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Cloutier’s Canada Corner
Bika Came Very Close To Death
Three
Days Before His Fight With Lucian Bute
By Daniel Cloutier
QUÉBEC CITY, Canada - Sakio Bika revealed to the medias that
he came very close to die in Montréal April 12th 2007,
exactly three days before his fight with the Montrealer
Romanian Lucian Bute.
Bika, a fighter from Cameron living in Australia, was
staying in a hotel in Montréal downtown.
To relax after his daily training session, Bika went to the
second floor of the hotel, where is located an inside pool.
The problem, is that Bika does not know how to swim.
“Yes, I went to the hotel’s pool, and I did not see the
signs indicated the level of water in each side of the pool,
explained Bika. I was alone on the place at that specific
moment. In looking the water, I was sure I was on the less
deep part of the pool. I jumped in the water, and surprise!,
I was in the deepest part of the water. I was in a real
trouble at that moment. I was panicking. I don’t know how to
swim. I came so close to drown three days before my fight
with Lucian Bute. Fortunately, my trainer, Mike Pitts,
showed up at the pool few seconds later, and he saw me
drowning. He jumped right away in the pool, grabbed my
shoulders and save me. If my trainer would showed up two
minutes later, I was death for sure. Informed of this
incident, the director of the hotel called immediately an
ambulance. The ambulance men transported me in a Montréal
downtown hospital by precaution measures. The hospital
released me the next day, and I could do my normal daily
training session. I was feeling perfectly 24 hours after
this incident. Three days after, I lost against Bute, but I
got to be honest, this pool’s tragic experience was not a
factor in the result of the bout.”
April 15th in the ring of the Bell Centre, Bika got a real
good start. Aggressive, he was leading two rounds to one
after the first third of the bout. However, Bute (31-2-0),
better technically, took the control of the action in the
fourth round, and dominated all the last nine rounds, to win
by unanimous decision. After winning this IBF elimination
bout, Bute became IBF super middleweight champion of the
world in beating the Colombian Alejandro Berrio by TKO in
the 11th round.
“Bute won clearly the bout, but trust me, at that time, I
was not the fighter I am now, insisted Bika. I have now more
experience, I am better technically and I am a more mature
boxer than I was in 2007. Since my lost to Bute, I faced
five world champions, I have been involved in the Showtime
Super Six tournament, and I became WBC super middleweight
champion of the world. If Adonis Stevenson believes the real
Sakio Bika is the one he saw in action against Bute in 2007
in Montréal, he will have a hell of surprise when the fight
will started next Saturday.”
Next Saturday afternoon in the ring of the Québec City
Colisée, Bika (36-3-2) will try to dethrone Stevenson
(25-1-0) as WBC light heavyweight championship of the world.
This 12 rounds bout will be televise by CBS. Bika, who is
actually ranked sixth contender by the WBC in the super
middleweight division, is moving up from the 168 pounds
category to the 175 pounds division to face Stevenson.
“I feel very strong at 175 pounds, said Bika. I believe I
will hit harder and I will be more energetic from the first
to the 12th round. I came here to cause a huge surprise, and
I am positive I will do it.”
Stevenson will proceed to the fifth defence of his WBC light
heavyweight championship of the world. Bika is insisting on
the fact that Stevenson will never be able to intimidate
him. If Stevenson believes he will become the first fighter
to beat Bika by KO or TKO, Bika likes his chances to beat
the Montrealer the same way.
“Stevenson said publicly he wants to become the first
fighter to beat me by KO or TKO, but don’t be surprise if
it’s him who loose by KO or TKO, said Bika. Stevenson his
certainly a powerful puncher, he is definitely very strong
physically, but his chin is a huge doubt. He lost by KO
against Darnell Boone in 2010 in USA and he went on the
floor against Andrzej Fonfara in 2014 in Montréal. I am sure
I hit harder than the two guys who floored him. Then, we
will see which one of us gonna win by KO or TKO Saturday
afternoon. I am very motivated for that fight, not only
because the WBC crown is involved, but because Stevenson is
showing an obvious lack of respect for me. If he would
respect me like he is pretending it, he would not talking
constantly of his desire to face Sergey Kovalev. His
attitude is showing that beat me, it’s just a formality for
him. I am taking it like an insult and a provocation.
Believe me, it’s pretty easy to be hungry and motivate to
face an arrogant man like him.”
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