The weigh-in did not go smoothly for the Spaniard of Moroccan origin Fara El-Bousairi, who must face the Quebecer Kim Clavel on Thursday, at the Cabaret du Casino de Montréal.
El-Bousairi (8-3, 3 KOs) weighed 111.4 pounds, while the limit for the fight had been set at 110 pounds by both clans. Clavel (17-2, 3 KOs) weighed 109.8 pounds.
The Quebecer usually fights at light flyweight, at 108 pounds. As she left the scale, she said: “Like a real pro!” “.
“We are a true team of professionals. I worked hard and it was good to make the weight, she said at the press scrum. I did everything necessary to get here according to the rules of the art. »
“It was a little jab thrown before the fight,” she later added about her onstage remark.
“It’s a communications problem between the matchmaker, their manager and us,” defended El-Bousairi’s coach and interpreter, David Quinonero Noguera. We prepared for a fight at 112 pounds. »
He quickly made it known that he did not intend to pay the penalty of 20% of the purse to Clavel, as stipulated in the contracts. Yvon Michel’s response was unequivocal.
“The contracts were signed by the boxer and her manager at a weight of 110 pounds and they will pay,” underlined Group president Yvon Michel.
“It’s their responsibility,” added Danielle Bouchard, Clavel’s coach. Our focus was not on the weight of the adversary, but on [notre] preparation. We knew she was a heavier girl. That it arrives here heavier is no surprise to us. »
Not the best…
Rebellious, the Spaniard promised “a war” against an adversary “who is not the best she has faced”.
“She might try to make a war; I will not lower myself to his level, replied Clavel. I will keep my game plan, my boxing, my technical quality. I think technology will win [jeudi]. »
” Saying [qu’elle a affronté de meilleures boxeuses], this shows that his knowledge is less, added Clavel. I competed against the best in the world in [Yesica] Plata and [Evelin] Bermudez in nine months in the last year. What they say is their business. I focus on my performance. »
The rest of this weigh-in for the five-fight gala went without a hitch, although Marisa Joanna Portillo (20-18-3, 4 KOs), opponent of Marie-Pier Houle (9-1-1 , 2 KOs) in the semi-final, had to try again twice in order to respect the limit of 140 pounds.
Minutes before officially stepping on the scale, she tested her weight in her underwear and naked, her eyes worried about what she saw on the display. In the end, she was able to register an official weight of 140 pounds, compared to 138.4 for Houle.
Derek Pomerleau (7-0, 5 KOs), Theo Owusu (3-0, 2 KOs) as well as Reid Twohey, in his professional debut, will also be there. Tickets are all sold out, but the fight is available on GymBoxe.tv.
A big name joins GYM
Michel spoke last week about reconstruction. He added an important milestone to his team on Wednesday, when the Montreal promoter announced the arrival of Canadian heavyweight champion Alexis Barrière.
“A reconstruction means many things,” noted Barrière, whose career will be managed by his father, Yvan. In all the professional camps I did — I went with Filip Hrgovic to Arizona and then Tyson Fury — the people who spoke well of Yvon to me, I couldn’t believe it. They had so much respect for him. The Matchroom team [de Fury] knew Yvon. That’s where I saw how much influence Yvon had not only in Quebec, but internationally.
“I aspire to an international career and I think Yvon is best placed here to guide me in that. »
Although the formal contract has not yet been finalized, the two parties “have agreed on the general structures which will govern this agreement which will be finalized in the coming months”.
Barrière (11-0, 9 KOs) has not fought a professional fight since his victory by KO. technical against the Mexican Guillermo Casas (11-4-1, 6 KOs) in the first round, October 13, 2023. He also took part in the qualification process for the Paris Olympic Games, but came up short after losing at his last tournament in Italy last month.
Barrière could have tried his luck one last time in a tournament to be presented in Thailand, but he decided to abandon his Olympic dream to devote himself to his professional career.
Barrière will now have in his corner an internationally renowned trainer in Sugar Hill Steward, whom he greatly impressed when he was invited to Fury’s training camp ahead of his (postponed) fight against Oleksandr Usyk.
The pugilist from St-Jean-sur-Richelieu will return to training camp on Thursday with the Briton’s team which will fight a unification fight for the four heavyweight belts on May 18, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi.
Marc-André Gauthier, Barrière’s trainer since the amateur ranks, will become Steward’s assistant during fights and training camps.
Steward praised Barrière’s qualities at length at a press conference on Wednesday, ensuring that he sees the potential of a possible world champion in him. When we know how few boxers were accepted by the owner of the renowned Kronk Gym in Detroit, we can only trust Steward’s words.
GYM should announce in the coming weeks the date of the first fight of its new foal.