There are days when nothing happens. And yet, they are often the most important ones.
A day without promo, without cameras, without public obligations. For a boxer, this apparent emptiness acts like a revealer. The mind is no longer distracted; it has nowhere to hide. Everything becomes slower. Quieter. And paradoxically, more demanding.
At 6:30 a.m., Leila texts us her weight.
She went to bed at 142 lb. She woke up at 139.4 lb. Exactly where we wanted her. JF ran the numbers like a watchmaker. The body is responding well, despite the travel, despite the water retention that flying can cause. The next morning, as I review this text before sending it to Noé, she’s at 138 lb. JF is good. Very good.
Photo: Vincent Ethier – Leïla Beaudoin
The day starts slowly. JF prepares breakfast for her in her new suite. She’s settled in, comfortable, calm. These kinds of details matter immensely. A relaxed athlete is already recovering.
At 9:30, we meet for a light team cardio session. Leila would have preferred the bike, but there isn’t one in the gym. It’ll be the elliptical. A logical choice. No impact, full-body engagement. When the weight starts to drop, every decision is about preserving what matters most.
After cardio, she goes back to her room for stretching. She has her app, her routine, her discipline. Every day. I’ve done these sessions with her before. I still wonder why I don’t do them daily myself, considering how good they made me feel. Once she’s done, she puts her phone on Do Not Disturb. Rest, too, needs to be planned.
Leila wants to get a bit of sun. I’m not a big fan of athletes spending hours in the sun without a clear purpose. You lose energy without even realizing it. So I “supervise.” We all head down to the pool. I start the stopwatch. We’re still far from fight night… but nothing can be left to chance.
Photo: DAZN – Cherneka Johnson
That’s where Cherneka “Sugar Neekz” Johnson joins us. Unified bantamweight world champion. She’ll also be fighting on the card, against Canadian Amanda Galle.
Neekz and Leila are good friends. During her last camp, Neekz trained in Montreal. Luc-Vincent Ouellet helped her until her coach Craig Wilson arrived. Russ Anber—recently inducted into the Hall of Fame—is her cutman. Mathieu Casavant, whom you know well, is her manager.
Photo: Jeff Lockhart – Luc-Vincent Ouellet and Imam Khataev
During that camp, Neekz sparred with Leila and Caroline. Real bonds were formed. Today, the girls are close.
It was actually Neekz who introduced Rose to Leila during her time in Montreal. Today, Rose works with her. Visualization, breathing, relaxation, stress management. Silent work, but of inestimable value. Rose does an incredible amount of good for Leila.
JF has everything prepared: snacks, meals, schedules. Leila usually eats every two hours. After lunch, still by the pool, we go for a walk to the pharmacy. She wants pouch pickles. Right now, she’s water loading. She’s drinking a lot of water—around 6 liters a day—and eating salty foods so the body retains water. Forty-eight hours before weigh-in, we cut the salt and drastically reduce water. The day before, it’ll be 500 ml. No more.
The body, used to taking in and flushing out large amounts, keeps draining. Without salt, it releases even more. That’s how you lose the final pounds.
Very important: Leila never does this alone. She’s surrounded, monitored, guided by experienced people. Never try this at home.
After the walk, Leila goes back to rest. JF and I do a quick tour to scout locations for the next day’s photo sessions. Always anticipating.
In the evening, we all have dinner together in her room. Football on TV. Leila loves it. The Detroit Lions are playing the Los Angeles Rams. Two of her favorite teams.
After the fight, she’ll stay two more days to go see the Dolphins with her partner, JS. He’s a good partner. Present. Solid. He supports her the right way. I’ll come back to him. He deserves more than two or three lines in a text.
The day ends the way it began: calmly.
No promo. No noise. No apparent tension.
Photo: Samuel Décarie-Drolet – View from the balcony of Leila’s room…
