LAVAL | Mazlum Akdeniz (19-0-0, 8 KOs) left Place Bell with a new jewel on Saturday evening, the WBC International Welterweight Championship belt following his victory over Sébastien Bouchard ( 20-3-1).
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The Longueuil resident won by a unanimous decision of the judges (97-91, 98-90, 98-90) who saw the same thing as us, domination from start to finish.
The 26-year-old left-hander is starting to have interesting arguments in his favor with the record he has built up to now.
“It’s an important belt, it’s 147 pounds, but I’m aiming more for 140 pounds. I will have to have my chance soon,” said Akdeniz.
Animosity
We can tell you, there wasn’t much love in this duel between Akdeniz and Bouchard. The first notably hit the second three times below the belt, which earned him a one-point penalty in the 4th round.
At the end of the second period, Akdeniz got in Bouchard’s path as he returned to his corner, leading to a short confrontation. The Baie-Saint-Paul boxer violently pushed Akdeniz away when he embraced him in his corner at the end of the fight.
“I’m a very respectful guy in life and all along they disrespected me, they looked down on me. It’s not true that you’re going to s*** on me on social networks,” Bouchard explained hotly.
“You can’t come and shake my hand afterwards thinking that everything is settled. I don’t respect their arrogance and their working methods. I’m talking about him and some members of his team.”
Marie-Pier Houle
Photo Bernard Brault, GYM
Houle struggled
Marie-Pier Houle (9-1-1, 2 KOs) did not have an easy fight against the Mexican ringleader Cindy Reyes Espinoza (4-2-0), winning by split decision of the judges ( 76-76, 77.75, 77-75) in his first fight at super lightweight.
“I knew it was going to be close, we knew we were in a battle,” Houle said a few minutes after the clash. Everyone expected her to be a Mexican like any other. We had watched her, we knew that she was a girl who knew how to box, who put a lot of pressure with a large volume of punches.
Houle started the duel well by winning the first three rounds against an opponent who seemed less in shape than her.
But Espinoza came back strongly in the next three engagements against Marie-Pier Houle who seemed disconcerted at times and who had difficulty finding openings in her opponent’s defense.
Adjustment
Facing an opponent who didn’t give up for eight rounds, Houle was disturbed in her game plan.
“I am never 100% satisfied. I showed that I was there, she hit me a lot on the body, it sure slowed down my game plan.”
It still remains a good reference fight for the future for the 33-year-old boxer.
“It’s a first fight at 140 lbs, it’s a first step forward. It’s a division in which the girls have a little more volume and speed, it’s going to be up to me to adjust to that.”
Veyre still undefeated
Montrealer Caroline Veyre (6-0-0) got the better of Italian Jessica Bellusci (4-1-0) by unanimous decision of the judges (80-72, 79-73, 79-73) in the featherweight category.
In the middleweight category, Derek Pomerleau (6-0-0, 4 KOs) manhandled his Czech opponent, Michal Chludil (3-2-2) to finally put him down with a powerful left hook in the third round. . The referee then stopped the massacre.
The gala was preceded by two amateur fights, including one involving Arturo Gatti Junior. After a pompous entry, the 15-year-old dominated his fight from start to finish to bring his record to three victories in as many outings.