Alcine is Back!: Former WBA Champ Scores Majority Decision Victory Over Lemieux
By: Jeff Emond Jeffrey
©Photographs By: Robert Levesque Photograhe
(Saturday December 10, 2011) – GYM promotions held the second episode of “Fast and Furious 2011-2012” tonight at the Bell Center in Montreal, Québec, putting on eight thrilling fights. Light heavyweight contender Jean Pascal, IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute, Antonin Décarie and former Montreal Canadiens tough guy Georges Laraque were all in attendance for this card.
The main event featured knockout artist David Lemieux (25-1-0) of Laval, Québec, defending his WBC International middleweight championship against former WBA light middleweight champion Joachim ‘Ti-Joa’ Alcine (32-2-1), formerly of Laval, but now fighting out of California, USA. It was redemption time for both fighters, with the hungry young lion, Lemieux versus the methodical and more experienced former champion, Alcine. Both men were desperate for a victory to get their respective careers back on track. Last April, Lemieux lost a WBC eliminator bout at the hands of Marco Antonio Rubio (49-5-1). On the other side, Alcine suffered a devastating knockout defeat against Daniel Santos (31-3-1), followed by lack lustre performances against Eric Mitchell (22-5-1) and Christophe Canclaux (40-2-0). But it was in July 2010 that many thought Alcine’s career was over, when he lost by knockout to Alfredo Angulo (18-1-0). Before the fight, Lemieux was ranked number three by the WBC and was also the favourite to win the contest. In fact, many boxing experts said that the 35 year old Alcine would get knocked out by the devastating power of the young, twenty-two year old contender. Alcine would prove them wrong.
In round one, Alcine started by landing crisp double jabs as Lemieux touched the former champion with his own. As expected, Lemieux’s fury gave him an early advantage over the patient and defensive Alcine, with rapid and powerful hooks by David getting ‘Ti-Joa’ in trouble on the ropes. At the end of the round, Lemieux unleashed numerous right and left hooks downstairs and upstairs. ‘Ti-Joa’ blocked some of the shots, but was forced back onto the ropes. Old habits die hard, particularly for Lemieux, who tried to knock Alcine off his feet from the start of the bout.
In the second round, Lemieux was determined to get a knockout over Alcine, but the more experienced fighter managed to block most of the punches. Clearly, Alcine’s strategy was to get Lemieux to punch himself out, just like in the Rubio fight. Nevertheless, Lemieux was able to get inside Alcine’s tight defence and land many vicious hooks to the body, stunning Alcine with a sizzling straight right to the head. Again, Alcine invited his ferocious adversary to hit him, urging Lemieux on. The latter obliged and, with Alcine’s back on the ropes, Lemieux fired thunderous hooks.
In the third round, Alcine began to effectively land solid jabs as Lemieux tried to get inside. ‘Ti-Joa’ makes David pay with sharp overhand rights as soon as the young fighter missed. Even so, Lemieux’s constant aggression overwhelmed Alcine in the last minute of the round. The crowd went wild for both fighters.
During the fourth round, Lemieux was still on fast attack mode, but Alcine began to counter frequently with left hooks to the body and head. Alcine got his rhythm going with jabs and hard overhand rights on his opponent. Lemieux, however, refused to slow down forcing ‘Ti-Joa’ back to the ropes with a series of right and left hooks.
In the fifth, the tide shifted in Alcine’s favour. Lemieux was seemingly tired from his four rounds of relentless offense. ‘Ti-Joa’ landed two perfect left hooks to the body and followed with another one to the head. Now Alcine put pressure on by backing Lemieux into his own corner with jabs, followed by straight rights hands. Still, Lemieux fought back, leaving the danger zone with a short right on Alcine’s jaw. The challenger followed his prey along the ropes and found the mark again with a strong right hook over Lemieux’s low left hand. Alcine finished the round strong, as he unleashed a barrage of hooks forcing the hometown fighter cover up.
In round number six, Lemieux’s stamina declined, becoming an important factor for Alcine’s success in the bout. The young bull was still on the attack, but less frequently than in the early rounds. Alcine was counter punching with precision against most of Lemieux’s aggression. The Montreal boxing fans were now chanting Alcine’s name.
