With a big smile on her lips, Marie-Pier Houle banged with all her might on the cushions presented to her by her trainer, Sébastien Gauthier. ” Your timing is really good! It’s really the fun ! exclaimed the latter, under the watchful gaze of journalists.
Thursday morning’s public training, carried out in contagious good humor, gave a good idea of the atmosphere that reigns within the Houle team, two days before its departure for Cardiff, in Wales, where the Quebecer will play his first World Championship fight. On April 22, she will face Britain’s Sandy Ryan for the vacant WBO welterweight title.
“You’ve always seen me come into the ring singing, happy to be there. This is exactly the feeling I want to feel when I get there, ”said Group pugilist Yvon Michel in the press scrum.
Houle has been through a lot of challenges over the past few years. Her father took his own life, her mother fought breast cancer, her husband’s office was destroyed by fire. This is without mentioning the death of her opponent in August 2021. But the boxer continued to put one foot in front of the other. She kept fighting, lining up wins and keeping her eyes on her dream.
“I haven’t been through everything I’ve been through in the past two years for it to end the way I want it to, when I have the opportunity to shine even more. This is not my first rodeo. I saw things that made me feel weird, I had really hard times, times when the world hated me, when I was called names. »
I think this is my moment to shine for the culmination of the past two years.
Marie Pier Houle
If this fight is the most important of his career and he stands on enemy soil, the 32-year-old athlete refuses to use the word “stress” to describe the feeling that inhabits him. “Me, the word stress, I hate that. I’m going to be in the right zone, in a good frame of mind. […] I’m going to give everything I have to give. »
ten rounds
In Sandy Ryan, Houle will be dealing with a boxer with “heavy hands”, but who does “not have a huge volume of punches”. The native of Terrebonne therefore intends to impose herself physically. And that means “hitting without stopping”.
“I have my shoulders ready to throw punches like never before. Seb made me practice this like never before. We launched, launched, launched, launched. That’s what we want to do for this fight. Yes, she’s a girl I don’t trust, but I don’t want to see her on a pedestal. It’s not the champion, we’re going there equal and it’s me who will win. »
“I let her hit me in that training camp like no one is going to get hit,” Sébastien Gauthier told The Press. There is no coach who does what I do. I want so badly for her that she does it well. I put on a helmet. It’s a small price to pay. »
Houle had a strong training camp, despite his busy schedule as a physiotherapy technologist for Evolution physio. Over the past few weeks, she has competed against various Quebec female boxers in training; Sara Kali, Mary Spencer, Jessica Camara… “Everyone wanted to give a bit of themselves, it was incredible”, notes his trainer.
This fight will also be Houle’s first 10-round duel. That’s two more than in his last encounter. In boxing, four minutes makes a big difference. But Houle claims to have prepared accordingly.
“We did rounds, rounds, rounds without stopping, throwing punches. This is not my first punch. I know that I am physically capable, that I have the energy. The adrenaline of this fight will help me get to the end. »
Good news for Barrière
There was action Thursday morning at Hard Knox Gym. Alexis Barrière and Terry Osias also held their public training there, in view of the April 20 gala at the Casino de Montréal. The first arrived with good news, received on Wednesday: it is now ranked 18e rank at heavyweight by the WBC.
“It was like a surprise for me, admitted the 27-year-old boxer. I had no idea it was going to come this fast and this high. »
A little earlier, during his training, Barrière had demonstrated his impressive power. The sound of his knocking on the cushions drew attention. “Do you hear them? Because my wrist is on the verge of breaking,” laughed his trainer, Marc-André Gauthier. To hear them, we heard them.
Barrière, who has 7 KOs in nine victories and as many fights with the pros, said he was ready to play his first final at the Casino. He will face American Mike Marshall, who has lost his last three duels.
“With the preparation we had there, it won’t be a marathon,” said the Quebecer in the press scrum. It’s going to be a little sprint and I’m going to make a nice knockout at the casino. »
As for Terry Osias, he will be in the semi-final of this same gala. He will face Swede Niclas Elfstedt for what will be his 10e fight at the Casino de Montreal. It will also be his second duel since beating cancer.
“I want to take more risks, I want to move forward, he hinted. I’m much hungrier. I hope to show it in the next fight. »