Despite her status as world champion, it would be wrong to believe that Quebec boxer Kim Clavel has already exploited her full potential on the international scene. Slowly, but surely, his name is circulating. His notoriety, however, has not yet reached that of the Claressa Shields, Katie Taylor and Seniesa Estrada.
• To read also: Kim Clavel on American TV
• To read also: Kim Clavel: to hell with the Holiday season
• To read also: Kim Clavel sick, the whole gala in the water
"It's the fight that could open doors for me," she agrees, ten days before her unification duel on January 13, at Place Bell, against Mexican Yesica Nery Plata.
Postponed following a nasty virus that hit Clavel, the meeting was first to take place at the beginning of December. Since then, in the string of reports traditionally published in the year's review, a recent list of the 30 best female boxers in the world published by the American network ESPN caught Clavel's attention. The exercise remains random, but it does not reflect less the breakthrough of the Quebecer.
"When I saw the list, I thought it was cool that my name was among those boxers," Clavel said in a phone interview on Sunday. I'm happy to see that my name is circulating, it makes me proud. I'm okay with being 18th right now in the sense that I've only faced one world champion so far. »
After winning her World Boxing Council (WBC) title from Yesenia Gomez last July, Clavel has an opportunity to significantly increase her value against Yesica Nery Plata. Especially since the unification fight, among the mid-flyers, will be presented on the American platform ESPN.
Categories respected
In the famous list, Nery Plata, champion of the WBA, is at the 19th level, just behind Clavel.
"What I found interesting is that there are several female boxers in the lighter categories, including mine," Clavel remarked, listing Seniesa Estrada (4th), Yokasta Valle (11th), Evelin Bermudez (24th) and Yesica Yolanda Bopp (25th).
Semi-flyweights and strawweights are visibly gaining in nobility. An important fact for Clavel. His position, on a chart like ESPN's, will now trend upwards with a win on Jan. 13. Briton Katie Taylor is the one at the top, ahead of Shields.
“We want to prove that we can be in the top 10 of the best boxers in the world, agreed the Quebecer. The reality is that you need to break into the United States and internationally. This is how the scholarships will go up. »
Impatient
Again Monday, Clavel had 45 minutes of jogging on the program, then a session with coach Stéphan Larouche to repeat some specific combinations.
"The closer the fight approaches, the more I can't wait," said the Quebec champion. Currently, I find it long before January 13th. I am ready. »
Quebecer Kim Clavel, in the flyweight category, and American Seniesa Estrada, in the strawweight category, each have a plan in mind, after which they could very well find themselves in the ring one day. Maybe in 2024?
"I would like to get the other three belts at 108 pounds," Clavel muses, well aware that the beginning of this great quest must go through a victory against the Mexican Yesica Nery Plata, on January 13, at Place Bell in Laval. .
Two belts
Already holder of the WBC title, the Quebecer would thus get her hands on the WBA belt.
Costa Rican Yokasta Valle is the one who, for the moment, is the WBO and IBF light flyweight champion.
Regarding Estrada, her goal would be to become, in parallel, the unified champion of the straws (105 pounds).
"Imagine the fight that could be," Clavel said, of a potential matchup between her and Estrada.
Dating in England
If it is still far from materializing, the plan in question is not absurd. Besides, you should know that Clavel and Estrada, without having discussed it directly, had the opportunity to meet last September, in London.
"We took a picture together," says the boxer from Joliette.
The Groupe's protege Yvon Michel, like Estrada, had then made the trip to England to attend the 100% feminine gala, notably featuring Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall.
If the evening had to be postponed to the following month due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Clavel did not only do tourism during his stay on British soil. She was able to bond.
For the moment, while the Quebecer has an appointment with Nery Plata, a different unification fight for the WBA and WBC strawweight titles has been announced in March, in the United States, between Estrada (23-0, 9 KOs) and Germany's Tina Rupprecht (12-0-1, 3 KOs).
▸ Aiming to determine the fight of the year in women's boxing, the WBC placed the duel won by Kim Clavel against Yesenia Gomez among the six pre-selected battles. Voting continues via social media.
▸ Faithful accomplice of Clavel, Danielle Bouchard is named by the WBC in the category of coach of the year. She also finds herself in the running alongside Marc Ramsay, in particular.