In rounds seven and eight, Lemieux started jabbing more and landed occasionally. Alcine pushed a higher pace with good left hooks to the body, forcing Lemieux to retreat. With his opponent on the run, Alcine targeted the young fighter’s body with combinations.
In the ninth, Lemieux gathered some energy and started the round very fast, determined to turn the fight around. He hurt Alcine with a strong right and left to the head. Lemieux exchanged vicious shots with his opponent in the center of the ring. Nobody could question both fighters bravery in this fight. Approaching the end of the round, Alcine had Lemieux hurt on the ropes, scoring with a rugged overhand right and for a brief moment Lemieux survived a knockdown by sitting on the middle rope.
In the tenth round, Alcine controlled the fight by touching Lemieux with many shots at close range. David showed a lot of heart by throwing left hooks, but ultimately it wasn’t enough to turn the tide. ‘Ti-Joa’ let his hands go on Lemieux and forced him back on the ropes again.
In the eleventh, Lemieux was exhausted and threw one punch at time, looking to drop Alcine. The former champion’s counter punching ability played a major factor in this very exciting fight. ‘Ti-Joa’ taunted his adversary by inviting him to land some shots. Lemieux obliged and shook his foe’s head with two brutal straight rights. Alcine smiled and went back to the attack.
In the twelfth and final round, the Montreal crowd was on their feet, showing their appreciation for both fighters’ courage. Ultimately, Alcine’s experience and stamina got the better of Lemieux. Both of them exchanged hard shots, but Alcine brought the young lion to the ropes again, landing body shots.
There was a standing ovation for both fighters at the final bell of arguably Montreal’s most entertaining boxing match since Stéphane Ouellet fought Davey Hilton for the first time in 1998. Joachim Alcine won the fight and his honour by majority decision. Judge Jack Woodburn gave a score of 114-114, a draw, while Jean Lapointe and Claude Paquette had it 116-112 in favour of Alcine. ‘Ti-Joa’ also won the crowd, the WBC International championship and improves his record to 33 victories, 2 defeats and 1 draw.
Didier Bence Versus Sandy Pembrooke
The undercard kicked off in the heavyweight division, with Didier Bence (3-0-0) of Laval, Quebec – the bronze medalist at the 2007 Pan-American games – facing Sandy Pembrooke (1-3-0) of Kamloops, British Colombia. Trained by Marc Ramsay, Bence also fights in Quebec City next week, December 17, against Stéphene ‘Brutus’ Tessier.
In round one of four, Bence dominated Pembroke without difficulty. Bence quickly hurt his opponent with a savage overhand right. Pembrooke was shaken, but remained on his feet. During the fight, Bence regularly landed brutal shots on an iron-chinned Pembrooke. In the fourth and final round, Bence doubled up on his attacks with combinations of hooks to the head of his opponent, who still refused to go down.
The fight went to the scorecards, with Didier Bence earning a well deserved unanimous decision. All three judges gave him identical scores of 40-35, improving Bence’s record to 4-0-0.
Tyler Asselstine Versus Philippe Frenois
In an eight round featherweight attraction, Ottawa, Ontario, southpaw Tyler Asselstine (7-0-0) took on Philippe Frenois (14-4-1) of Saint-Quentin, France. During his career, Frenois has held his own against some tough opposition, including Krzysztof Cieslak (14-0-0) of Poland, Marcel Meyerdiercks (17-0-0) of Germany, and Patrick ‘The Punisher’ Hyland (22-0-0), a highly regarded prospect from Ireland. Asselstine, however, is no slouch himself. The Ottawa featherweight was on the Canadian national boxing team as an amateur and earned a Ringside world championship in 2010. He was more than ready to answer the challenge.
Early in the fight, Asselstine’s aggression and high work rate allowed him to dominate the fight offensively, while Frenois showed he was a solid defensive boxer. Indeed, nobody has knocked out the French pugilist in his nineteen fight career. Despite Frenois’ defence, the Canadian southpaw landed good right and left hooks to the body and caught the Frenchman with a solid left upper cut.
