Trifluvian Simon Kean (22-1, 21 KOs), who was supposed to have his 24th career fight on December 16 at Shawinigan’s Centre Gervais Auto, has been forced to forego his duel with Eric Molina (29-8, 21 KOs), due to a back injury he sustained in training.
Although “Grizzly” is devastated at not being able to participate in this mega-event on his home turf in the Mauricie region, he is fully aware that a back sprain and its associated symptoms can have dire consequences if not treated immediately.
As a result, he will wait for the green light from health professionals before gradually returning to training.
“I’m so upset at not being able to fight in Shawinigan on December 16. I’ve had some of my best career matches right here. The ambience and the support that people have given me is unequalled anywhere, and it’s the fans who push me to excel in the ring,” states Kean.
He believes, however, that his absence will in no way affect the caliber of the event and is inviting Mauricie residents to show up in record numbers. “Even though I won’t be getting into the ring on the 16th, you’ll be treated to a solid card with exciting fights. The fans will be more than satisfied.”
“We’re disappointed at having to cancel the fight, because training was going really well and we noticed Simon improving by leaps and bounds in the areas we were working on. But with Simon’s injury, we couldn’t go all out at training and began to fall behind in our preparation for the fight. Right now, Simon is going to focus on treatment and on getting plenty of rest, and we’ll slowly but surely pick up where we left off and make a powerful return in 2023,” adds his trainer Vincent Auclair.
In spite of Kean’s withdrawal, the evening promises to be exciting, as 3 out of the 7 fights are championship bouts. Arslanbek Makhmudov (15-0,14 KOs) will defend his NABA and NABF titles against Germany’s Michael Wallisch (23-5, 16 KOs), while Mary Spencer (7-0, 5 KOs) will fight her first championship match, against Belgium’s Femke Hermans (13-4, 5 KOs), for the IBO super-middleweight belt.
Steven Butler (31-3-1, 26 KOs) will defend his NABF middleweight belt against American Joshua Conley (17-4-1, 11 KOs). Rounding out the card for this exciting evening are Alexandre Gaumont (5-0, 3 KOs), Luis Santana (7-0, 2 KOs), Leïla Beaudoin (7-0, 1 KO, and Thomas Chabot (7-0, 7 KOs), who are sure to deliver unforgettable performances that will light up the Centre Gervais Auto.
Tickets are still available on the Ovation network at www.ovation.qc.ca. For more information, follow Eye of the Tiger on Facebook and Instagram @eottm_boxing as well as on Twitter @eottm11 or subscribe to the newsletter by filling out the form online.
Members of the press who wish to cover the December 16 event at Shawinigan’s Centre Gervais Auto should return their accreditation request to Andréanne Lambert by December 9 at 5:00 pm at andreanne@eottm.com. Download the form HERE.
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Since 2008, Eye of the Tiger Management has been dedicated to recruiting the most promising talent, and providing them with the tools and support they need, and with opportunities to reach their full potential on their journey to the top. In our quest for excellence, we cultivate the same rigorous standards and determination demanded of our athletes in the ring.
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