Femke Hermans caused a surprise by defeating one of the most beautiful hopes of Canadian boxing, Mary Spencer, Friday evening, at the Center Gervais Auto in Shawinigan.
Hermans’ victory (14-4, 5 K.-O.) was never in doubt. The Belgian won by unanimous decision to get her hands on the International Boxing Organization (IBO) world champion belt.
As the 10-round brawl ended, Hermans raised her arms, certain of her triumph, as Spencer returned to her corner with her face flushed from the many punches that pinched her. The judges favored the Belgian with scores of 99-91, 97-93 and 96-94.
Spencer (7-1, 5 K.-O.) attacked the first round with all the aggression that we know him, obviously eager to add another K.-O. on his record and picking up a first title that would probably have opened the door to major fights on the international scene.
Hermans, however, had other plans in the second round, welcoming her rival with a left to the face which threw her to the mat. The referee did not give an account to Spencer, judging that the 37-year-old Montrealer had simply slipped. The recovery did not prove him right.
The tone was set for the 32-year-old Belgian who gained confidence as the exchanges progressed, using her footwork to dodge the Canadian’s power shots.
Spencer had a few good rounds afterwards, but never managed to solve Hermans’ defense. At the beginning of the 10eshe slipped a few words to her opponent, who did not seem intimidated.
A precious protege of the Eye of the Tiger Management group, Mary Spencer should now return to the drawing board and make her way back up the rankings, whom American superstar Claressa Shields had named as a potential contender.
A few minutes after this surprise, Montrealer of Russian origin Arslanbek Makhmudov carried out his destruction work as he had announced. Germany’s Michael Wallisch (23-6) simply didn’t make the cut, he who put the knee to the floor three times after an avalanche of blows.
Makhmudov therefore retained his NABF and NABA heavyweight belts by knockout. The announcement was greeted with a few boos from the approximately 2,500 spectators. “There is a lot of work behind this evening,” said the champion, taking the microphone. “Thanks to my opponent, I respect the fact that he showed up for the fight. »
PHOTO VINCENT ETHIER, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Steven Butler and Joshua Conley in fight in Shawinigan, Friday night
In a duel that will not go down in history, Steven Butler (32-3-1, 26 KOs) barely overcame American Joshua Conley (17-5-1), winning nevertheless by unanimous decision of the judges (99-91, 97-93, 96-94).
The 27-year-old Montrealer thus retains his NABF middleweight belt. The close combat was in the spotlight and few power shots hit the target during this fight of 10 physical rounds. The winner was the most active in front of a pugnacious and go-getter opponent.
With this fourth consecutive success, Butler puts a little further behind the stinging surprise setback by K.-O. facing Jose de Jesus Macias in Mexico at the start of 2021.
The fight of the evening?
Can we talk about the fight of the evening before the three main clashes? One thing is certain, the public jumped up to highlight the joint performance of Thomas Chabot and Jonathan Carrillo Baranda in the featherweight category (126 lbs).
For the first time in his career, the Quebecer went beyond the third round… and he suffered from it.
Winner by unanimous decision, Chabot (8-0, 7 KOs) went to the mat in the fifth after a good left hook on the nose. He returned there a few seconds later, exposing himself to another account. The Mexican did not make friends by taunting his opponent after these two falls.
By a miracle – and, let’s say it, the generosity of the referee – Chabot remained standing until the end of the fifth to come back in force in the sixth and final assault. At the announcement of the very close decision (57-54, 56-55, 56-55), Carrillo Baranda threw his cowboy hat on the ground in a sign of annoyance. His somewhat limited fall in the first round probably cost him at least a draw.
Buckingham’s Alexandre Gaumont (6-0, 4 KOs) gave Pablo Polanco Fernandez (9-12) no chance, knocking him to one knee in each of the first three rounds. After receiving a left to the chin followed by a combination, the Mexican did not get up, stopped by the referee 1 min 45 s from third. Gaétan Hart, a fellow Gaumont citizen and former three-time Canadian champion, was honored in the ring after the fight. At 69, the one who fought in the world championship against Aaron Pryor, is still in good shape…
At lightweight, Montreal’s Luis Santana (8-0) worked hard to inflict a first defeat on tough Mexican Jonathan Uribe Hernandez (4-1), even though he won the favor of all the judges in each of the six assaults.
At the start of the evening, Leila Beaudoin won by unanimous decision in the super featherweight category (130 lbs) against the Icelandic Valgerdur Gudstensdottir (5-4), descended from Reykjavik. The Témiscouatine pugilist, without really managing to hit with her power shots, dominated almost all the rounds (60-54, 59-55, 59-55) to bring her immaculate record to 8-0 (1 K.-O. ).