On August 12, 2017, Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse experienced one of the great disappointments of her life when she was knocked out. by Alejandra Jimenez, who thus got her hands on the World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight title.
Nearly seven years later, after a depression, a significant weight gain followed by an impressive weight loss, the fighter from Mont-Laurier will get a second chance to get her hands on this title next Thursday, against Argentina Abril Argentina Vidal (10-1, 4 KOs), at the Cabaret du Casino de Montréal.
An occasion which comes less than a year after his return to the ring and after only three fights.
“I didn’t believe it would be this quick, but when you say you’re in the right place at the right time, that’s what happens,” she said in an interview with The Canadian Press last week. It’s cliché to say this, but I’ve never been in better shape in my career: I weighed myself in my clothes this morning and I was at 173 pounds, so I’ll be able to eat a little! Honestly, I don’t remember, even as a teenager, the last time I weighed 173 pounds! »
At the time, she didn’t know Jimenez was doped, which explains the power of his punches. But she wasn’t as well supervised either. Then an independent boxer, Lepage-Joanisse (6-1, 2 KOs) is now part of the Eye of the Tiger Management stable.
“I am well prepared, both physically and mentally. I had the best camp of my life. I had the best sparring opponents of my life, even though I live in Mont-Laurier! I went down to Montreal at least twice a week [pour affronter Mary Spencer et Marie-Pier Houle, notamment]in addition to my sessions in Buckingham with my trainer [Stéphane Joanisse, qui n’a pas de lien de parenté avec elle]. You have to have the chance to give 100% for such a fight. This is the chance I had during this camp. Everything was put in place. I’ve never had quality sparring like this. I can’t wait for the bell to ring. »
Back at the top
After her fight against Jimenez, Lepage-Joanisse was also involved in a car accident. A concussion and depression sent him to the bottom of the barrel. This second world championship fight, the one who is an educator in an early childhood center wants to use it to turn the page on that evening in August 2007, in Cancun.
“Everyone can have small personal challenges. When I went up to 315 pounds and did my weight loss, I decided to put the gloves back on and I found that I hadn’t lost anything technically. So I wanted to see what I could do with this. I also wanted to turn the page on my defeat in the world championship, an unfinished story for me. Those who know me know that I want to see things through to the end.
“It was just a desire to put the gloves back on and do a few fights, but then EOTTM put me under contract, there was the documentary [de Julie Bertrand de Punching Grace, pour raconter son histoire], and now this world championship bid. It seems like everything is smiling on me and I’m going 100 miles an hour in there! »
It is in the preliminaries of the duel between Canadian super-middleweights Steven Butler and Steve Rolls, at the Cabaret du Casino de Montréal, that Lepage-Joanisse will finally be able to put an end to this chapter.