Photo: Facebook Kim KK Clavel
Kim Clavel in 2018
The door of the american market may have been open for Kim Clavel with the award ESPY for her work in NURSING during the pandemic. Quebec now has to ensure that it does not close with a performance in the face of Natalie Gonzalez.
“It’s beautiful, I’ve had the humanitarian side with my work as a nurse in a CHSLD, but I want to show that the boxer is there to perform and to stay, to dominate the category of mid-flies “, has assured the boxer of 29 years old last week during a conference call held with the media in montreal.
Clavel (11-0, 2 K.-O.) will make its debut on the airwaves of ESPN, Tuesday, in the face of Gonzalez (6-0, 1 K.-O.), in a gala put on by the promoter Top Rank at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Top Rank is two galas per week since the beginning of June. The fight will take place at the intermediate weight of 110 pounds, which means that the belt of the North American Boxing Federation (NABF) of the mid-fly (108 lbs), held by the Quebec will not be in the game. As much Clavel (109,8) Gonzalez (109,9) have complied with the limit at the weigh-in on Monday.
“It is an exceptional showcase. I have the opportunity to go to boxer on a huge stage with Top Rank and us networks. I have a good opponent : it’s gonna be good boxing. It will put women’s boxing on the map’!”
In Gonzalez, Clavel rubs an opponent who has had a good run in boxing amateure.
“It won the golden Gloves in New York. It has a good jab, good combinations, has highlighted Clavel. It is not bad all good. But I’m going to play him a trick. We have our strategy, I am looking forward to the run. “
“We know the girls that she has competed in boxing amateure and we have seen a lot of videos of his professional fights, has added her coach, Danielle Bouchard. It has a good jab, it keeps its distance with this shot. When she has the opportunity to launch an attack, it goes in combination.
“However, Kim is extremely well prepared and I guarantee you that she has a better jab than his opponent. It has small surprises for her ! “
Rigorous protocol
The boxing and combat sports deliver — no pun intended — a fight to the public Health in order to resume their activities in Quebec. The promoter Yvon Michel has not hidden the last week : he hoped that the battle of Clavel and the strict protocol put forward in Las Vegas will convince the quebec government to allow the resumption of activities.
For Clavel, who has resumed service as a nurse in a CHSLD in the beginning of the health crisis, the security measures made necessary due to the coronavirus have forced them, her and her team to be imaginative to hold their training camp.
“I wish we shot a series about this camp : it was quite exceptional, has launched the boxer of 29 years old. It was different, and it has given very good results. It was a unique camp. We had a lot of tests to go through, and I can tell you that the test of the COVID is unpleasant to the nose and the eye !
“We have found points super positive in certain ways of working. We could redo certain types of training. “
“We took a lot of pleasure to organise this camp. This is the first time that we have the opportunity to live in a camp together on a daily basis, continued Bouchard. It has been much easier. Being on vacation from teaching my side, I could give all my time to the programming of this camp. There are really several positive things to take from it. We were able to put everything in place for it to be ready 100 percent, even working differently. “
These procedures have not ended with his flight to Las Vegas, Saturday. In fact, once made in “The Bubble” — the nickname given to the MGM Grand for these galas — trackers are even tighter for Clavel.
“Well honestly, I wouldn’t have changed a thing : I’m in a kind of bubble since the beginning of my training camp with Danielle and Stephan (Larouche). We have created our bubble to us, we will transfer to the United States. We will follow the rules and it doesn’t change anything : I’m used to being able to follow regulations, protocols. I have worked in NURSING homes : the protocols, I had to follow. This is not something that I déboussole, on the contrary. “
Ambassador
With Clavel, the champion of the world of super-mid-sized Marie-Eve Dicaire, Marie-Pier Houle and Leila Beaudoin, among other things, women’s boxing in québec has on great ambassadors.
Arianne Fortin — it-the same double world champion and olympian, will be in front of a screen, on Tuesday night, while RDS will direct the fight of Clavel.
“I love to see Kim boxer, she always gives a good show ! I have followed his progress in olympic boxing, and I continue to follow in the professionals. It is a wonderful ambassador of our sport, both in the ring than on the human, ” said the new president of Boxing Quebec in an email exchange with The canadian Press.
Fortin also believes that boxers such as Clavel, Dicaire, and several others will be able to help boxing to burnish its image with some.
“Having boxers popular that, in addition to being athletes’ performance, are beautiful human beings and good role models for the young it is certainly beneficial for our sport, she said. I am aware that some prejudice remains, but I am confident that we will come to the end. Practiced safely, the training of boxing is so effective for developing self-confidence, healthy living habits, discipline, perseverance.
“Since I started my school program Box’éduc, I notice it as much with toddlers as with teenagers and adults. When people leave their prejudices aside and try out the sport for what it is, they find by themselves all the positive and the benefits that brings, then the barrier falls. “
The boxers of Quebec must wish that the public Health is to tune in, Tuesday, from 20-h.