WBC Grand Prix Riyadh Season Tournament - Three Canadians Ready for Phase Two

Inside the Matchmaker’s Eye
By Vincent Morin

The opening phase of the WBC Grand Prix Riyadh Season tournament unfolded smoothly for the trio of Canadian fighters from April 17 to 20 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ontario’s Spencer Wilcox, British Columbia’s Eric Basran, and Quebec’s Derek Pomerleau each emerged victorious in the opening round of this prestigious youth competition, where boxers faced a mystery opponent drawn at the official weigh-in.

Here’s a look ahead to the second phase of the tournament in June, where the Canadians now know who they’ll be up against.

Spencer Wilcox (140 lbs)
Trained by Éric Bélanger, Spencer Wilcox (11-0-0, 5 KOs) got a favorable draw in the opening round, facing Ghana’s Gabriel Quaye (10-2-0, 7 KOs). Despite his solid record, Quaye had never fought outside his home country and had only faced limited competition. His awkward and physical style forced Wilcox to make some adjustments, but the Hamilton native controlled the six-round contest en route to a unanimous decision (59-55, 59-55, 60-54).

Next up for Wilcox is Australia’s national champion Hassan Hamdan (10-0-0, 3 KOs). The Sydney-based fighter earned a majority decision win over American Jose Luis Sauceda (6-1-0, 3 KOs) in his tournament opener.

Though not among the tournament favorites, Hamdan represents a step up in difficulty for Wilcox—he’s faster, more technical, and better conditioned than Quaye. This matchup is shaping up to be tightly contested, with even odds on both sides. Wilcox might just edge it on a close or even split decision… but this one’s too tight to bet on.

Notably, Wilcox and fellow Canadian Eric Basran are on opposite sides of the 140-lb tournament bracket.

Eric Basran (140 lbs)
Heading into the first phase, Eric Basran (8-0-0, 3 KOs) was a heavy underdog against American southpaw Isaiah Johnson, who had dominated the 2024 Team Combat League season with 13 wins in 14 individual bouts. But the skilled Vancouver boxer handed Johnson (11-1-0, 7 KOs) his first loss in a tactical clash between two unbeaten counterpunchers.

After six high-speed but low-volume rounds, Basran emerged with a split-decision win (59-55, 59-56, 56-58).

In the second round, Basran will now take on Ukraine’s Danylo Lozan (13-0-0, 8 KOs), a 2024 European U23 amateur champion. The 22-year-old southpaw advanced by defeating Kazakhstan’s Kamronbek Eshmatov (10-2-0, 7 KOs) via unanimous decision.

Though also a southpaw like Johnson, Lozan appears to be the more complete fighter—bigger, more physical, and aggressive. Can Basran pull off another upset against an undefeated favorite? It’s possible—his coach, Jonathan Quinit, is sharp and knows how to adapt mid-fight.

Still, Basran will need to increase his output. While he’s excellent defensively, his passive style may not score well against a busier, more tenacious opponent. Expect a close—and possibly controversial—decision, likely favoring Lozan.

Derek Pomerleau (160 lbs)
Derek Pomerleau (12-0-0, 9 KOs) had a tough draw in his Riyadh debut, matched against Armenian-Ukrainian brawler Liparit Ustian (11-1-0, 10 KOs). Both fighters entered with nearly identical records and reputations as heavy hitters.

Nicknamed "Silver Boy" for his amateur silver medals in both Armenia and Ukraine, Ustian was known for his viral knockout power, both in the ring and in bare-knuckle events. He looked carved from stone.

But the southpaw from Mercier fought smart—slipping shots, countering effectively, and using angles to off-balance the aggressive Ustian. It was a showcase performance that lived up to Pomerleau’s “Slick” moniker, earning him a dominant unanimous decision (59-55, 60-54, 60-54) in his Saudi debut.

Usually coached by Stéphan Larouche, Pomerleau followed instructions well from Danielle Bouchard, who stepped in while Larouche cornered Mathieu Germain’s eliminator against Dalton Smith in England.

Pomerleau was originally slated to face Australia’s Dylan Biggs (14-1-0, 9 KOs) in the next round. However, due to a tournament reshuffle designed to expand the middleweight bracket to 32 fighters and 16 bouts, a new matchup appeared on the updated bracket: Pomerleau vs. Ireland’s Paul Ryan (8-1-0, 3 KOs) in June.

Biggs and Ryan offer very different challenges. Biggs is a pressure-fighting orthodox slugger, while Ryan is a classic European-style southpaw.

If the original bracket holds and it’s Biggs, Pomerleau will need a repeat of his performance against Ustian—smart counterpunching against an aggressive bulldog. In that case, expect a unanimous decision for Derek.

But if he ends up facing Ryan, “Slick” may need to be more assertive. Ryan, while talented, suffered a scary KO loss in 2024 that left him convulsing in the ring. Though he’s improved since, it’s hard to imagine him standing up to Pomerleau’s power. Look for Derek to find the opening and score a knockout around the fifth or sixth round.

Either way, the next chapter is shaping up to be a thriller.
Now the big question in Riyadh: Will it be Dylan Biggs or Paul Ryan stepping into the ring with Derek Pomerleau in June?