GATINEAU | We don’t know if this is a first, but an employee of the Casino du Lac-Leamy won a boxing match at his workplace, during the Eye of the Tiger gala on Thursday evening.
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Pascal Villeneuve (5-2-1, 5 KOs) won by unanimous decision (40-36, 40-36, 40-36) over the Uruguayan Rafael Sosa Pintos (63-20, 25 K .-O.).
In everyday life, Villeneuve is a catering manager in the Outaouais gaming establishment. This victory will save him from being annoyed at work.
“My colleagues and my bosses are there. I have the respect of all my staff,” he said, laughing.
Successful return
It was a return to the ring after more than eight years of absence for the 37-year-old from Gatineau. He would certainly have wanted to be knocked out. to his opponent, but he is satisfied with his performance.
“The guy has 84 fights, he wasn’t coming to a schoolyard. I expected to do more, but at the same time, I had a guy who had mileage in his a**.”
After an intoxicating evening where he boxed in front of his children and his family, Villeneuve does not close the door to other fights.
“It gives me the taste. I’ll never fight for a championship or a belt, but I think I can be a good undercard boxer for maybe two or three fights.”
Claggett wins
Steve Claggett (39-8-2, 27 KOs) had never suffered two losses in a row and he wanted to avenge his failure in a World Championship fight suffered at the hands of Teofimo Lopez last June.
He did it brilliantly by defeating Eduardo Estela (16-4, 11 KOs) by stoppage by the referee at 2:45 of the fourth round. Claggett hammered him with body shots that sent him to the canvas twice in the third round. With her ribs in bad shape, Estela fell in the fourth and that was the end.
Steve Claggett won in the fourth round by stoppage by the referee.
Photo provided by EYE OF THE TIGER MANAGEMENT / VINCENT ÉTHIER
“I had planned to go to the body because I call it an investment, it ends up paying off later. My game plan revolved around body work,” explained Claggett, who was patient in the fourth round while waiting for an opening.
“In my last fight, I learned that sometimes you have to change the tempo of the fight and that’s what I’m going to do now.”
Quite a show
We were treated to a furious fight between Montrealer Luis Santana (13-0, 6 KOs) and Argentinian Sebastian Ezequiel Aguirre (19-6, 12 KOs), in the middle of the card, which Santana won by unanimous decision (78-73, 78-73, 78-72). In an explosive first round, Santana went to the ground twice and his opponent once.
Sebastian Ezequiel Aguirre and Luis Santana offered a furious fight to the spectators.
Photo provided by EYE OF THE TIGER MANAGEMENT / VINCENT ÉTHIER
To raise the curtain, Moreno Fendero (8-0, KO) sent the Czech Pavel Albrecht (19-27, 14 KO) to the floor three times in the first round and the referee Steve St- Germain ended the fight after just 1:19. This is his fastest career victory.
Shamil Khataev (13-0-1, 3 KOs) for his part completely dominated the Argentinian Cristian Rafael Coria (30-11-2, 14 KOs) and the referee Albert Padulo Jr. ended hostilities after 2:13 of the third round.
Mehmet Unal (11-0, 9 KOs) won, by stoppage by the referee at 2:46 of the third round, against the German Armenak Hovhannisyan (14-5-1, 6 KO).
