After difficult years, Quebec boxing has gradually resumed its normal activities, with a series of galas in Quebec casinos for the two main promoters, Groupe Yvon Michel and Eye of the Tiger Management.
But the two groups had a difficult end to the year, whether because of the defeats of their proteges or the galas which had to be postponed for various reasons. Here is an overview of the year 2022.
Beterbiev still at the top; Pascal in the boxes
Artur Beterbiev only boxed two small rounds in 2022, but they managed to confirm his place at the top.
The Montrealer quickly knocked down Joe Smith Jr. at his home in New York to grab his WBO light heavyweight belt and retain his IBF and WBC titles.
Beterbiev will face IBF No. 3 ranked contender Anthony Yarde in London at the end of January for his three belts.
This is where Jean Pascal comes into play. Ranked No. 4 in the IBF, Pascal proves that he is still popular despite a doping case in 2021 and his absence from the rings in 2022.
On February 9 in Laval, he will face Michael Eifert, No. 6, in order to become the mandatory contender for the title holder who will be fought 10 days earlier at Wembley Stadium.
Pascal, arrested a few weeks ago for drunk driving, is also ranked fourth at the WBO. He has almost as many lives as a cat.
Annus horribilis for Rivas
After getting his hands on the WBC super-lightweight title last year, Oscar Rivas believed he was going to have a good year in 2022.
Everything was in place for the Colombian-born boxer to cash in on this new belt. But it all fell apart. More than one time.
Marc Ramsay’s protege was supposed to defend this belt in Colombia, but the promoter there, Juan Lucas Moreno, postponed the date twice before GYM and the Rivas clan pulled out of this project which has all the aspects of a fraud.
Rivas was expected to end 15 months out of action in January at heavyweight, but his clash against Efe Ajagba also fell through a few days ago due to an eye injury sustained at the coaching.
He will only defend his title for the first time in March, in Poland, against Lukasz Rozanski, ranked third contender. A gala that has already been postponed once too…
End of an era
David Lemieux gave himself one last chance to become world champion again, but his third-round knockout loss to David Benavidez for the WBC super middleweight title last May was the last fight for David Lemieux. a glorious career.
Father of a little boy – with ex-diver Jennifer Abel – and two other children from a previous union, Lemieux has decided to devote himself to his family.
The 34-year-old retiree leaves boxing after having delivered 48 fights, of which 43 ended in victory, 36 before the limit.
Lemieux was the IBF world champion from June to October 2015, when he lost by K.-O. technique ahead of Gennady Golovkin, then at the height of his glory, in a fight aimed at unifying four belts in the division.
He later missed another chance to win the WBO middleweight title, but was unable to pin down intractable Billy Joe Saunders in a jam-packed Place Bell in December 2017.
He then moved to super middleweight, without however being able to climb back to the top.
End of 2022 fishtail
The last months of the year were not kind for GYM and EOTTM.
In November, Marie-Ève Dicaire first lost by unanimous decision against Natasha Jonas in a super-welterweight unification bout in Manchester, UK.
The double world champion tried for a second time, without success, to rally the belts of the division. At 36 and with a career well underway in parallel in the media, one wonders if the pugilist from Saint-Eustache will want to get back in the ring.
In mid-December, it was Mary Spencer’s turn to bite the dust in a world title fight.
The one who was ranked No. 1 in the IBF, WBA and WBO and No. 4 in the WBC tried to get her hands on the IBO super-welterweight title. In vain.
After a quick and electrifying rise to the pros — seven straight wins, including five by K.-O. —, the adopted Montrealer hit a wall against the Belgian Femke Hermans, who dominated large parts of this fight, which she finally won by unanimous decision.
Hermans even had the luxury of knocking Spencer down in the second round, a fall that was missed by the referee.
EOTTM will now have to take a more twisty path to lead her to an eventual title.
Finally, the gala to oppose mid-flyweight Kim Clavel to Mexican Jessica Nery Plata for the WBA and WBC belts which was to take place on December 1 had to be canceled.
Clavel contracted the flu just days before the fight and the gala was postponed with 24 hours notice. It should take place in early January, still at Place Bell.