“Of* e that I feel good! The relief was total for Marie-Pier Houle, Thursday evening at the Casino de Montréal cabaret. The boxer from Terrebonne won her first fight by unanimous decision since the tragic events of last summer at the IGA stadium.
Posted at 10:24 p.m.
“I have no right to say that, huh? “, she adds, laughing at the beginning of her interview with the media. I am really happy. »
Houle (5-0-1, 2 KOs) faced Argentina Yamila Esther Reynoso (12-9-4, 8 KOs), a tough opponent who responded well to her attacks. Maybe even a little too much for the taste of the Quebecer.
“I can’t wait to watch what it turned out because in my head, it wasn’t quite exactly what I wanted as a fight. But the important thing is that I left with the victory. »
Obviously, beyond the ecstasy of victory, there is the feeling of duty accomplished. Marie-Pier Houle is satisfied to have “broken the ice, to have ‘turned the page’ on the death of her opponent Jeannette Zacaria Zapatas last August.
“I think there were a lot of people who expected me to flinch, to freeze, that it didn’t work,” she says. It had still been six months since I had been in a ring. There, the first fight is made. Maybe people will stop talking to me about it. We can move on to the next step. »
Was it still something that bothered you at the start of the fight?
“No, not at all,” she says categorically. I really managed to put those events aside. […] I repeated several times that it will remain in my life, in my career forever. I didn’t want that event to define me. I showed tonight that I can still fight. »
“It’s a choice” to box
Coach Sébastien Gauthier, a former professional pugilist, praises the mental strength of his protege which allowed him to recover from so much “adversity”.
“I explained to him why I retired, he explained to The Press after the fight. Me, I retired because I was no longer ready to die in the ring. Because I wasn’t ready to be a burden on my friends and family. It’s a choice we have to box. There is no one forcing us. We do it because we like it. It’s the passion. »
He also said he was “impressed” by the performance and preparation of his protege.
“The work has been incredible. I am really satisfied with Marie-Pier. The girl fought against one of the best pound-for-pound female boxers on the planet. […] When Marie-Pier touched her with her first right hands, I said to myself: “she’s going to fall”. Finally, it’s more than surprising, but that’s the world elite. »
PHOTO BERNARD BRAULT, PROVIDED
Marie-Pier Houle considers that she has not quite followed her game plan.
“I expected to be able to really impose what I wanted to do,” she explained. I wanted to work fast on my feet. »
“She didn’t necessarily have a lot of power, but she had a volume that was tiring. I managed to hit her with better power shots, but on the other hand, she wasn’t moving at all. This is still proof that this opponent has never been knocked down. It shows that she is still solid. »
His coach thinks that his athlete is perhaps too critical of his own work.
“She’s tough on her, but that’s what you want from an athlete,” he explains.
Behind closed doors at the casino
The three-fight gala was taking place behind closed doors. This notably gave rise to clear and clear communications from the coaches to the fighters.
We heard in particular Sébastien Gauthier politely to Marie-Pier Houle to “change the angle, please”, followed by a “thank you”. “Make your little feet quick.” “Prepare your 3, the 8 has passed, we will look for the 6”.
In the opposing corner, we could detect “muy bien! », or else « la cabesa, la cabesa! “.
“Me, I love it!” rejoices Sébastien Gauthier. I find it fabulous. I liked it during the pandemic to listen to other people’s boxing galas because I could hear the coaches. And there you see which coaches direct, which observe. It’s teamwork. That’s what I’m looking at. »
Short evening
Only two other fights were presented Thursday evening at the Casino de Montreal cabaret.
In the final, Montrealer Mazlum Akdeniz (16-0-0) kept his immaculate record by winning against Mexican Erick Encinia (14-5-2, 5 K. -O.), by split decision.
PHOTO BERNARD BRAULT, PROVIDED
Montrealer Mazlum (right) won his fight against Mexican Erick Encinia
“Of course I would have liked to have a more unanimous fight in my favor, conceded the sympathetic Akdeniz after his fight. But these are things that happen. I lost my balance during the fight, took little knocks, maybe it made me look bad but honestly, I feel really good. I’m glad I won the fight. We are moving forward. »
Canadian Eric Basran didn’t seem intimidated on his professional debut. The Vancouver boxer won against Mexican Ariel Gonzalez Vazquez by unanimous decision of the judges.
“It feels good!, launched to The Press the one who had not fought for two years because of the pandemic. Now that I have my first professional fight behind the tie, it will be better in the future. »
Eric Lapointe intro
Marie-Pier Houle entered the ring accompanied by an excerpt from the song Until the end, by Eric Lapointe. A song that illustrates well the hardships she has gone through in the last six months.
“Until the end, I chose
The sky of my battles
And whatever the cost
Quit paying with my life”
“Eric remastered part of the song for me,” Houle revealed. The part in particular that we were playing, [c’était pour montrer] that I will do everything. When you listen to the lyrics again, you really hear that until the end, I will remain myself. »
Its manager Yves Lévesque became emotional while talking to The Press of the song.
“The lyrics say it. Marie-Pier is a beast on the loose. She is an athlete who goes straight ahead, she is not afraid of anyone. And it’s so heavy with meaning. »