At the top of a card mixing local bouts and international rising stars, Steven Butler will face Stéphane Fondjo in an all-Montreal clash this Thursday at the Casino de Montréal.
Jhon Orobio—fighting in his first co-main event—will defend his WBC Continental title against former world champion Xolisani Ndongeni. EOTTM prospects Luis Santana, Moreno Fendero, Wyatt Sanford, and Erik Israyelyan will also be in action. Kicking off the night, Daylen Pepin of Trois-Rivières and Alexendre Perron of Drummondville will battle in another all-Quebec matchup.
What can we expect? What should we watch for? In partnership with Mise-o-jeu+, Punching Grace asked five experts for their opinions.
Photo: Vincent Ethier – Steven Butler
An Unexpected Main Event
Steven Butler (36-5-1, 30 KO) vs. Stéphane Fondjo (14-1-1, 9 KO) might not have been the originally planned main event—Erik Bazinyan withdrew from his fight with Butler for the third time this year. But according to Manny Montreal of Talking Boxing, this “new” main event is just as exciting:
“Both fighters have power. We’re seeing Steven Butler 3.0 now that he’s being trained by ‘Iceman’ John Scully and fighting at 168 lbs, but the fact that Fondjo accepted this fight on just a few weeks’ notice says a lot about his mindset and physical condition. It’s impossible to predict the winner… except for the fans!”
Photo: Tapology – Stephane Fondjo
And according to Laurent Poulin of Boxingtown Québec, we have Butler to thank for this great matchup:
“We’re in an era where every boxer’s career is carefully calculated, but Steven Butler has never said no to anyone. That’s true again against Fondjo—a boxer over 6’3” who knows how to fight! I like to believe that will bring ‘Bang Bang’ good karma and he’ll score a knockout in the 9th round.”
A Championship in the Co-Main Event
In the co-main event, Montreal-based Jhon Orobio (15-0, 13 KO) will put his WBC Continental Super Lightweight title on the line for the second time. The challenge will be tough, as Orobio faces former world champion Xolisani Ndongeni (33-7, 19 KO).
Photo: Vincent Ethier – Jhon Orobio
Réjean Tremblay, columnist for Punching Grace, commented when the fight was announced:
“Xolisani Ndongeni—a tough South African who once held a major belt. This guy is as rugged as they come. He’s fought in Turkey, Argentina, all over the world. And when you live in South Africa, there’s no such thing as a short trip—unless you’re going to box in Zimbabwe. [Jhon] should win, but he’s facing the toughest test of his career…”
Photo: Mikey Williams – Raymond Muratalla against Xolisani Ndongeni
A test indeed—but if Orobio can pass it, he’ll send a strong message to the boxing world, says Anson Wainwright of The Ring Magazine:
“Ndongeni is very experienced and should be able to take Orobio further than we’ve seen so far. I said ‘should,’ because I think Orobio is on another level. Big punchers like Ernesto Mercado and Raymond Muratalla couldn’t stop Ndongeni inside the distance… so if Orobio can, that’ll say a lot about his potential.”
Fights to Watch on the Undercard
Like Orobio in the co-main, Montreal’s Luis Santana (14-0, 7 KO) will fight in his first quarterfinal bout. He’ll face Pedro Manuel Gomes (13-3, 3 KO), Portugal’s top boxer and possibly Santana’s toughest opponent to date.
Photo: Vincent Ethier – Luis Santana
Manny Montreal notes: “Santana is used to working in the shadows and shining under the spotlight. Pressure is his ally. But I’ve seen Gomes in action when he beat Canadian champion Mark Smither, and I think even if Santana wins, Gomes will make him earn it.”
Speaking of Canadian champions, double Olympian and Canada’s only Olympic boxing medalist in nearly 30 years, Wyatt Sanford (4-0, 2 KO), will fight for the fifth time this year. His opponent, Petr Novak (3-0-1, 2 KO) of the Czech Republic, is also unbeaten—but some see Sanford as much more than just a boxer with a perfect record.
Photo: Vincent Ethier – Wyatt Sanford
Lucas Ketelle of Boxingscene writes: “It’s rare for an Olympic medalist to fly under the radar, but that’s what makes Sanford so fascinating. He has the pedigree and qualities of a future world champion, yet he hasn’t received the attention that other, less accomplished fighters have. Stylistically, Sanford fights like a contender from the 1970s or 1980s—and these days, that’s refreshing to see.”
Now It’s Your Turn to Weigh In!
To watch the rise of Sanford, as well as Israyelyan, Fendero, Santana, Orobio, and of course—the main event: Butler vs. Fondjo—tune in to Punchinggrace.com this Thursday from 6:30 p.m. And to turn their rise into your victory, make your predictions with Mise-o-jeu+!
