Sometimes even our best is not enough. Kim Clavel was almost flawless on Saturday evening, but she left Place Bell empty-handed… to the great surprise of the pugilist herself, her team and probably many spectators.
Bermúdez, whose tenth career world championship fight, defeated the Quebecer by split decision. One judge awarded a score of 98-92 in favor of Clavel, while the other two handed out cards of 96-94. Bermúdez therefore returns to Argentina with her two unified world champion belts from the WBO and the IBF.
Clavel was nevertheless impeccable strategically. She gave a performance worthy of the greats. She was smart. Long live. Fast. But it wasn’t enough.
The atmosphere was anything but gloomy at the press conference after the fight. This is because neither the pugilist, nor her coaches, nor the promoter Yvon Michel agreed with the judges’ decision. And they made sure to make it known loud and clear.
“I think it was my most strategic, most intelligent fight,” said Clavel. I was the most disciplined defensively. […] When I finished my 10e round, I raised my arm. I was sure we had it. I felt it. I have no injuries. »
Yes, I got hit sometimes. Yes, sometimes she finished strong, but you don’t win a round in 10 seconds. I was in control the whole time.
Kim Clavel
“I am proud of my performance, but I am frustrated because this is the future,” she continued emphatically. Right now I would have two belts. I would be unified world champion. Maybe I’ll get a rematch with Plata. My dream is to have all four belts, and it’s delayed because of one person’s bad judgment. And I’m not taking anything away from Bermúdez. She hits hard, she’s good, she has long arms, but technically, strategically, I have a lot more tools than her and I demonstrated it tonight. »
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Kim Clavel and Evelin Bermúdez
Its promoter, Yvon Michel, did not hesitate to pronounce the name of judge Benoit Roussel, a few minutes before.
“When the management presented the judges, I just said: we don’t want Benoit Roussel. It’s the only one we don’t want. Take anyone, but not him. We have statistics on him and it’s not pretty, what we have. But he’s the one they took. »
“I was so confident,” he continued. I had like the Chicago judge: 98-92. Kim was responsible defensively, she was brilliant, fast. She touched more often, she controlled the action. […] This is his best career performance. For me, she is the best boxer in the division, she is just not champion. »
Clavel’s coach, Danielle Bouchard, had essentially the same speech. She praised the intelligence of her boxer in the ring, her “solid” defense, her “beautiful counterattack”, her speed and her “destabilizing jab”. So many reasons which, she believes, should have allowed her protégé to lift the two belts at the end of her arms.
“We were lucky that we had a few minutes to calm down,” Bouchard calmly said. What we felt afterwards was a lot of anger. Honestly, the whole team is so proud of Kim. You can’t imagine how much practice tonight’s scenario was. […] Everything has been rehearsed. She did everything. She won that fight. »
“It’s definitely not over”
Despite her quickly swollen face, Clavel was superior from the first rounds. Every time Bermúdez tried to attack, she offered a response. His sequences were on point.
Much more aware and in control defensively than in her last fights, the 33-year-old pugilist was in her zone, not in the least affected by what was happening around her. Completely focused on the task.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Kim Clavel hits Evelin Bermúdez.
“I was patient in this fight,” Clavel said. I’m going to rewatch it, but the cleanest shots, I’m sure it was me who gave them. »
Bermúdez nevertheless remained straight as an oak. When the bell announcing the end of the fight rang, the crowd was already standing and giving the Quebecer a standing ovation, visibly convinced that she was in the bag.
As for how she was going to rebuild, the athlete replied that she would take “a good two weeks out of the gym.” “We will think about it, but it is certain that it is not over,” she assured. I am a world champion tonight. I have the capacity to unify the titles, that, I am sure. And I haven’t plateaued. »
This is a second setback in nine months in a unification fight for Clavel, whose record is now 17-2-0.
“I tried to control everything I could control, but I couldn’t control Benoit Roussel,” she summarized.