Erik Bazinyan arrived at the Cabaret du Casino de Montréal with everything to lose and everything to prove. If he failed to demonstrate exactly what he wanted, he lost nothing.
Bazinyan (30-0, 21 KOs) defeated Jose de Jesus Macias (28-12-4, 14 KOs) by unanimous decision on Thursday and retained his NABA and NABF titles.
However, what marked the fight was a moment when the crowd held its breath. A moment when the result was no longer so obvious for a duel which promised to be not very dangerous.
At 7e round, the Laval resident tried as much as possible to resist the onslaught of his rival. The crowd got up, began to chant “Bazzo”, because the Quebecer was in the cables, curled up, and looking for support. This sequence also extended for a moment at 8e.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Jose de Jesus Macias and Erik Bazinyan
This week, Eye of the Tiger Management (EOTTM) President Camille Estephan said he wanted a spectacular fight. He was served.
“It was a show, maybe a little too much,” laughed Estephan. “We purposely found complicated fights. You can’t learn stuff like that in the gym. »
If the rest of the fight was to the advantage of Bazinyan, it is all the same this sequence where the visitor led and was dangerous which caught the attention. Macias, who has previously defeated Steven Butler and Francis Lafrenière, came close to spoilsport again.
It was a moment that certainly raised the stress level of Bazinyan’s coach, Marc Ramsey, but not for fear of a knockout. “I was rather scared because of the drop in energy. There were still three rounds to go,” noted the instructor.
Nevertheless, Bazinyan persevered and the judges handed the cards 97-93, 98-92 and 98-92 in his favor. He thus preserved his perfect record, his titles, but also his title of second aspirant to the World Boxing Association (WBA), the World Boxing Council (WBC) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO).
Learning before facing the big boys
At super middleweight there is Canelo Álvarez, who holds all four belts in the division, and David Benavidez, interim WBC champion. Then there is a group of pursuers, among which is Bazinyan.
Now that his record is better than ever, could the Quebecer tackle the biggest like Álvarez?
“Is anyone really ready for Canelo? “Replied Ramsey. The coach explained that it’s also a business and the process can be quite complex before you face the big guys. However, he noted that his protege “can still and always improve”.
According to Ramsey, this fight and this tumultuous sequence will be able to register in the column of learnings.
“We’ve been up against southpaws, counter-attackers, power guys and we’re still raising the skill level of the opponents,” Ramsey said of Bazinyan’s rivals.
“In the last fights, we faced different profiles and, above all, at a higher level. We confronted a technician in [Alantez] Fox, then a more physical guy in Macias. On the other hand, when you face Canelo or Benavidez, they combine all that. So you have to taste the soup first, because when the soup is hot you will burn yourself, that’s guaranteed. »
Valuable lessons that come with victories. In the end, there is also a positive in this victory.