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Cloutier’s Canada Corner
Stevenson: "This
Time, Fonfara Won’t Stay On His Legs"
By Daniel Cloutier
Photos: Robert Lévesque
MONTRÉAL - The Montrealer Adonis Stevenson won seven of his
eight WBC light heavyweight championships of the world by KO
or TKO, and the only one who has been able to resist to the
Stevenson’s destructive fists, is the American Polish
Andrzej Fonfara.
Fonfara (29-4-0) was hoping to get a rematch with Stevenson
(28-1-0), and this rematch will become reality June 3rd in
the ring of the Bell Centre.
May 24th 2014, also in the ring of the Bell Centre, Fonfara
lost by unanimous decision in 12 rounds against Stevenson.
Few minutes after the bout, Fonfara said that the judges
were wrong in establishing Stevenson the winner, then he was
claiming a rematch.
“Yes, I was deserving a rematch, and I am so happy to see
that it will happens in few weeks,” said Fonfara at this
press conference organized by the GYM Group Friday morning
at the restaurant 9-4-10 of the Bell Centre. “I will
certainly be the winner this time. I am a better fighter, a
more complete fighter than I was when I fought Stevenson for
the first time. I have more technique and more experience
than I got in 2015. You will certainly believe me when the
first bell will ring June 3rd. It’s certainly not by
accident that I beat Nathan Cleverly and Julio Cesar Chavez
Jr in the last two years.”
Fonfara is one of the two only boxers who has been able to
beat the Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (50-2-0), who will
face Saul Canelo Alvarez (48-1-0) May 6th at the T-Mobile
Arena in Las Vegas.
And Fonfara showed his great potential when he beat the
British Nathan Cleverly (30-3-0) in a WBC international
championship. Fonfara won by TKO against Chavez in Carson,
California, and by unanimous decision against Cleverly, in
Chicago. Both fights happened in 2015.
On his side, Stevenson has the conviction that Fonfara will
live the same «tragedy» then the others fighters he faced in
WBC world championships bouts since 2013: a lost by KO or
TKO.
“I did not look at my best in my first fight with Fonfara,
normal, because I fought nine rounds with a very painful
back and left hand injured, but trust me, I will be at my
best in this rematch,” said Stevenson. “When my back and my
two fists are healthy like it is now, I know I can hurt all
the light heavyweights in the world. Fonfara is the only
fighter who stayed on his feet against me since I am world
champion, but trust me, he will go down this time. I am
determined to beat him by KO or TKO this time, and watch me
in the action. I will hurt him in each round, and we will
see how long time he will be able to resist to this
treatment. No doubt in my mind, I am the king of the light
heavyweight division. I will prove it again in June.”
Just before the main event, the Montrealers light
heavyweights Jean Pascal (31-4-1) and Eleider Alvarez
(22-0-0) will fight in a 10 rounds bout.
“I know I will be in the underdog’s shoes June 3rd, but
sincerely, I don’t care,” said Pascal, a former WBC light
heavyweight champion of the world. “Alvarez beat Lucian Bute
by KO in less than five rounds, and I did it by unanimous
decision, then, it was logical to established Alvarez
favorite in the circumstances. Alvarez is an excellent
fighter, fast, strong and wise. However, I know what
strategy to use to surprise him, and I will certainly
surprise him June 3rd. I am in perfect shape, and you will
see in action a Jean Pascal extremely confident and
energetic June 3rd. Its crucial for me to win this bout to
stay active on the international boxing scene. And as you
know, I am not ready for retirement. I still have a lot of
passion for boxing.”
Alvarez was smiling in hearing Pascal. “If Pascal believes
seriously he can surprise me, he will have himself a huge
surprise,” said the Montrealer Colombian. “As you know, I
got a spectacular win against Lucian Bute in February in
Québec City, and I am planning to get another spectacular
win against Pascal. I know I have the speed, the technique
and the power to put him in trouble. And as you saw it
against Bute, I connect my best power shots at the perfect
moments. Bute can testify it. I will do exactly the same
thing against Pascal, and I really believe I gonna win again
by KO or TKO. I know I got to stay undefeated to get the
chance to fight for a world championship this year or next
year. I am so impatient to live this fantastic experience to
dispute a world championship bout.”
Alvarez is ranked first contender by the WBC in the 175
pounds division. He is the mandatory challenger for
Stevenson.
The promoter of the GYM Group, Yvon Michel, is expecting a
memorable event June 3rd. “The two main bouts of the
evening, the fights Stevenson-Fonfara and Alvarez-Pascal,
will certainly generate great action,” said Yvon Michel. “I
really believe this boxing will be one of the most important
one presented in Montréal in the last years. We can expect
an important crowd for this event.”
The GYM Group will confirm soon the identity of the fighters
involved in the preliminaries fights.
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