Photo: Francesco Patera / X
On April 10 at the Casino de Montréal, Dzmitry “The Wasp” Asanau (9-0, 4 KOs) will face Francesco Patera (30-5, 11 KOs) for the WBC Continental title at 135 pounds.
I’m very impressed with how Samuel Décarie-Drolet and EOTTM are managing the career of the two-time Olympian. His last opponent had a record of 38-2, and Francesco Patera is no pushover either—he’s known for being a party spoiler.
Francesco Patera is a Belgian boxer born in 1993 in Genk, Limburg province. Although boxing is barely followed in Belgium, a country obsessed with soccer and cycling, there’s no doubt that he is one of the best boxers the country has produced.
He discovered boxing at around seven years old, joining the GMG Cheratte club in Visé.
Patera has been named Belgian Golden Glove winner four times and has been ranked in the top 10 by the WBO and top 15 by the WBC.
Photo: Francesco Patera / X
His best years came around 2018 when he pulled off a judges’ decision win in England against Lewis Ritson to claim the EBU title. He even knocked out a promising fighter in Paul Hyland Junior.
“I’m not the strongest or the fastest, but I’m smart. In the ring, you have to think before you punch.” – Francesco Patera
In 2024, he deserved a much better outcome against Gary Cully in Leeds, England. The same goes for his fight against Sean Dodd eight years earlier. This is a classic case of a fighter whose record wasn’t protected, yet Patera remains confident in his abilities and is coming here looking to take a shortcut to a world title shot with a victory.
Technically, he’s very skilled. In boxing—or American football terms—he’s great at staying in the pocket and countering with hooks, sometimes to the head, sometimes to the body. He’s extremely precise. In his fights against Hyland and Cully, every punch he throws is placed with precision and intelligence—this Belgian can box. His conditioning and footwork are at an elite level. He’s an experienced fighter who won’t gas out. He works the body well with his hooks… While the textbook approach is to work behind the jab, Patera strangely finds a lot of success starting his combinations with hooks. At 5’10”, he’s also quite tall for his weight class, making his signature punch even more effective.
Photo: Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing – Gary Cully, Eddie Hearn and Francesco Patera
“Patera has faced elite competition. He has strong technical boxing skills, solid fundamentals, and incredible durability. His ring IQ and ability to control the space with his lead hand make him a tough opponent. In the small ring at the Casino, he won’t be an easy fight, but as a coach, this will allow me to see exactly where Dzmitry Asanau stands.” – Samuel Décarie-Drolet, star trainer
Samuel isn’t the biggest fan of Belgium, though. Femke Hermans came here and beat Mary Spencer not once, but twice.
After watching his entire career, I’d say Patera struggles against fighters who apply relentless pressure and overwhelm him with combinations. As for his fight against Keyshawn Davis, it’s hard to judge—Davis is a boxing prodigy. But staying mobile, keeping him at a distance, and making sure he’s constantly forced into a high guard seem to be the key strategies for success against Francesco Patera.
Photo: Mikey Williams / TR Boxing – Francesco Patera and Keyshawn Davis
Don’t look for me on April 10—I’ll be at the Casino de Montréal to see if Dzmitry Asanau can pass the biggest test of his career.
On the Podcast
I have a few memories of great Belgian boxers, like Femke Hermans, as mentioned earlier. Cédric Spera ended Stéphane Ouellet’s career… only for Sébastien Bouchard to avenge him. Stephan Danyo helped Custio Clayton, Sadriddin Akhmedov, and Artem Oganesyan develop. Hervé “Double H” Hubeaux held his own against Oscar Rivas, and Ryad Merhy knocked out Sylvera Louis.
I also love Belgian chocolate, diamonds, and I have Caballero’s album Dose Héroïque on repeat in my headphones.
Photo: DH.net – Francesco with his brother and trainer Belgio
