Erik Bazinyan arrived at the Cabaret du Casino de Montréal with everything to lose and everything to prove. If he failed to demonstrate exactly what he wanted, he lost nothing.
Bazinyan (30-0, 21 KOs) defeated Jose de Jesus Macias (28-12-4, 14 KOs) by unanimous decision on Thursday and retained his NABA and NABF titles.
However, what marked the fight was a moment when the crowd held its breath. A moment when the result was no longer so obvious for a duel which promised to be not very dangerous.
In the 7th round, the Lavallois tried as much as possible to resist the attacks of his rival. The crowd rose, began chanting “Bazzo”, as the Quebecer was in the cables, curled up, and looking for support. This sequence also extended for a moment in the 8th.
This week, Eye of the Tiger Management (EOTTM) President Camille Estephan said he wants a spectacular fight. He was served.
“It was a show, maybe a little too much,” Estephan chuckled. “We purposely found the fights complicated. You can’t learn stuff like that in the gym. »
If the rest of the fight was to Bazinyan’s advantage, it was still this sequence where the visitor led and was dangerous that caught the eye. Macias, who has previously defeated Steven Butler and Francis Lafrenière, came close to spoilsport again.
It was a moment that certainly raised the stress level of Bazinyan’s coach, Marc Ramsay, but not for fear of a knockout. “I was rather scared due to the low energy. There were still three rounds to go,” noted the instructor.
Nevertheless, Bazinyan persevered and the judges handed the cards 97-93, 98-92 and 98-92 in his favor. He thus preserved his perfect record, his titles, but also his title of second aspirant to the World Boxing Association (WBA), the World Boxing Council (WBC) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO).
At super middleweight there is Canelo Álvarez, who holds all four belts in the division, and David Benavidez, interim WBC champion. Then there is a group of pursuers, among which is Bazinyan.
Now that his record is better than ever, could the Quebecer tackle the biggest like Álvarez?
Failing to get an answer from the principal concerned – who did not meet the media due to a medical examination – his coach tried to temper expectations.
“Is anyone really ready for Canelo? “Replied Ramsay. The coach explained that it is also a business and the process can be quite complex before facing the bigger ones. He noted, however, that his protege “can still and always improve.”
According to Ramsay, this fight and this tumultuous sequence will be able to register in the column of the learnings.
“We’ve been up against southpaws, counter-attackers, strength guys and we keep raising the skill level of the opponents,” Ramsay said of Bazinyan’s rivals.
“In the last fights, we faced different profiles and, above all, at a higher level. We faced a technician in [Alantez] Fox, then a more physical guy in Macias. On the other hand, when you face Canelo or Benavidez, they combine all that. So you have to taste the soup before, because when the soup is hot you will burn yourself, that’s guaranteed. »
Valuable lessons that come with victories. In the end, there is also a positive in this victory.