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Eye of the Tiger and Punching Grace present: A smashing start to the year for EOTTM and Quebec boxing with Bazinyan vs Fox!
Erik Bazinyan and Yves Ulysse Jr. will kick off Eye of the Tiger’s 2023 program as they headline the gala on Thursday, February 2nd at the Cabaret du Casino de Montréal, along with Raphaël Courchesne, Christopher Guerrero, Alexandre Gaumont, Avery Martin-Duval and EOTTM’s newest recruit, Wilkens Mathieu.
“The year 2023 looks very promising for EOTTM as 6 of our athletes have broken into the top 15 in their respective divisions and are knocking on the door of major fights”, notes EOTTM’s Managing Director, Antonin Décarie. “The next few fights will be decisive in their careers, that’s why we’ve stepped up the adversity for the coming year to make sure they have the tools and are ready for all the challenges that will come their way in the next few months.
An interesting challenge awaits EOTTM protégé Erik Bazinyan (28-0, 21 K.O.) in his return to the ring following the fight he had to cancel last October, as he defends his NABF and NABA titles against experienced American boxer Alantez Fox (28-3-1, 13 K.O.) in a scheduled 10-round super middleweight bout. At 6’4”, Fox has the physical advantage in terms of height and reach as well as the stamina to be competitive throughout the rounds. These assets will force Bazinyan to remain organized and strategic throughout the fight. As the Quebecer by adoption also mentions, this fight is all the more important for him since the death of his father last July:
“This is a very important and special fight for me because I lost my father a few months ago and this will be my first fight without him by my side. It’s a great motivation for me mentally and I know that nothing can beat me. On February 2nd, I want to prove that I belong in the world class fights”, says Erik Bazinyan.
In the semifinals of the evening, Yves Ulysse Jr (22-2, 12 K.-O.) will be making his first fight of the year following his 2 excellent performances in 2022. Ulysse is happy to be back fighting in front of a partisan crowd. The card also features the return of Raphaël Courchesne (9-1, 4KOs). The Maskoutain will be back in the ring after a little over a year of absence and promises to honor his nickname “Bad Intentions”! In addition to these talented pugilists, you will have the chance to see the professional debut of EOTTM’s new recruit, Wilkens Mathieu! After a successful amateur career with a record of (30-2, 4K.-O.), Wilkens has decided to make the jump to the professional scene. To complete the card, Christopher Guerrero (5-0, 1K.-O.) will be making his sixth fight. Alexandre Gaumont (6-0, 4K.-O.), the pride of Gatineau will be fighting his 7th fight, and Avery Martin-Duval (8-0-1, 4K.-O.) will be fighting his 10th fight.