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Cloutier’s Canada Corner
Frustrating Loss For
Lafrenière
By Daniel Cloutier
The Montrealer Francis Lafrenière said 24 hours before the
bout: “I got to win all my next fights, because I want
absolutely to improve my situation in the WBO ratings.”
Ranked nine contender by the WBO in the middleweight
division, Lafrenière failed to reach his goal Thursday
evening in the ring of the Montréal Casino. Lafrenière
(16-6-2) lost by majority decision of the judges against the
Nigerian Albert Onolunose (23-1-1) in this NABO North
American championship. The judges scored the bout 95-95, and
96-94 and 97-93 in favour of Onolunose, who lives in
Calgary, Alberta.
“It’s a frustrating fight and frustrating result,” said
Lafrenière right after the bout. “I connected more solid
shots than Onolunose, who was hanging constantly. I really
believe I was deserving the win. I was more energetic than
him and I fought honestly… not him. He passed 80 p.c. of his
time to hang in this fight.”
When a journalist asked him if he hopes to get a rematch,
Lafrenière said: “Not really. I like to face a real fighter,
not a master of hanging on.”
Otis and Howard Grant are the Lafrenière’s trainers. Otis
said: “Yes, it’s a frustrating fight. I cannot understand
why Onolunose did not loose points for his constant
hangings. Francis was connected punches with his hooks and
uppercuts, and Onolunose was doing always the same moves. No
doubt that Francis was deserving the win.”
Aggressive and accurate, Onolunose dominated clearly the
first round. More confident in the second and third rounds,
Lafrenière connected the best power shots of each round.
Onolunose got a good fourth round. Aggressive like in the
first round, he connected a lot solid body shots.
The fifth round was intense and close, each fighter having
good offensive sequences.
The sixth round was not spectacular like the first five, too
many hangings.
The seventh round was intense, and Onolunose connected solid
power shots in the last minute of the round.
More energetic than his opponent in the eight and nine
rounds, Lafrenière touched the target several times, more
often than his rival.
In the final round, the 10th, the two fighters were tired,
but they fought energetically, Like in the eight and nine
rounds, Lafrenière connected more shots than his rival.
Just before the main event, the Montrealer African
middleweight (160 pounds) Christian M’Billi obtained his
eight win in pro boxing (8-0-0), in beating the Mexican
Jesus Gurrola (24-13-3) by TKO in the first round.
M’Billi provoked two knockdowns in the first two minutes of
the bout, and it’s was enough for the referee, who declared
Gurrola TKO after only 1.45 minute of action.
M’Billi, who scored a KO or a TKO in all his pro bouts,
hopes to dispute a North American championship next year.
One of the best prospects on the super middleweight division
(168 pounds), the Montrealer Romanian Dario Bredicean stayed
undefeated in 16 fights (16-0-0), with a victory by
unanimous decision in six rounds against the Mexican
Guillermo Romero (12-5-0).
Bredicean, a southpaw, has the former champion of the world
Lucian Bute as advisor, and Howard and Otis Grant as
trainers.
Better technician than his opponent, Bredicean dominated all
the rounds and he hurt Romero several times.
In the opening bout of the evening, the Montrealer light
heavyweight Terry Osias scored in third win in pro boxing
(3-0-0), in beating the Mexican Jorge David Vargas (3-2-0)
by TKO in the second round.
Osias provoked a knockdown in the first minute of the bout
with a body shot, and one minute and a half after, he sent
Vargas on the floor for the second time, this time with a
punch on the head.
Vargas went on the canvas two others times in the second
round, and few seconds after, the referee stopped the bout.
It was obvious that Vargas was suffering on each Osias’s
punch.
The Montrealer super middleweight Louisbert Altidor improved
his pro record to 7-2-0 with a win by TKO in the fourth
round against the Mexican Genaro Ortiz (8-3-1).
Altidor sent twice Ortiz on the floor in the fourth round,
and after the second knockdown, the referee stopped the
fight.
The fight between the Canadian super middleweight champion,
the Montrealer Shakeel Phinn (16-2-0) and the Polish
Remigiusz Woz (11-2-0), has been cancelled few hours before
the show. Woiz failed a medical test.
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