The Tornado passed through the Montreal Casino on Thursday evening, and it wreaked havoc.
Updated yesterday at 11:19 p.m.
Osleys Iglesias (13-0-0, 12 KOs) took five rounds to throw the Ukrainian Petro Ivanov (18-1-2, 13 KOs) to the ground with his powerful struck. The foal from the Eye of the Tiger Management (EOTTM) stable thus inflicted his 12e K.O. in 13 fights to defend his IBO world title for the third time. This victory, he said, represents another step towards the gateway that will lead him into duels against great opponents such as Jaime Munguía and Canelo Álvarez.
As he did the day before, during the weigh-in, Iglesias recalled the promise he made to his mother when he left Cuba five years ago.
“Since I started boxing, the slogan has always been the same: a promise is a promise. I will keep my promise until I have all the belts unified,” said the 26-year-old Cuban through interpreter Bilal Tutunji Diaz.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, LA PRESSE
Petro Ivanov
Ivanov looked, during the first four rounds, for a way to destabilize Iglesias. Without success. The latter was alert, in control and, visibly, almost untouchable.
“I was doing the job I had to do,” he summarized. Soon after, I saw that he was starting to lose control. It was just a matter of time and waiting for the opportunity. »
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, LA PRESSE
Petro Ivanov et Osleys Iglesias
At the start of the fifth round, therefore, Iglesias went with a right-left combination on the counterattack. Ivanov was completely propelled backwards. He got up, but the official thought it best to end the fight. Result: victory by knockout. technical.
I never have the goal of going for the knockout, but if the opportunity presents itself, I take it. And I took it.
Osley Iglesias
His promoter, Camille Estephan, had a good reason to smile after the fight. Several, in fact, because all his pugilists won their confrontation.
“We knew that[Osleys Iglesias] was capable of hitting very hard, that he was aggressive, disciplined, that he had a very good trainer, very good supervision, but we did not know to what extent he was a very good boxer. He showed this evening that he really has no weaknesses. We are very excited. »
Estephan compared his protégé to Adonis Stevenson, who attacked by surprise “like dynamite.” “It can’t be learned, it can’t be bought, you have it or you don’t. He has it. The song is Ellabut he’s the one who has it,” he said with a laugh.
Butler gets up
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, LA PRESSE
In the first round, Steven Butler sent his opponent Fernando Farias to the ground.
Four other fights took place in the evening. Just before Iglesias, Steven Butler (35-5-1, 29 KOs) faced the Argentinian Fernando Farias (12-3-3, 4 KOs).
Butler, who had lost two of his four previous fights, absolutely had to win to hope, eventually, to climb the mountain that now stands before him. He took no time to end this duel; in the first round, he sent his opponent to the ground with a solid right. Farias got up, but the referee stopped the fight. Victory by knockout. technical.
I told my team: I don’t care if it takes eight rounds, I just want to win every round, I don’t want to look bad.
Steven Butler
“I know I’m spectacular because I have striking power. The knockout was going to come by himself if he had to be there. In fact, it came on its own, without me having to force it. »
Butler wanted to control his emotions, something he failed to do during his last defeat at the hands of Patrice Volny in June. “Today, I showed my team that what we work for is not for nothing,” he said.
“We want to keep him active, put him in meaningful fights anyway, but we’re going to be realistic: he won’t be in the world championship soon,” Estephan commented on what awaits Butler. We want to bring him back. We believe in him. »
“More and more confident”
Among the light heavyweights, the young Wilkens Mathieu (12-0-0, 8 KOs), at the age of 19, won his 7e fight of the year 2024. He calmly manhandled the Argentinian Marcos Karalitzky (8-10-2, 2 KOs), who suffered the KO. in the fourth round.
Calm “inside” as well as outside, Mathieu was strategic, taking all his time to race to victory. In front of him, his opponent seemed almost afraid at times.
“On paper, I wasn’t supposed to stop him because he was facing some big hitters and he didn’t get stopped,” the winner said. But for me, my strike force is evolving more and more and I hurt him quite quickly. »
After the first round, I knew it wasn’t going to last eight.
Wilkens Mathieu
“Every punch I threw hurt him, he made faces or sounds,” added the friendly pugilist.
At 19, Mathieu has all the time in the world to continue to develop before facing big names. The one who feels “more and more confident, at ease and in [son] element” is nevertheless aiming for a semi-final or a final for a title in 2025. A fight which, he hopes, will take place in Quebec or Shawinigan.
Asanau and Orobio win
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, LA PRESSE
Dmitry Asanau
Earlier in the evening, Dzmitry Asanau (9-0-0, 4 KOs) faced a much more experienced boxer than him in the Argentinian Matias Rueda (38-3-0, 32 KOs). .) for the WBC continental Americas lightweight belt. This difference in age and experience did not appear in the slightest. Asanau, a native of Dubai, was much more convincing than his opponent, dominating from the first seconds.
In the fifth, Asanau cornered Rueda in the corner of the ring before pummeling him. Blood ran down the Argentinian’s face. The latter’s coach threw his towel – a gesture that is not accepted in Quebec – but the referee decided at the same time to end the fight… barely two seconds before the bell rang.
To open the evening, Montrealer John Orobio (12-0-0, 11 KOs) faced Italian Jacopo Colli (9-1-1, 4 KOs) in what was the 12e fight of his professional career. The 21-year-old maintained his perfect record; he took at most a minute to send Colli to the ground the first time, then a second time. He won it by knockout. technique before you even have time to sweat.
In summary: we can speak of a successful evening for Eye of the Tiger Management.
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