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Cloutier’s Canada Corner
Yvon Michel: "It's Confirmed
Now That
Stevenson's Next Bout Will Be An IBF Title Fight"
By Daniel Cloutier
MONTRÉAL - Carl Froch or not, Adonis Stevenson will be
involved an IBF super middleweight world championship bout
at his next fight.It is exactly what the promoter Yvon
Michel confirmed Friday morning in a press conference held
at the GYM Group office.
A southpaw from Montréal, Stevenson (19 -1-0) is Carl
Froch’s (30-2-0) mandatory challenger since his win against
Donovan George (TKO in the 12th round) in a IBF elimination
bout presented at Bell Centre in Montréal October 12th.
October 13th, the IBF championship committee had confirmed
to Yvon Michel that a purse bid would be organized In
December or January for a fight between Froch-Stevenson. It
was not a lie. The IBF championship committee will hold this
purse bid January 15th… if Froch and Stevenson's promoters
cannot finalize a deal before.
“Adonis is sure of one thing: his next bout will be an IBF
super middleweight title match,” said Yvon Michel. “We got
the confirmation by letter. And this bout will happen before
the end of April.”
Thursday, Yvon Michel had a long conversation with the
Froch's promoter, Ed Hearn. “Ed Hearn is still negotiating
with Mikkel Kessler (46-2-0), but if he can not make a deal
with him by January 15th, we are presuming he will
participate with us to this IBF purse bid,” said Yvon
Michel. “Froch is obliged now to fight Adonis between
February 15th and April 15th. If he is refusing to do it, or
if he is choosing to fight Kessler instead, the IBF will
make its super middleweight title vacant. In this case,
Stevenson would be involved in an IBF world championship
with a challenger to determine soon.”
Yvon Michel is admitting that he has received a verbal offer
by Hearn. “Ed Hearn made us a verbal offer, in case his
negotiations with Kessler would fail,” said Yvon Michel.
“Obviously, Hearn wants a fight Froch-Stevenson in England.
We made a counteroffer, in hoping to get the fight at Bell
Centre in Montréal. If we can not make a deal by January
15th, we will go by the purse bid that day. If we cannot
make a deal with Hearn, and if is refusing to be involved in
the purse bid, the IBF championship committee will contact
the 2nd contender (Edwin Rodriguez), to offer him to face
Stevenson in a vacant title match. If Rodriguez refuses, the
IBF will contact the following contenders.”
“Few days ago, I told to Yvon Michel I wanted to challenge
the winner of the Froch-Kessler bout,” said Stevenson Friday
morning. “But we don't know now if the fight Froch-Kessler
will happens. If Froch is not fighting Kessler at spring, I
can presume he will be my next opponent. For sure, the IBF
championship Committee has decided to involve me immediately
in a world title match. It's great news. No matter if Froch
wants to face me or not, I will be world champion in few
months. I am ready to face every star of the super
middleweight division, and I hope that Froch will accept to
face me. I would love to fight him in Montréal in March or
April, and I am ready to go in England if the situation is
requiring it. I love Froch's mean style. He is attacking
constantly. It's fantastic. I am sure I can beat him with
the perfect strategy. He is a good fighter, a boxer with a
lot of experience, but believe me, he will not intimate me.”
Yvon Michel is expecting to talk regularly to Ed Hearn in
the next days, in hoping to finalize a deal. If not, the
January 15th purse bid will be the option.
After his lost to Andre Ward (26-0-0) in the Showtime Super
Six tournament final in December 2011, Froch became IBF
world champion May 26th in Nottingham, in beating the
Montrealer Lucian Bute (31-1-0) by TKO in less than five
rounds.
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