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Oscar Rivas Makes Bridgerweight Debut, Beats Sylvera Louis in Quebec City
QUEBEC CITY, Ontario, Canada (March 18, 2021) – World Boxing Council (WBC) No. 1 rated bridgerweight contender Oscar “Kaboom” Rivas (27-1, 19 KOs) returned to the ring last night for the first time in 20 months on top of “The Homecoming: Rivas vs. Louis 2” card, promoted by Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) in association with New Era Fighting & Promotion and Lee Baxter Promotions, at Quebec Plaza Hotel in Quebec City, Ontario, Canada.
The 8-round main event was a rematch between Oscar Rivas (26-1, 18 KOs) and Sylvera “Sly” Louis (8-4, 4 KOs) of a fight Rivas, a 2008 Colombia Olympian, won by way of a 4-round majority decision nearly nine years ago.
Bridgerweight is a new weight class, from the WBC, for fighters weighing between 200 and 224 pounds.
Making his bridgerweight debut, Oscar Rivas outclassed his opponent until Louis failed to continue fighting after three rounds, headlining GYM’s first promotion in 16 months due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
“I felt very strong physically and my reflexes were sharp,” Rivas said after the fight. “I feel like I’m going to show some great things in this new weight class (201-224 lbs.). My goal is to become world champion and I will wait for what comes.”
In the co-featured event, popular Canadian welterweight Sebastien Bouchard (19-2, 8 KOs) took a 6-round unanimous decision from always tough Mario Perez (20-8-5, 12 KOs). Bouchard bounced back from his only loss a professional, when Avez Hussian (13-1) stopped him in the fourth round November 23, 2019, for the vacant North American Boxing Association (NABA) USA and Canadian crowns.
In an All-Canadian super middleweight clash, undefeated world-rated middleweight Patrice Volny rolled to his 16th straight victory without a defeat, registering his 10th knockout in the fifth round of a rematch against former Canadian middleweight champion Janko Trotter, which Volny won three years ago by way of a first-round technical knockout. Volny is rated No. 6 by the International Boxing Federation (IBF), as well as No. 10 by the World Boxing Organization (WBO).
GYM president Yvon Michel commented, “This gala with Oscar Rivas in the main event was made possible thanks to a colossal collective effort on the part of all stakeholders, starting with the entire GYM team, Santé Public Québec, the RACJ (Quebec commission), the management and employees of the Hotel Plaza Québec, our partners and associates and by all the participants who subjected themselves to difficult conditions, the required tests and who all fought with heart and determination! Thank you to everyone who attended the event on site or via television. This is a fresh start, and we will be back very soon.”
Also fighting on the undercard was promising Canadian heavyweight Alexis Barriere (1-0, 1 KO), whose auspicious pro-debut resulted in his second-round stoppage of Colin Sangster (2-1, 2 Kos), while Francis Charbonneau (3-1, 2 KOs) won a 6-round split decision versus Alexandre Roberge (1-1).
“The Homecoming” featuring Oscar Rivas was streamed live by FITE worldwide on the FITE mobile apps, all major OTT apps and website (www.FITE.tv), starting at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, for $29.99 USD (available in English or French). It was also available to watch in Canada via Canal Indigo, Bell TV, Shaw TV and YOOP.
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