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Cloutier’s Canada Corner
Stevenson
Established Favorite To Win Five To One
By Daniel Cloutier
QUÉBEC CITY, Canada - The Montrealer Adonis Stevenson, who
will proceed to seventh defence of his WBC light heavyweight
championship of the world Friday evening in the ring of the
Videotron Centre in Québec City, is established favorite by
five to one by the Las Vegas bookies.
Stevenson (27-1-0) will face his mandatory challenger,
Thomas Williams Jr. (20-1-0), a fighter from Fort
Washington, Maryland. “The fight will become reality in few
hours, and it’s absolutely perfect, said Stevenson. I am
perfectly prepared for this challenge, mentally, physically,
technically and strategically. I respect Williams, I know he
is aggressive and he can punch solidly, but he won’t leave
Québec City with my WBC belt in his luggage. I will do the
necessary to stay WBC champion of the world. Williams is
taking a lot of risks in each fight, he is compromising
constantly his defense, and it’s my intention to punish him
severalty each time he will commit a technical mistake. And
as you know, I am a destructive puncher who takes always
advantage of the opponent defensive weakness. I am positive
that my fans will appreciate my performance and the result
of this world championship bout. It’s my strong intention to
win before the 12th round.”
Stevenson and Williams are both southpaws. “Williams is a
southpaw, and it’s not a problem for me, absolutely not a
problem, said Stevenson. I face two southpaws in pro boxing,
including Chad Dawson, and I beat them both them by KO.”
Williams became mandatory challenger April 30th in Carson,
California, in beating the Dominican Edwin Rodriguez
(28-2-0) by KO in less than two rounds. Rodriguez was
established favourite to win. “I was the underdog when i
faced Rodriguez, and you saw the result? Do you think I am
concern by the fact that Stevenson has been established
favourite? Absolutely not, said Williams. I said it and I
gonna repeat it, I have a better chin than Stevenson and I
am a better fighter technically than him. I caused a
surprise in Carson last April, and I will cause another
surprise here in Québec City. I am really prepared to face
this challenge. It’s the most important opportunity in my
boxing career, and I won’t waste it.”
Sugar Hill, the Stevenson’s trainer at the Kronk Gym in
Detroit, is not nervous at all. “Adonis is always perfectly
prepared for a world championship bout, said Hill. He is
always training with concentration and all his energies.
Adonis knows exactly what to do to dominate and beat
Williams, and I know he will do it. I am expecting to see
him win by KO. Adonis is right, Williams is compromising
constantly his defence to attack his opponents. Williams
will pay the big price each time he will commit a mistake.
Adonis see always the opportunities to connect solidly his
opponent. The opportunities will be frequent with Williams.
I am positive Adonis is a better fighter technically than
Williams, and he is probably the most powerful puncher of
the light heavyweight division on the international scene. I
am not nervous at all. I am persuaded Adonis will do the job
again, and stay WBC champion of the world.”
The Williams trainer, Robert Peterson, said: “Everybody in
boxing said Thomas caused a huge surprise in beating Edwin
Rodriguez by KO in less than two rounds in April in
California, but I am not agree with this evaluation. For me,
his win over Rodriguez was not a surprise at all. Most of
the boxing fans and boxing writers don’t know the Williams
real value. Believe me, my fighter is a fantastic
competitor. He is extremely strong physically and very good
technically. I am positive he will dethrone Stevenson as WBC
light heavyweight champion of the world. I agree with
Thomas, who said he will stop Stevenson before the end of
the sixth round. My fighter is so determinate to become
world champion, and he will realize his dream in few hours.”
Williams is clearly on fire at few hours of the moment of
the truth. “I came in Québec City with the serious intention
to become WBC champion of the world, and I will definitively
realize my dream, said Williams. I still believe I gonna win
this fight by KO or TKO before the end of the sixth round. I
know I have a better chin then Stevenson, and I have
certainly the power to knock him out.”
The referee of of the main event will be the Montrealer Mike
Griffin, who is member of the WBC officials. The judges will
be: the Montrealer Richard DeCarufel, the Italian Massimo
Barrivecchio and the German Juergen Langos. The supervisor
of the main event will be Bob Logist, from Belgium.
The show will be televised by Spike TV in USA, BBC in
England and Indigo in Canada. At the weigh in, Stevenson
posted an official weight of 173.6 pounds, versus 174.6 for
Williams.
Just before the main event, the Montrealer Colombian Eleider
Alvarez (19-0-0), the Stevenson’s first contender, will face
Robert Berridge (27-4-1), from Albany, New Zealand, in a 10
rounds fight.
Bernard Barré, the scout of the GYM Group, predicted wins
for Stevenson and Alvarez.“The first four or five rounds
between Stevenson and Williams will be intense and
spectacular, but I am sure Williams gonna slow down after
the six rounds, said Barré. And from the moment Williams
will slow down, Stevenson will hurt him severely and beat
him by KO or TKO. Williams is a good puncher, but Adonis is
a terrific puncher, probably the most destructive puncher of
the light heavyweight division. And Alvarez also should win
by KO or TKO between the sixth to the 10th round. Berridge
is a warrior, but Eleider is more intelligent and better
technically than his opponent. It’s certainly not by
accident that Eleider is ranked first contender by the WBC.
He is closer than ever to get his chance in a light
heavyweight world championship bout.”
At the weight in, Alvarez posted an official weight of 179.4
pounds, versus 178.4 for Berridge. Because its was a
non-title bout, both fighters could registered 180 pounds or
less.
The preliminaries bouts will involved: the Montrealer
heavyweight Oscar Rivas (19-0-0), the welterweight Sébastien
Bouchard (13-1-0), from Baie St-Paul, Québec, the Montrealer
super welterweight Custio Clayton (8-0-0), the middleweight
Immanuwel Aleem (16-0-0), from Richmond, Virginia, and the
heavyweight Eric Martel (11-6-0), from Québec City.
Rivas will be opposed to Jeremiah Karpency (12-0-1), from
Adah, Pennsylvania, Bouchard will meet the Mexican Alejandro
Herrera (14-3-2), Clayton will face the Mexican Silverio
Ortiz (34-17-0), Aleem will fight Demond Nicholson (17-1-0),
from Laurel, Maryland, and Martel will meet Avery Gibson
(7-5-3), from California.
At the weight in, Rivas posted an official weight of 234.4
pounds, Karpency 229.2, Bouchard 148.4, Herrera 149, Clayton
148.6, Ortiz 147.4, Aleem 160.4, Nicholson 160.4, Martel 256
and Gibson 236 pounds.
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