Derek Pomerleau Falls Short in WBC Grand Prix Final

By William Dumoulin

Live from Riyadh this Saturday, Derek Pomerleau (15-1, 11 KOs) suffered a setback in the WBC Grand Prix final, dropping a unanimous decision to Australia’s Dylan Biggs (18-1, 9 KOs). The judges scored the bout 79-72 (three times) and 78-73 (twice) in favor of Biggs.

The fight got off to a rough start for the Quebecer, who was sent to the canvas in the opening round following a loss of balance. Pomerleau dropped the first two rounds, struggling to establish any meaningful punch volume. He began finding his range with his rear hand in the third round, though Biggs finished the frame more strongly.

Urged on by his corner, Pomerleau tried to increase the pace in the fifth, but had difficulty breaking through the Australian’s solid defensive structure. The bout turned into mostly inside exchanges in the later rounds. Pomerleau landed several uppercuts, but Biggs appeared to hold the edge in each remaining round.

Prior to the final, the tournament had been a successful run for Pomerleau. He opened his campaign with a unanimous decision victory over previously undefeated Liparit Ustian, then scored impressive knockouts against Paul Ryan and Dmytro Rybalko. In the semifinals, he edged Carlos Sinisterra by majority decision to secure his spot in the final.

While the loss in the WBC Grand Prix final is expected to slow Pomerleau’s climb in the world rankings, it nevertheless leaves him with a strong résumé and valuable international exposure.

Other tournament winners:

• Carlos Utria (14-0, 11 KOs) captured the super lightweight Grand Prix

• Brandon Mejia (13-0, 10 KOs) won the featherweight Grand Prix

• Kevin Christopher Ramirez (12-0-2, 4 KOs) claimed the heavyweight Grand Prix