(Quebec) All boxing fans who will pass through the turnstiles of the Videotron Centre this Saturday evening know very well that the big star of the evening will be Christian Mbilli. But for a few dozen people from the greater Thetford Mines region, there will be a co-star: Thomas Chabot.
However, Chabot (10-0-0, 8 KOs) will only deliver on the 11the fight of his professional career. But what is important to know is that this will be the 24-year-old Thetford native’s first outing in Quebec’s largest sports arena, as part of the Eye of the Tiger Management gala.
Chabot will then face Argentinian Matias Ezequiel Guenemil, who has a record of 10-3-1, with five wins before the limit, in an eight-round duel in the super featherweight division.
Where to watch the gala?
Saturday night’s gala will pit Christian Mbilli (27-0, 23 KOs) against Sergiy Derevyanchenko (15-5, 10 KOs) in the final. It will be broadcast starting at 5 p.m. on ESPN and online on the Punching Grace platform. The preliminary fights will also be broadcast on TVA Sports.
“He’s an opponent who is different from the others. I’m used to facing fighters, Mexicans, guys who like to fight on the inside. He’s a little more technical,” Chabot described after the pre-fight press conference on Thursday in the main hall of the Videotron Centre.
“He’s a guy who boxes from a distance. So, it’s going to be a different approach for this fight. It’s going to be up to me to deliver the goods and listen to my coaches,” added Chabot, whose coach is Laszlo Marien.
The Eye of the Tiger Management protégé learned about two months ago that he would be fighting at the Videotron Centre. The news obviously pleased him, as he has fought in the past at the Montreal Casino, in Shawinigan, in Rivière-du-Loup and also in Mexico.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Thomas Chabot is excited to be able to fight his fight on Saturday in front of his family and friends.
“For me, it’s a lot. It’s a great opportunity to be able to compete in front of the people from Thetford who will travel. They have less travel to do than when it’s in Montreal. And let’s face it: there are a lot more places available here than at the Casino,” he also noted.
“At the Casino, tickets usually sell out within 48 hours. So, it doesn’t give everyone the chance to be there. But here, there’s no excuse: there’s plenty of room. So, there’s going to be people from Thetford [ce] SATURDAY. “
Chabot estimated that there will be about 80 fans occupying seats at the Videotron Centre. His parents will certainly be there, his “little brother”, his friends and friends of his friends, too.
When I got the news that I was going to fight in Quebec, there was excitement, for sure. But at the same time, there is pressure that comes with that. A lot of people from my region are going to be there, like it or not, people have expectations. It’s sure that puts pressure on the shoulders. But it’s up to me to deal with that.
Thomas Chabot
Over the course of his first 10 fights, Chabot believes he has managed to progress steadily. But in his self-assessment, he does not forget that some outings were not easy.
“Mostly, with each fight, I feel like there are things that improve. Of course, I’ve had more difficult fights too, there have been more complicated ones. But every time, I think I’m growing, that I’m able to raise my level and show a little bit more.”
Chabot’s progress has not gone unnoticed by at least one boxing observer in Quebec, and not the least: trainer Marc Ramsay.
“He’s a guy who trains very hard. One of our associates trained him in our gym in Montreal. I was able to see his work ethic, all the discipline and seriousness he put into it. He’s a guy who is in impeccable shape in every fight. He throws a lot of punches, he imposes a pace that is very hard for his opponents to maintain.”
A little jogging
Like 16 of the 17 other boxers who will participate in the gala, Chabot respected the weight limit, 130 pounds in his case. He had the scale stop at 128.6 pounds Friday at noon during the official weigh-in at the Videotron Centre.
However, it didn’t come without a little extra effort. In the morning, Chabot realized he was over the maximum weight limit by one pound, he said in a brief phone conversation.
A running session outside the Videotron Centre allowed him to reduce his weight.
Argentina’s Facundo Galovar (15-11-2) was the only fighter not to make the weight limit ahead of his fight against Quebec’s Wilkens Mathieu (9-0), originally scheduled for the under-172-pound category.
Galovar was so far over the required weight that the two clans agreed to amend the contract Friday morning and set the limit at 178 pounds.
“We were told this morning that his opponent was having trouble with the weight and that he weighed 183 pounds,” explained Antonin Décarie, who is Mathieu’s promoter.
Despite the new contract and last-ditch efforts, Galovar failed to reach the maximum limit, as he weighed 180.9 pounds when he stepped on the scale, compared to 178 pounds for the Quebecer.
According to Décarie, Mathieu, who is only 19, spoke to his team and wanted to participate in this fight because it will take place at the Videotron Centre and the ESPN+ network is also scheduled to broadcast it.
Due to his excess weight, Galovar will lose 20% of the scholarship he was promised, to Mathieu’s benefit.
As for Mbilli (27-0, 23 KOs) and Ukraine’s Sergiy Derevyanchenko (15-5, 10 KOs), they showed up at 167.4 and 167.1 pounds, respectively, ahead of their clash in the under-168-pound class.
Mbilli and Derevyanchenko will battle for the WBC Continental Americas and WBA International super middleweight belts in a 10-round duel.
Read the article “The boxing world is watching Christian Mbilli”