Misfortune is good for something, as the saying goes. Kim Clavel agrees that postponing his unification fight against Yesica Nery Plata will allow him to enter the Place Bell ring on Friday, after improving his preparation.
It is scheduled for the first time on 1Verse Last December, a fight between Clavell (16-0, 3 K.-O.), World Boxing Council (WBC) light fly champion to Mexican, WBA belt holder, had to be postponed due to the flu he contracted. By the 32-year-old Kebek.
Canceled at the last minute – a public training session and press conference had already taken place – cost promoter of the ceremony Yvonne Michel a small fortune, since all the boxers were already there. Fortunately for him, the clan of Neri Plata proved to be understanding and not too greedy: he was quickly able to agree terms of compensation with them.
“They were very understanding,” Michel said. What Nery Plata wanted was Kim at his best to deliver the fight fans deserve. »
Clavell and her trainer, Danielle Bouchard, took full advantage of this setback: They doubled down on their enthusiasm for training, even affording the luxury of working with Quebec boxer Leshana Celan. sparringwhose style is very similar to that of Nery Plata, who will be defending his belt for the first time.
“It gave us more time to prepare. It’s like you had a math exam on March 2 and the teacher took it back in April: you have more time to study,” said the woman, who will defend her WBC title for the third time.
“It allowed us to be more specific when approaching the fight,” Bouchard added. Work more on Kim’s strengths. These five weeks have allowed us to strive for more in terms of strength, his physical preparation. […] Kim will still be in top shape for this fight. »
As for Michelle, he can quickly recover the losses he incurred due to the evening being postponed, especially if his protégé is going to win.
“Obviously, my job is to think two or three steps forward,” he explained. I’m already in negotiation with a discount for April 21st: We’ve already booked Place Bell. If you don’t win, it will be a comeback battle to get it back on track. »
“comprehensive plan”
“After Friday’s fight, I planned three fights: It’s better to have a comprehensive plan than no plan. An overall plan can always be modified. I also booked Place Bell on Sept. 22 and Bell Center on Dec. 8. All for Kim’s fights with a purpose. If she wins every time, she can get all four belts before the end of 2023.”
Clavell added, “Obviously this fight is a dream, for it may open doors for me where I have wanted to enter for so long. But for now, the door next door is called Yesica Nery Plata. I must open it, and I must win. I intend to do so.” »
The semi-final match will be on Friday at the hands of Mazloum Akdeniz (17-0, 8 points). Lightweight Longueuil is defending his WBC Americas title for the first time against Mexican Cristian Bielma (19-4-2, 7 KOs).
Two more fights will be on the programme. Marie-Pierre Holly (7-0-1, 2 KOs) will face heavyweight Marisol Moreno (6-3) in the boxers’ first eight-round fight. 2015 Pan American Games gold medalist Caroline Fier (1-0) will face Estefania González Franco (4-5) at featherweight.
Finally, middleweight Derek Pomerlo (3-0, 2 KOs) will face Gustavo Magana Rodriguez (3-1-1, 1 KOs), while British Columbian Eric Basran (2-0, 1 K.-O.) will oppose Mexico. Lightweight Juan Carlos Ramirez Garcia (4-2).
The first bell should ring at 7 p.m. The ceremony will be broadcast on the ESPN+ live streaming website in the United States, while it will be available on pay-per-view and on GYMboxe.tv in Canada.
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