Marie-Pier Houle took a ton of pressure off her shoulders Thursday night at the GYM gala presented at the Casino de Montréal.
Almost six months after her duel which cost the life of Jeanette Zacarias Zapata (5-0-1), the GYM boxer won by unanimous decision (60-54, 59-55 x 2) against Argentina Yamila Esther Reynoso (12-10-3, 8 KOs).
She had the upper hand in the majority of the exchanges thanks to her power. However, Reynoso never backed down and she had some success in the second half of the clash.
“As… that I feel good, mentioned Marie-Pier Houle with a broad smile. I’m really happy even if it’s not the performance I wanted.
“There are a lot of people who thought I would flinch, that I would freeze, but that was not the case. The ice is now broken. »
Photo Bernard Brault, GYM
Marie-Pier Houle (right) defeated Yamila Esther Reynoso Thursday night at the Casino.
Houle has demonstrated that she has good mental toughness.
“I was able to put the events of August behind me. I proved that I was capable of overcoming it. »
Reynoso was tough from start to finish. Her experience has served her well in times when Houle was reaching her solidly.
“I was able to apply some things that I had practiced in training. On the other hand, it seemed that Reynoso had seen others during his career. I know I still have a long way to go. »
In theory, Houle should get back in the ring on March 25, when GYM will present a gala in his hometown, Trois-Rivières.
Akdeniz snatch
In the final, Mazlum Akdeniz (16-0, 8 KOs) scored a split decision win over Erick Encinia (15-6-1, 5 KOs). Two of the three judges gave the victory to the Quebecer with scores of 95-94 and 96-93. The third judge gave the victory to Encinia (96-93).
While Akdeniz’s coaches didn’t understand the judges’ scores, the principal was diplomatic.
“It was a good fight. It was tough, Akdeniz pointed out. I made small mistakes that made my performance worse. Still, I feel like I just finished a training session. »
Photo Bernard Brault, GYM
Opening the gala, Eric Basran (1-0) won by unanimous decision against Ariel Gonzalez Vazquez (40-36, 39-37 x 2). In his professional debut, the British Columbian showed great fluidity in his movements.
Basran needed some time to find his bearings in the exchanges. Even if he has great potential, there are certain aspects of his boxing that he will have to work on.
Two fights canceled
In the space of a few hours, promoter Yvon Michel saw two of his fights go down the drain. A few minutes before the weigh-in, heavyweight Tim Chemelli’s license application was refused by representatives of the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux.
Photo Bernard Brault, GYM
The Albertan said he was undergoing treatment to boost his testosterone levels. His medical examinations were in order, according to our information.
Seeing the refusal of the management, Chemelli decided to appeal his case. He presented his arguments to an administrative judge at the courthouse. However, the boxer suffered another refusal and his fight against Alexis Barrière was canceled.
GYM had a replacement opponent. The reasons for the refusal are not very clear. Some say it’s a question of weight and others mention that the deadlines were too short for the taste of the management. Difficult to have the right time in this file.
Then, Thursday morning, Michel received another tile on the head. Derek Pomerleau, who was due to make his professional debut, tested positive for COVID. The fight was canceled automatically.