Marie-Pier Houle Goes to War and Comes Out with a Draw -Evening Recap

By William Dumoulin
Photo credit: Bernard Brault – Groupe Yvon Michel

Marie-Pier Houle demonstrated her elite status last year when she gave a strong challenge in a world championship bout against Britain’s Sandy Ryan. The Quebec native lost by unanimous decision. This Thursday, live from the Cabaret du Casino de Montréal, she headlined a gala in Quebec for the first time in her career. Here’s a recap of the evening.

In the gala’s main event, Marie-Pier Houle (10-1-2, 3 KOs) faced a tough challenge for her first career headliner, going up against the resilient Mexican Karla Ramos Zamora (11-10-2, 4 KOs). Zamora had previously knocked out Montrealer Jessica Camara during her last visit to Quebec, a victory that aged well as Camara is now the WBA Gold lightweight champion. Houle had stated she wanted to go to war in this duel, and she kept her word as both boxers exchanged punches from the start. The Mexican had the upper hand in many exchanges with her volume of punches. Nevertheless, Marie-Pier managed to land her shots regularly. After 10 hard-fought rounds, the bout ended in a draw (94-96, 96-94, 95-95). Zamora, however, seemed to have done just enough to secure the victory, though many rounds were very close.

In the evening’s semi-final, Mercier native Derek Pomerleau (9-0, 7 KOs) faced Leonel Castanon (5-5-1, 3 KOs) in an 8-round fight. The Mexican was coming off two consecutive victories against top Canadian prospects Jake Daoust and Brett Beaton. Derek was determined not to be the third to fall to Castanon. True to form, Pomerleau wasted no time, sending his opponent to the canvas three times in the first round, winning by TKO.

Following his victory, the Mercier native declared in the ring and later in a press conference that he wants to face Patrice Volny and that he would beat him easily. “Vicious” declined the offer, explaining that he is aiming for fights to advance in the rankings for the next stage of his career. Derek’s next fight is already scheduled for September 12, where he is set to face Santiago Fernandez, who gave Alexandre Gaumont a tough challenge.

After several cancellations, Montrealer of Moroccan origin Ayoub Maanni (1-0, 1 KO) finally had the chance to make his pro debut. He faced another debuting professional boxer, Polish Jedrzej Maciej Marciniak (0-1, 0 KOs). Maanni won without much trouble with a devastating first-round KO. He is also expected to return to the ring at the next Groupe Yvon Michel gala on September 12.

After a victory at the last GYM gala, Winner Bondo (1-0, 0 KOs) returned to face Mexican Obed Sepulveda (0-1-1, 0 KOs) over 4 rounds. Bondo dominated his opponent for most of the fight, easily winning by unanimous decision (40-36 X 3).

After a victorious debut last April, Reid Twohey (2-0, 0 KOs) looked to stay on the winning path in a 4-round bout against veteran Mexican Abraham Gomez (23-42-5, 11 KOs). Gomez was clearly at a physical disadvantage but took Twohey’s punches well, who won by unanimous decision (40-36 X 3).

To open the gala, Jean Gardy François (4-0-1, 3 KOs) and Sherif Anim (3-1, 3 KOs) faced off in a 6-round bout between two undefeated boxers. From the start of the fight, the difference in skill level was evident. The match ended with a first-round TKO victory for the Quebecer with a big right-hand punch.