from returning to his ancestral homeland because he had not completed his compulsory military service before coming to Canada.
He wore the colors of Armenia for his battles and often displayed the Armenian flag to appease government authorities by showing that he was a proud son.
“I was able to return to the country after my father died a few months ago. I stayed there for two months, the time to sort out all his family affairs,” he explained yesterday.
He’s still mourning. It is obvious. The pain is still alive. But this fight tonight against an Alantez Fox, a 6ft 5 opponent who fought in the Worlds 15 months ago, is allowing him to orient himself.
“I’m very focused. This fight is life beginning anew,” he said.
But the voice is low. I can’t believe he’s going to be reckless in the ring.
IN CALEPIN – Yves Ulysse junior has a very uncomfortable client. In fact, Ulysses is far from playing a ballad against Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela in the city park.
