Montreal boxing champion Kim Clavell distraught over fight postponement

tomtidgewellNovember 30, 2022

The flu has forced the WBC junior flyweight champion to withdraw from Thursday’s Place Bell unification match against WBA champion Yessica Nelly Plata.

Montreal’s 32-year-old Kim Clavell is the World Boxing Council’s junior flyweight champion and will face WBA champion Yessica Nelly Plata in the main event of the card Thursday night at Raval’s Place Bell. was. Photo by Dave Sidaway /Montreal Gazette

As a registered nurse in the prime of her boxing career, Kim Clavell should be the last person to get sick.

Nonetheless, in what has become a recurring theme this year, the Montreal champion has had to withdraw from the title fight.

The 32-year-old Clavell (16-0, 3 KOs) and the World Boxing Council Junior Flyweight Champion will face WBA champion Yesica Neri Plata (28-2, 3 KOs) in a unification match Thursday night. was. The main event of the card at Laval’s Place Bell.

Clavell attended Saturday’s public training session and Monday’s press conference, during which she appeared healthy, promoter Yvon Michel announced. on Twitter on Tuesday night Clavel came down with the flu and was advised by his doctor, Francis Fontaine, that he was unfit for boxing.

Michelle decided to postpone the card until January 13 at the same venue.The WBC, WBA and Plata agreed to the postponement. Plata is scheduled to fly home to Mexico on Friday morning, but Clavel has been advised by doctors to rest and drink plenty of fluids to combat his symptoms.

A very crowded and emotional Clavell said he felt sick on Sunday.

“I apologize to the Plata team and the other boxers on the card,” Clavell said from home during a video conference on Wednesday.

“It’s mentally tough. It’s scary. I prefer boxing and fighting. This championship is my dream, to unify the belts. I’m very close. But I can’t fight right now. Me. must be resilient, one of my strengths.Of course, it happened in the past and I learned from it.But right now, I feel like the world is ending.”

Clavell won the title at the Montreal Casino on July 29, defeating Mexico’s Yesenia Gomez by unanimous decision. But that bout was postponed multiple times after Clavel tested positive for COVID-19 in April.

“I’m out of luck,” Clavell said Wednesday. “I try to control everything I can. I have the flu. I’m not the only one I’m hydrated I took my vitamins every day As a boxer last week when I start losing weight (before weighing in) I become more vulnerable We have everything in control You try, but in boxing you have no choice, you have to be around people, you have a sparring partner and you do the pads, you don’t have a private gym, it’s part of the game.

“I will do everything I can for the next match to have luck on my side, but I don’t know.”

Clavell returned to her career as a nurse during the early stages of the pandemic and later received the Pat Tillman Lifetime Achievement Award. She was also named one of Time’s Next Generation Leaders in 2020.

Michelle wasn’t sure why Clavell’s health had deteriorated so quickly, but said at a press conference on Monday that something seemed wrong with her. , the promoter said he felt something was wrong.

“I had no idea that she could have been sick[on Monday],” said Michelle. “But by Tuesday I can tell it wasn’t the same girl.”

Michelle didn’t disclose the financial impact of the postponement, but it will only be a small Christmas present for his family.

“We’re taking a hit, but this is our business and it doesn’t happen often,” he said. “I don’t want you to feel sorry for us or feel sorry for us.”

Just over 3,200 tickets were sold, Michelle said. Ticket holders are entitled to a refund at the time of purchase. Otherwise their ticket was honored in January.