Misfortune is good for something, the saying goes. Kim Clavel agrees: the postponement of his unification fight against Yesica Nery Plata will allow him to enter the Place Bell ring on Friday, after having optimized his preparation.
First scheduled on 1er last December, the fight between Clavel (16-0, 3 K.-O.), champion of the light flies of the World Boxing Council (WBC) to the Mexican, holder of the belt of the World Boxing Association (WBA), has had to be postponed due to the influenza contracted by the 32-year-old Quebecer.
Canceled at the last moment – a public training session and a press conference had already taken place – the gala cost promoter Yvon Michel a small fortune, as all the pugilists were already there. Fortunately for him, the Nery Plata clan proved to be understanding and not very greedy: he was quickly able to agree with them on the terms of compensation.
“They were very understanding,” said Michel. What Nery Plata wanted was Kim in top form to deliver the fight fans deserve. »
Clavel and her trainer Danielle Bouchard took full advantage of this setback: they redoubled their ardor in training, even being able to afford the luxury of working with Quebec boxer Lishana Sellan as a sparringwhose style is very similar to that of Nery Plata, who will defend his belt for the first time.
“It gave us even more time to prepare. It’s as if you had a math exam on March 2 and the teacher put it back in April: you have even more time to study, “said the one who will defend her WBC title for the third time.
“It allowed us to be even more specific when approaching the fight,” added Bouchard. Work even more on Kim’s strengths. These five weeks have allowed us to seek more in terms of power, of his physical preparation. […] Kim will still be at his best for this fight. »
As for Michel, he could quickly recover the losses incurred due to the postponement of the evening, especially if his protege were to win.
“Obviously it’s my job to think two or three moves ahead,” he explained. I am already in negotiation with an opponent for April 21: we have already reserved Place Bell. If she doesn’t win, it will be a comeback fight to get her back on track. »
“A Comprehensive Plan”
“After Friday’s fight, I have three fights planned for her: better to have a comprehensive plan than no plan. A comprehensive plan can always be modified. I also booked the Place Bell on September 22 and the Bell Center on December 8. All this for Kim’s fights with the objective, if she wins each time, of getting the four belts before the end of 2023. “
“It is clear that this fight is a dream, because it could open doors for me where I have wanted to enter for a long time, added Clavel. But for now, the next door is called Yesica Nery Plata. I have to open it, I have to win. I intend to do so. »
Friday’s semi-final will be the affair of Mazlum Akdeniz (17-0, 8 KOs). The Longueuil super-lightweight will defend his WBC Americas continental title for the first time against Mexican Cristian Bielma (19-4-2, 7 KOs).
Two other female fights will also be on the program. Welterweight Marie-Pier Houle (7-0-1, 2 KOs) will face Marisol Moreno (6-3) in an eight-round first fight for the two boxers. 2015 Pan American Games gold medalist Caroline Veyre (1-0) will face Estefania Gonzalez Franco (4-5) at featherweight.
Finally, middleweight Derek Pomerleau (3-0, 2 KOs) will face Gustavo Magana Rodriguez (3-1-1, 1 KOs), while British Columbian Erik Basran (2 -0, 1 K.-O.) will be opposed to the Mexican lightweight Juan Carlos Ramirez Garcia (4-2).
The first bell should ring at 7 p.m. The gala will be broadcast on streaming site ESPN+ in the United States, while it will be available on pay-per-view and on GYMboxe.tv in Canada.