A Ferrari was parked in front of Place Bell on Tuesday noon. Red, as it should be. Unless I’m mistaken, the car was not the property of Kim Clavel, but it perfectly embodied the theme revived by the boxer for her comeback fight on April 28 in Laval.
After her unanimous decision loss to Yesica Nery Plata on January 13, Clavel dropped the azure blue to reconnect with the “Ferrari red” that had led her to a first world title in July 2022 at the Casino de Montreal.
The change is not only aesthetic. The 32-year-old pugilist claims to have made the necessary adjustments for her 10-round clash against Mexican Naomi Arellano Reyes (9-2, 5 KOs) which will put the flyweight belts (108 lbs) into play. ) international of the WBC and intercontinental of the IBF and the WBO.
“This fight, I really take it to build myself for a possible rematch against Nery Plata, Clavel announced at a press conference. The little things I didn’t do against Nery Plata that cost me the win: be defensively alert, hang on when it’s time, take space in the ring, go for a walk. These things I want to put into action on the 28th.”
When the fight was announced last month, Kim Clavel pointed out that she had to “sometimes be a little bum” between the cables to achieve her ends.
“She has the impression that it is cheating, but it is not cheating, had corrected the promoter Yvon Michel. These are just subtleties. […] I’ve known boxers like that who wanted to be so pure in the ring. You can’t just be pure. You need to be more efficient. »
The president of the GYM Group had cited Bernard Hopkins and Andre Ward as examples, “probably the greatest specialists in annoying opponents”. “She just needs to figure that out a bit. »
A few weeks later, Clavel (16-1, 3 KOs) says he is ready to put this new attitude to work against Arellano Reyes, who is also coming back from a defeat. But not to the point of curbing his attacking style.
I will never lose it, it’s part of my personality. In 17 fights, there has never been a boring one. It will always stay. It’s about doing it smart, boxing to win. It won’t be a dull fight to watch [pour autant]. It’s just that you have to win, winning is important at this point in my career. I must not let her escape.
Kim Clavel
Without disguising her nature, the native of Joliette wants to “be more alert, more focused”. “My style remains the same. It is captivating, there is a lot of energy. In two minutes, it goes quickly. It won’t be boring for sure, but I’m going to go for the win with unparalleled concentration. »
The preparation
According to coach Danielle Bouchard, her protege worked specifically on this aspect during her preparatory training.
“We made some nice adjustments in connection with [l’aspect] cognitive, that is to say a good concentration. Kim has found a beautiful joy of living. The defeat was not easy, but all that is in the past. […] It will be an exciting fight as usual. We will have a Kim who will bounce back and who will surprise you at times, I am sure of it. »
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
Kim Clavel and her trainer Danielle Bouchard
The Clavel clan introduced “double tasks” in training, such as sprinting when tired and then responding to a particular instruction, for example touching a light of such a color.
“It adds a little challenge of concentration in the task, explained Bouchard. It is one thing, but there are many others. »
On the recommendation of newly retired Marie-Ève Dicaire, the boxer also enlisted the services of Jean-François Ménard, mental trainer for Mikaël Kingsbury, the Montreal Canadiens and a host of Olympic athletes. She also has the impression of going “to university” by reading her book The Olympian at the officewritten in collaboration with former journalist Marie Malchelosse.
“At a certain level, it’s the world’s elite, everyone is good,” Clavel said. It’s in the head that it happens. You have to be strong mentally. We work a lot on the cognitive, the concentration, which is very important between each round and at each moment. I must not let anything from the outside disturb my inside. »
For the first time in her professional career, the former world champion will return to the ring after a defeat. She drew on her experience in amateur boxing to reassure herself. In her first international match, she lost to Romanian Steluta Duta.
“It had been a very difficult fight, a return to earth on the international scene. Three years later, at the World Championships with Danielle, we had Steluta Duta in the draw. I had been looking for victory. It takes mental strength, concentration, character, perseverance. That’s what I’ll have on the 28th.”
A revenge ?
This confrontation is obviously crucial since the promoter wishes to organize a revenge against Nery Plata from October 7 at Place Bell.
“Kim would like it to be Plata for the next shot, revealed Yvon Michel. I can get this fight in two ways: position Kim as a mandatory challenger and force her to come or talk to her and try to come to a negotiated agreement to convince her to come back here. We have already started talking to her. »
The Mexican even sounded out GYM’s interest in becoming her promoter, seemingly disappointed with the offers she’s received since unifying the WBA and WBC titles. Yvon Michel is not closed to the idea, but on one condition: that she grant a revenge to the Quebecer in the fall.
“It absolutely takes a win [de Kim] to reposition herself, but I’m shooting all over the place to be sure that in October, she fights in the world championship, he said. It would be primarily against Nery Plata, otherwise it will be against [l’Argentine Evelin] Bermudez,” IBF and WBO champion.
Clavel, who must participate in a caravan to the four corners of Quebec in the spring, assures that she does not project herself so far.
“We are talking about a revenge, but for the moment, I do not even think about it, certified the first aspirant of the WBC. It’s my fight of the 28th that counts, nothing else. »
“The most important fight of my career”
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
On screen in the back: Kim Clavel’s next opponent, Mexican Naomi Arellano Reyes
The former world champion was able to practice her Spanish with Naomi Allerano Reyes, who took part in the press conference virtually from the Los Angeles area, where she has lived for a few years.
The 28-year-old Mexican is recovering from a loss suffered on October 8 in California, her first face-to-face disputed outside her native country.
“She’s a very strong boxer, but I too prepared myself well to win this fight,” Allerano Reyes said through an interpreter.
Before this second setback, she had recorded five consecutive wins, including four by K.-O. She defeated ex-multiple world champion Carina Moreno by decision, her greatest boxing achievement to date.
“It will be the most important fight of my career because I face a very strong opponent in Kim. It will also be the second time that I will fight outside my country. »
Arellano Reyes watched the Jan. 13 Clavel-Nery Plata brawl, assessing “both deserved to win.” “It was a very close fight. »
She also feels she should have received the judges’ favor in her last loss to young American left-hander Gabriela Fundora, which came in the top 112lb category. “There are things you haven’t seen on TV. I’m proud of what I did as a job during the fight. »
Kim Clavel does not fully share the assessment of her future rival: “It is true that she knew how to disturb Fundora by her physical pressure. It was a little closer fight than the cards said, but I wasn’t giving Naomi the win. »
Arellano Reyes has warned the Quebec boxing star not to think too quickly of a rematch against Nery Plata. “I’m preparing really hard for this fight and we shouldn’t talk about Kim winning right away. »
Simon Drouin, The Press