Frenois threw more shots after the first two rounds, but resorted to dirty tactics in hopes of turning the fight around. Frenois was warned for head butting by referee Marlon B.Wright during the third and fourth rounds, illustrating the French fighter’s frustration.
Referee Wright made a questionable call during the third round, that is worthy of comment. Asselstine was getting his way and knocked down the Frenchman with two brutal rights in combination with two left hooks. Frenois got to his feet and was permitted to go drink water from his corner by the referee, preventing Asselstine from getting on Frenois quickly, saving the latter from a knockout defeat.
In round number four, Asselstine continued to pressure his opponent, leading a frustrated Frenois to intentionally head butt the Ottawa native. This time the referee deducted a point from Frenois. All of this, however, did not cease Asselstine’s domination. Overall, Tyler Asselstine turned in another impressive performance, taking a unanimous, shutout decision on all three scorecards, 80-71. He remains undefeated and improves his record to eight victories with no defeats.
Eleider ‘Storm’ Alvarez Versus Emiliano Cayetano
In the light heavyweight division, Eleider ‘Storm’ Alvarez (6-0-0) of Montreal, Quebec, faced Emiliano Cayetano (21-3-0) of La Romana, Dominican Republic, for the vacant WBO NABO light heavyweight championship. Cayetano’s record speaks for itself, displaying fifteen more victories than Alvarez. But that’s not all. Cayetano scored a knockdown in a hard battle against former super middleweight contender Mads Larsen (48-2-0) in 2007. These facts didn’t seem to impress Alvarez, a former Olympian and a gold medalist at the Pan-American games in 2007.
The ‘Storm’ didn’t waste any time putting hard shots on Cayetano. A solid right hand to the side of that Dominican fighter dropped him for the first time of the fight. Cayetano got up and tried to fight back with little success, as another furious right form Alvarez took him down for the second time. Cayetano could not withstand the ‘Storm’ as the local favourite knocked him down for a third and final time with a series of straight rights, and left and right hooks to the head. Alvarez scored a knockout victory at 2:33 of the first round. The ‘Storm’ received a lot of cheers from the crowd. He improves his record to 7 victories, remains undefeated and wins the WBO NABO light heavyweight crown.
Arash Usmanee Versus Antonio Joao Bento
In the super featherweight division, former NABA champion, Arash Usmanee (15-0-0) from Montreal, Quebec, faced the European Boxing Association (EBA) champion, Antonio Joao Bento ( 21-3-0, 12 ko’s) of Algarve, Portugal, in a ten round affair. Bento won his European laurels in impressive fashion, knocking out Innocent Anyanwu (20-0-2) of the Netherlands, in May of 2010. Ranked number ten by the WBA, Usmanee holds impressive victories over Mexican prospects Pedro Navarette (25-9-3), Aldo Valtierra (25-13-0) and power puncher Alejandro Barrera (21-6-0). All of these fighters were much more experienced than Usmanee, but the Canadian prospect successfully passed these tests. A fight with a European champion like Bento was an important hurdle for Usmanee’s continued rise.
Right after the opening bell, both fighters battled with their jabs. Bento showed he came to Montreal to win, putting a lot of pressure on Usmanee. The Afghan born fighter unleashed a four punch combo, but Benton took each shot without slowing down.
As this exciting fight went on, both pugilists showed determination. Bento possesses a granite chin, withstanding many hooks by Usmanee. On the other hand, the former NABA super featherweight champion showed endurance and delivered precise combinations on his opponent. Both fighters exchanged furious shots on the inside, but by being more active than Bento, Usmanee had the upper hand over the tough European.
In a well fought battle, Arash Usmanee won a unanimous decision by scores of 99-91, 100-90, and 100-90. He remains undefeated, improving his record to sixteen straight victories.
