(Laval) Before each press conference that precedes a boxing gala, journalists have the same joke that keeps coming back: we bet on the time it will take for boxers to tell us that they have just experienced the best training camp of their career. But in the case of Marie-Ève Dicaire, who will face Natasha Jonas in a super-welterweight unification bout on November 12 in Manchester, this time it’s true.
Posted at 3:01 p.m.
For the first time in a long time, the International Boxing Federation (IBF) 154-pound champion had an injury-free camp and, most importantly, no carryover. Dicaire (18-1, 1 KO) also sees another reason why this camp was so memorable: she took time for herself.
“The fact of having taken time for me, to recover from my injuries, made all the difference, she said after her training session on Thursday. I also got bored of boxing. I’m in the gym all the time, but I got bored of the camps, the adrenaline rush. It made me realize how much I needed that in life.
“I also didn’t go into autopilot mode during the 10 weeks of camp,” she continued. Giving my body a break also helped me cut weight. Everything I did was because I wanted to do it, wanted to be there. It made a big difference. »
His trainer, Stéphane Harnois, felt the same.
“It’s completely different. Each time, our athlete is said to be superior to the last time. But this time, for the first time, we didn’t have to deal with his injuries. The fact that she rested this summer was also beneficial. […] We really had fun. Not having an injury to deal with this time has everyone smiling. All that remains is to take the November 12 exam. »
That review is World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) champion Natasha Jones (12-2-1, 8 KOs) who will welcome home to the UK the Quebec champion. In addition to these three belts, The Ring magazine will be giving away its belt, reserved for bouts involving the division’s top two boxers.
Dicaire is ready for her adversary, a rare left-hander who finds herself on her path since she started boxing among the professionals.
“We are in the tweaking, she confirmed. But when I started camp, every damn practice was hard! I wondered if I was too old to do this. Then at a certain moment, something clicked, it’s as if I had said to myself: “We’re going to the next level; let’s go, let’s get on board!”. […] I feel that I am in full possession of my means, that all the work is done, ”she said.
“The adaptation was to prepare me for a lefty, which I hadn’t done since my third or fourth fight. I now see everything left-handed! Another aspect (which works in my favor) is that I am a real 154 pounds, and she is moving up in weight class. She doesn’t think it will be to my advantage: so much the better! It will just be a nicer surprise on November 12, ”added Dicaire.
Another aspect that Dicaire and his clan will have to manage: the hostile crowd of some 20,000 spectators gathered at the AO Arena. The 36-year-old Quebecer, however, takes very little notice.
“It’s like a hockey player who comes to play against the Montreal Canadiens: you can’t wait to experience that. We must not hide it, with the pandemic and the last few years, it is difficult to sell our amphitheatres here. In Manchester, the boxing fans are there, proud and loud. It is a gift to experience this. I’m a little girl from the suburbs of Montreal who’s going to make the final at the AO Arena, in front of a crowd that pays because they want to see me. For all the people who told me to move on in my life, I can say that I did. I see it as a nice challenge. I’m going to be thrilled to be there, ”she said.
“In Flint (in Michigan, in the fight against Claressa Shields), we were shouting nonsense. But that was just a small preview. There, we will fall into the major leagues, added Harnois. For my part, with Jean Pascal, I experienced several things like this. Samuel (Décarie, his assistant) also has a lot of experience. This is where our experience will be beneficial for Marie-Ève. That’s why we didn’t refuse to go there. »
The fight between Dicaire and Jonas will be the highlight of a thrilling eight-fight evening, shown on Sky Sports in the UK. Quebec boxing fans will be able to follow the gala on RDS.