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Cloutier's Canada Corner
Adonis Stevenson: "My plan? Win
by KO!"
By Daniel Cloutier
Montréal -Adonis Stevenson, a southpaw from Montréal, is
ready for the biggest challenge and the most important
boxing bout of his career. Saturday evening in the ring of
the Bell Centre Theater, Stevenson (16-1-0) will face the
American Jesus Gonzales (27-1-0) in a elimination bout for
position number two in the IBF ratings. The winner should
participate in an IBF super middleweight championship of the
world this year.
"It is for sure the biggest challenge of my career, the most
important fight of my life," said Stevenson this afternoon,
after a public training session in a gym in Longueuil, a
south suburb of Montréal. "Some people believe that my
preparation is "so so", because my new trainer, Emmanuel
Steward, was in Austria to work with the Klitschko’s
brothers. But the Emmanuel Steward assistants at the Kronk
Gym in Detroit, did a great job to prepare me properly since
two months. And the work at the Kronk Gym is real. It’s
intense day after day. Some tough boxers from Detroit told
me that I am the only Canadian boxer who can survive day
after day at the Kronk Gym. I know that I am enough tough to
fight the biggest names in the super middleweight. And I
need that tough work. I am only two wins away from the IBF
world championship. It is no joke."
When a journalist asked him if he believes in his chances to
destroy Gonzales, Stevenson said, "Absolutely. Gonzales is a
southpaw like me, then, the fighter who will be the best and
the fastest to adjust his style to the opponent, will win.
Bet on me. I saw Gonzales on video. He does not move his
head. He is a pretty easy target. My plan? Win by KO before
the 12th round. I will be patient, and send my powerful
shots at the right moments."
The promoter of the GYM Group, Yvon Michel, believes that
this show of he series "Rapides et Dangereux" (Fast and
Dangerous) will become a turning point for the Stevenson’s
career.
"Adonis is on a mission actually," said Yvon Michel. "He is
more determined than ever to become IBF world champion. I
think he will be ranked second in the IBF ratings after
Saturday night. It will be a serious signal to Lucian Bute,
the IBF champion. Adonis is dreaming to face Bute before the
end of the year."
Stevenson and Gonzales will be nose to nose tomorrow at the
final press conference, at the Downtown Houston Restaurant.
In a very important preliminary bout Saturday, the
Montrealer Colombian Eleider Alvarez (7-0-0) will fight the
Californian Otis Griffin (23-9-2) for the vacant light
heavyweight WBC Latino’s championship.
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