Adonis Stevenson versus Aaron Pryor Jr
In the super middleweight division, Adonis ‘Superman’ Stevenson (15-1-0) from Longueuil, Quebec, showcased his tremendous power versus Aaron Pryor Jr ( 16-4-0) of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. Earlier this year, Pryor won the biggest fight of his career against former title challenger, Librado Andrade (29-3-0). Stevenson resurrected his career with impressive knockout victories over Derek Edwards (25-1-0) and Dion Savage (11-1-0). This highly anticipated bout was for Stevenson’s NABA title, as well as the vacant NABO and IBF Intercontinental championships.
In the first and second round, true to his reputation, ‘Superman’ wasted no time, dropping his opponent with a brutal right hand to the body. The action continued in the second round. Stevenson showed great patience in his attacks, landing a huge left hook between Pryor’s guard. During the third round, Pryor tried to use lateral movement and an effective jab to keep the aggressive Stevenson at bay, but with little success. Superman did damage to the body and head of Pryor with thunderous left hooks. Shortly thereafter, Stevenson knocked down Pryor for the second time in the fight with right and left hooks. At this point, the son of boxing legend Aaron Pryor Sr. was on shaky legs and his left eye was beginning to swell. Determined to end this bout early, Stevenson dropped his adversary for a third time with another huge left hand, making it two knock downs in one round. Superman dominated Pryor Jr with furious shots on the inside until round number nine, with the American barely surviving Stevenson’s pressure.
During the ninth and final round, Stevenson patiently waited for an opening and landed his trademark left hook on the side of Pryor’s head, dropping him for a fourth time in the process. Andrade’s conqueror got up on one knee, but was visibly shaken from that blow. His corner threw in the towel at 0:43 seconds of this round. Adonis Stevenson gave his loyal fans a dominant knockout victory, improving his record to 16 victories, 12 by knockout, and only one defeat. After the fight, Stevenson issued a challenge to the undefeated IBF super middleweight champion, Lucian Bute.
Kevin Lavalee versus Ignac Kassai
In the super featherweight division, Kevin Lavallée (6-0-1) of Ste-Adèle, Quebec, did battle with journeyman Ignac Kassai (5-17-2) of Nyiregyhaza, Hungary. Kassai’s southpaw stance and experience was a serious test for Russ Anber’s young prospect. With six knockouts victories, twenty-one year old Lavallée would try to improve his record with a seventh knockout win.
Near the end of the opening round, Lavallée established some pressure and worked to the body of his opponent. His hard work paid off and Kassai hit the canvas after a beautiful left hook to the liver. Lavallée gave Kassai no chance to build any momentum. During the third round, referee Alain Villeneuve gave a standing eight count to Kassai after he went down from a clear shot behind the head.
In the fourth and final round, Lavallée’s superior boxing skills were apparent, but overconfidence almost cost him the fight. While dropping his hands in front of opponent, Kassai took advantage of the situation and hurt Kevin with a fast and vicious left hook to chin. The fighter from Ste-Adèle almost went down, but managed to hold on until the final bell.
Kevin Lavallée won a unanimous decision; all three judges scored it 40-34 in favour of the Canadian. With the win, Lavallée improves his record to 7 victories and no defeats.
Oscar Rivas versus Matthew Greer
Following the main event, fans were treated to a swing bout between heavyweights Oscar ‘Kaboom’ Rivas (7-0-0) of Colombia via Montreal, Quebec, and Matthew Greer (14-7-0), a hard puncher from St. Louis, Missouri, USA. This was a significant step up for Rivas. In his career, Greer already faced notable fighters like David Cadieux (10-1-0), former title challenger Kevin Johnson (20-0-1), Brian Minto (32-3-0) and future hall of famer James Toney (71-6-3).
True to his nickname, Rivas started very fast, backing up Greer with solid shots around the guard. The native Colombian pounded away on his defenceless opponent. Rivas continued to punish Greer until he dropped him for the first time with a vicious right hook to the body. Rivas continued his demolition of Greer by knocking him down again with two huge rights to the body in the same round.
Referee Jean-Guy Brousseau stopped the action at 2:59 of the third round, while Greer was being hurt along the ropes. Rivas won by TKO and improves his undefeated record to eight victories.
Tags:David Lemieux, Joachim Alcine, “Fast and Furious 2011-2012”
Filed Under: Fight Results
