(Montreal) Probable end of the road for Yves Ulysse Jr, victory with wear and tear for Erik Bazinyan: the first gala of the year of Eye of the Tiger Management (EOTTM) had an outcome full of contrasts, Thursday evening, at the Montreal Casino cabaret.
Finalist of the evening, Bazinyan (29-0, 21 K.-O) delivered an alley fight like he had never experienced before winning by majority decision against the American Alantez Fox (28-4 -1, 13 KOs).
“I wanted to stop him, but he had a good jaw, good experience,” reacted the 27-year-old Montrealer, who thus retains his NABF and NABA super-middleweight (168 lb) belts.
Two judges gave a card of 98-92, while the third saw a draw of 95-95, which surprised the Quebec clan.
It must be said that Fox, a slender 6’5″ pugilist, used his reach well and gave his opponent a hard time by constantly hooking him.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Erik Bazinyan retains his NABF and NABA super middleweight (168 lb) belts
“I’m happy because I gained good experience,” said Bazinyan. I lived rounds before fighting for a world championship. I needed this great fight. »
The Armenian by birth entered the ring for the first time since the tragic death of his father Ara, his first supporter, broke by a heart attack at the age of 52 last summer.
“I think about it when I wake up every day, but I tried not to think about it too much in the last two weeks before the fight,” reacted the winner, who broke down in tears after the clash.
“It hit me. I didn’t want to do this, but these were emotions I couldn’t hold back. That’s life. »
Bazinyan was annoyed by the constant snagging of his Maryland rival, who was also moving well.
“I wanted to fight, I wanted to be the first to strike, but he was using his body weight on me a lot. […] It’s a fight, it must be difficult like that. Hats off to Fox. »
The 30-year-old American did not balk at the announcement of the results, even if he judged that the two maps of 98-92 did not reflect the pace of the exchanges.
“The 8-2, I feel like it was a local decision, but it’s my fault,” Fox said. I knew I was coming to fight in Erik’s backyard. I had to do more. A draw on a card was a fairly fair assessment, but it was up to me to do more. »
Fox, who was coming back from a loss to Cuban prodigy David Morrell, current WBA world champion, sang the praises of his vis-à-vis.
“I felt his youth and his strength. Erik Bazinyan is an excellent boxer. He will be one of the next world champions or at least he will fight for a title. »
Marc Ramsay, the coach de Bazinyan, was satisfied to have observed new skills on the part of his protege, above all renowned for his impeccable technique.
“I would have liked us to stay a little more organized towards the end of the fight, but I saw something emotional, something physical in him that I hadn’t seen before. He got hit, but he never got shaken. He was able to manage his energies well for a big 10 rounds. He still finished strong. This is a good sign for the future. »
“Erik, it’s always been excellence from a technical point of view,” added the coach. This evening, he went to look for the heart in the work, something more personal. »
Antonin Décarie, general manager of EOTTM, believes that Bazinyan needed such a challenge after a faultless run among amateurs and professionals. “It will make him grow enormously. Above all, it will allow it to open up a little to the Quebec market. I think people are going to love him. »
Dramatic end for Ulysse Jr
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Yves Ulysse Jr was pinched by a devastating uppercut from Mexican Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela.
The semi-final ended in dramatic fashion when Yves Ulysse Jr collapsed to the mat just 40 seconds after the first bell sounded. The 34-year-old Montrealer (22-4, 12 KOs) tried to get up immediately before tipping over, injured in an ankle, but above all stunned. Without hesitation, referee Martin Forest stopped his account and ended the clash after 52 seconds.
Ulysse Jr was pinched by a devastating uppercut from the Mexican Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela (26-3-1, 16 KOs), which the experts rightly announced was dangerous.
Ulysses struggled to get to his corner. After the verdict was released, he limped out of the ring. A man grabbed him to carry him to the locker room like a child.
The super lightweight has already been among the world’s top 10 in its category. The WBC still considered it their 14e aspirant. This fight, after four consecutive successes, including the first against Mathieu Germain in Rimouski in 2020, will probably be his last.
“It’s time to move on, he has other projects in mind,” summed up his young coach Giuseppe Moffa. “He is relieved. He’s been a little fed up with boxing lately. But it has nothing to do with his preparation or his sanity. He wants to help his community, his neighborhood. »