| |
|
|
Cloutier’s Canada Corner
Stevenson: The
Next One On The List Should Be Bernard Hopkins; Adonis Talks
About Move In USA
By Daniel Cloutier
QUÉBEC CITY, Canada - About 45 minutes after his win by TKO
in the sixth round against the British Tony Bellew Saturday
evening at the Québec City Colisée, Adonis Stevenson, the
WBC light heavyweight champion of the world, revealed two
things to the journalists presents at the post fight press
conference: Bernard Hopkins should be his next opponent, and
he his thinking seriously to leave Montréal to go live in
New York or Las Vegas. Why move in USA?
Stevenson is very mad, because last week, some medias in the
Province of Québec published old articles on his criminal
past. Now that he is WBC light heavyweight champion of the
world, now that he is a respectable human being, The
Montréal southpaw wants to see the medias stay focus on his
present and his future, not exhume his past. Stevenson is
clearly frustrated that newspapers in Montréal and Québec
City came back on the fact he has been incarcerated four
years for his implication in a Montréal Haitian street gang
involved in juvenile prostitution.
“I got a perfect life since the day I became a pro boxer, I
am a very good family man since that time, I am now a
credible boxing world champion, and some local medias still
harassing me about my youth's mistakes. Why? For the fun to
tarnish my image? It's simply unacceptable. But it's enough.
I am planning seriously to move up in New York or Las Vegas
to live in a new environment. In case you are concern by
that, I can confirm it: Yvon Michel will stay my promoter
even if I move in the south.”
Interviewed by HBO right after the bout Saturday, Stevenson
said that he would love to fight Carl Froch and Bernard
Hopkins in 2014, but the name of Hopkins has been mentioned
as a priority during the post fight press conference. “Yes,
I really believe Hopkins will be my next opponent, said
Stevenson. Why? Heis a legend, and in fighting him, we could
unify the IBF and WBC crowns… with a big payday. I know
Hopkins still a great fighter, he is crafty, he has a lot of
experience, but I really believe I can beat him by TKO with
the proper strategy. Crazy you think? No! I just want to
remember you that Chad Dawson never lost a short fight (one
round) before face me, and Tavoris Cloud and Bellew never
lost by KO or TKO before face me. Then, why a win by KO or
TKO would be impossible against Hopkins?”
Yvon Michel, the promoter of the GYM Group, said himself
that Hopkins is the most probable option for Stevenson next
spring. ”A fight with Hopkins means more prestige and more
money for Adonis, no doubt about it, said Yvon Michel. Froch
is certainly out of the picture on a short term. His
promoter, Ed Hearn, told me today that Froch, next year,
will probably get rematch with George Groves and Mikkel
Kessler. Froch just got a controversial win against Groves
in Great Britain, and with Kessler, the score is 1-1
(Kessler won the first fight during the Super Six
tournament, Froch won the rematch last May in London).
Froch, at this point, wants to stay IBF super middleweight
champion of the world. Some journalists asked me if a fight
between Adonis and Sergey Kovalev (the WBO light heavyweight
champion of the world) is a possibility for next spring, and
I say no. Kovalev is a good and strong fighter, but he is
far to be famous like Hopkins. If a fight Stevenson-Kovalev
happens eventuality, it should be in 2015, or may be at the
end of 2014.”
Just before that Stevenson (23-1-0) beat Bellew (21-2-1) by
TKO in the sixth round Saturday, Kovalev (23-0-1) made a
first successful defence of his WBO crown, in stopping the
Ukrainian Ismayl Sillakh (21-2-1) in less than two rounds. A
journalist asked to Stevenson if after the first round,
Saturday, he was expecting a long fight with Bellew. “I never
got in mind that Bellew would stay on his feet during 12
rounds against me, said the Montréal southpaw. I was a bit
to aggressive at the beginning of the fight, then, my
trainer (Sugar Hill) asked me to calm down and start to be
more wise, more strategic. Its exactly what I did. More the
fight was going, more I was cutting the corners to reduce
the Bellew's space, and more I was able to connect him with
my jabs and power shots. I was planning to stop him in four
rounds, but like you saw it, he was moving constantly in the
ring to avoid a confrontation with me. And more the fight
was progressing, less Bellow was trying to challenge my
power punches. I knew it was just a matter of time before I
put him in serious trouble. When I provoked a knockdown with
a solid uppercut in the sixth round, I knew it was over for
him. If the referee would not stop the fight, Bellew would
be in a real danger. I was stronger than him, I was more
energetic than him, and he knew it before the fight. Bellew
is a reasonable puncher, but never he hurt me. The one who
was suffering in the ring, it was him.”
Stevenson went on the canvas in the fourth round, but the
referee Mike Griffin ruled out a slip. “It's not a punch
which made me fall in the fourth, but a push, said
Stevenson. The referee was perfectly right in ruling a slip.
Only one of us felt on a real shot, and it's Bellew.”
Yvon Michel confirmed that 8,750 spectators were at the
Québec City Colisée Saturday. “I am not disappointed at all
by the attendance, said Yvon Michel. The Adonis Stevenson's
popularity is growing up, and you will see, more and more
people will pay to see him in action.”
Stevenson should meet with Yvon Michel next week, to talk
about his next bout… involving probably Hopkins (54-6-2),
and he will take a vacation for the rest of the year with
his family. Stevenson deserves vacation. He fought four
times this year. Saturday, he became the only fighter on the
planet this year to participate to three world championships
bouts in a span of six months. June 8th at Bell Centre in
Montréal, Stevenson became the first boxer to beat quickly
Chad Dawson (31-3-0). He dethroned Dawson as WBC champion,
in stopping him in 76 seconds of action. And September 28th
again at Bell Centre, the Montrealer became the first
fighter to beat the former IBF champion Tavoris Cloud
(24-2-0) by TKO. Cloud, affected by cuts around his eyes,
surrounded at the end of the seventh round. Bellew, who
promised to give a boxing lesson to Stevenson, lost every
round. In the sixth, he was staggering when the referee
declared the TKO.
|
|
|
