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Cloutier’s Canada Corner
Beterbiev & Alvarez Join The Al Haymon Team
By Daniel Cloutier
MONTRÉAL - The third and fourth boxers living in Montréal or
Québec City joined Al Haymon’s team a few days ago: the
Montrealer Colombian light heavyweight Elander Alvarez and
the Montrealer Russian light heavyweight Artur Beterbiev
(7-0-0).
The boxing Californian negotiator-agent recruited four
Canadians fighters in the last four months: the Montrealer
Romanian Lucian Bute (31-2-0), a former IBF super
middleweight champion of the world, the welterweight Kevin
Bizier (23-2-0), from Québec City, and finally, Alvarez and
Beterbiev.
A member of the Colombian national team in 2008, ranked
among the best five amateurs light heavyweights in the
world, Alvarez joined the GYM Group organization in Montréal
in 2009.
He and Beterbiev have been both recruited by Bernard Barré,
the scout of the GYM Group. “With the support of the GYM
Group as promoter and Al Haymon as contracts negotiator, I
think I will have a very lucrative boxing career in the
years to come”, said Alvarez.
Alvarez is actually ranked first contender by the WBC in the
175 pounds division, and the 10th one by the IBF. At his
last bout, October 25th in Monaco, Monte Carlo, Alvarez won
the most significant fight of his career. He beat the South
African Ryno Liebenberg (16-1-0) by TKO in the seventh round
in a WBC Silver championship.
This win made him mandatory challenger for the WBC light
heavyweight champion of the world, the Montrealer southpaw
Adonis Stevenson (25-1-0), who will proceed to the fifth
defense of the title April 4th at the Québec City, in facing
the Australian Sakio Bika (32-6-3).
Beterbiev, the NABA, NABO and IBF 175 pounds North American
champion, is scheduled to face the Spanish Gabriel Campillo
(25-6-1) April 4th, before the fight Stevenson-Bika.
At his last two fights, Beterbiev won each time by KO in
less than two rounds against Americans boxers, the former
IBF champion of the world, Tavoris Cloud, from Florida, and
Jeff Page Jr. (15-1-0), from Kansas.
In spite of the fact he has only seven pro bouts, Beterbiev,
a former amateur world champion, is now ranked eighth
contender by the WBC.
REFEREE AND JUDGES
The referee and the three judges has been selected for the
WBA, WBO and IBF light heavyweight championship of the world
opposing the Russian Sergey Kovalev (26-0-1) and the
Montrealer Jean Pascal (29-2-1), March 14th at Bell Centre
in Montréal.
The referee will be the Porto Rican Luis A. Pabon. The
judges selected are: Cesar Ramos, also from Porto Rico, the
British Richard Davies and the Hungarian Zoltan Enyedi.
Pascal is a former WBC light heavyweight champion of the
world. Kovalev was WBO champion of the world in October, but
he became WBO, WBA and IBF champion of the world November
8th at the Boardwalk Arena in Atlantic City, in beating the
veteran Bernard Hopkins (55-7-2) by unanimous decision (12
rounds to nothing).
GOOD ADVISORS
Jean Pascal, who will complete his intense training camp in
Big Bear, California, next week-end, is surrounded by good
advisors: his trainer Marc Ramsay, Roy Jones Jr., one of the
greatest fighter of his generation, and Sugar Shane Mosley,
a former lightweight, welterweight and super welterweight
champion of the world.
On his side, Kovalev will complete his intense training camp
next Saturday in Miami, Florida.
The two fighters will arrive in Montréal next Sunday for the
fight’s week activities.
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