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Cloutier’s Canada Corner
Mathieu Germain: "The Most Important
Moment Of My Pro Boxing Career"
By Daniel Cloutier
MONTRÉAL - Undefeated, the Montrealer super lightweight
Mathieu Germain will proceed to the second defense of his
IBF 140 pounds North American championship Saturday evening
in the ring of the Montréal Casino.
In the main event of this boxing show presented by the
promoter Camille Estephan, from The Eye Of The Tiger
Management Group located in Montréal, Germain (16-0-0) will
face Steve Claggett (27-5-1), from Calgary, Alberta.
In 2017 in Montréal, Claggett became the first fighter to
beat the Montrealer Yves Ulysse Jr. (17-1-0) in pro boxing.
He won by split decision in 10 rounds.
“No doubt in my mind, in few hours, I will live the most
important moment of my pro boxing career,” said Germain
Friday afternoon at the weigh in held at the Montréal
Casino. “And I am extremely happy of this situation. Since a
year, I am dreaming to dispute very significants fights. In
winning over Claggett, in winning my third IBF North
American championship bout in a row, I have a very good
chance to reach the Top 15 of the IBF ratings. And as you
know, when a fighter is reaching the Top 15 of the
international ratings, he is at one or two wins to reach the
Top 10, and when his name is appearing in the Top 10, he is
in position to get an opportunity to fight for a world
title. I really believe I will live the most exciting
moments of my pro boxing career in the months to come.”
The former boxer Mike Moffa, the Germain’s trainer, is also
very enthusiastic. “It’s true, it’s a crucial moment in the
Germain’s boxing career,” said Moffa. “Mathieu is in a real
good position to reach soon the Top 15 of the IBF ratings.
Believe me, Germain is ready to face the best super
lightweights on the international boxing scene. Claggett is
a very good opponent, no doubt about it, but Mathieu is
really prepared for this challenge, mentally, physically,
technically and strategically. He got a fantastic training
camp. Trust me, Mathieu has the potential necessary to win
this bout. Mathieu needs to fight with intensity and
concentration from the beginning to the end of the bout, and
I am positive he will achieve it. He has big ambitions, and
he knows that he got to stay undefeated to get major fights
in the months to come.”
On his side, Clagett looks more than confident to win this
fight. “Yes, I really like my chances to win this fight by
KO,” said Claggett. “Germain is good technically, he is
pretty fast, but I am positive I have the weapons to stop
him. I was extremely happy and motivated when my manager
told me that this fight with Germain was official. This guy
is undefeated, then, I am sure that a win Saturday evening
will help me to improve my position in the international
ratings. If Germain hopes to fight the best super
lightweights in the world in the months to come, trust me,
it’s also my own ambition.”
Camille Estephan said: “This fight Germain-Claggett will be
a great moment for the Montréal boxing fans. Both are good
technically, both are fighting intensively, then, the bout
will certainly be spectacular. If Mathieu wins, like I am
expecting it, I will do everything possible to help him to
get major fights on the international boxing scene this year
and next year.”
At the weigh in supervised by the IBF and the Régie
provinciale des sports de combat (Québec Athletic
Commission), Germain posted an official weight of 140
pounds, versus 139.8 for Claggett.
The Montrealers Russians Sadriddin Akhmedov (6-0-0) and
Arslanbek Makhmudov (5-0-0), Vincent Thibault (7-0-0), from
Québec City, the Montrealer female Kim Clavel (5-0-0),
Lexson Mathieu, also from Québec City, François Pratte
(8-0-0), from Trois-Rivières, Québec, Raphael Courchesne
(4-0-0), from Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, and Kaemy Cloutier
(1-0-0), also from Trois-Rivières, will be involved in the
preliminaries bouts of the evening.
Akhmedov will fight the super welterweight Abraham Juarez
(13-1-0), Makhmudov will face the heavyweight Jason Bergman
(27-15-2), from Alabama State, Thibault will challenge the
middleweight Juan Torres Perez (5-6-0), Clavel will be
opposed to Luz Elena Martinez (5-1-0), Mathieu will make his
pro debut in fighting the super middleweight Edgar Santoyo
(2-1-2), Pratte will face the welterweight Sergio Silva
(6-1-1), Courchesne will challenge the super welterweight
Alejandro Chavez Meneses (9-3-0) and Cloutier will fight the
featherweight Saul Alejandro Gonzalez Mesa (4-3-0). Juarez,
Perez, Martinez, Santoyo, Silva, Meneses and Meza are all
Mexicans.
At the weigh in, Akhmedov posted an official weight of 153.4
pounds, Juarez 153.4, Makmudov 261.2, Bergman 260, Thibault
162.6, Perez 162.8, Clavel 108, Martinez 107.8, Mathieu
169.2, Santoyo 167, Pratte 124.6, Silva 125, Courchesne
150.8, Meneses 147.4, Cloutier 125.5 and finally, Meza 124.6
pounds.
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