27 Dec 2024: A YEAR AS EXPLOSIVE AS IT WAS UNFORGETTABLE FOR EYE OF THE TIGER
Following a year full of triumphs, ascents, and lessons learned, Eye of the Tiger (EOTTM) looks back on 2024 with a highly positive assessment.
To begin, it’s impossible not to mention the impressive start to the year that began last January. The Beterbiev vs. Smith event was undeniably the event of the decade in Quebec. Held at the Centre Vidéotron in front of more than 10,000 spectators, Artur Beterbiev’s return to the ring in front of his Quebec supporters was also watched live by nearly 800,000 American viewers on ESPN, in addition to thousands more on Punching Grace. This event further solidified Quebec City as an international boxing destination, with two more visits from the American boxing giant scheduled in 2025—a feat only three venues have achieved in North America.
In the co-main event, Christian Mbilli (28-0, 23 KOs) seized the opportunity to make his name heard on the international stage. By demolishing Rohan Murdock—then the IBF’s 9th-ranked contender—in 6 rounds, he convinced the Top Rank promoter to offer him a chance to become a rising star on ESPN’s network. From there, the fighter known as ‘Solide’ continued his momentum. First, in May, he destroyed British champion Mark Heffron in the first round. Then, in August, he dominated triple world-title contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko—who was ranked 7th by the WBC—like no one had ever before, in front of an enthusiastic crowd of over 5,000 people at the Centre Vidéotron. With these three victories, Mbilli seems closer than ever to his goal of world domination, now ranked #1 by the WBC and WBA, as well as #2 and #3 by the WBO and IBF.
However, if 2024 was the year of ‘Solide’s’ continued ascent, it was also the year of the explosive arrival of the terrifying Cuban tornado, Osleys Iglesias (13-0, 12 KOs), to EOTTM. The IBO World Champion in the super-middleweight division certainly exceeded the already high expectations placed on him in North America. In March, it took him just one round to demolish former world-title contender Marcelo Coceres. In June, ‘El Tornado’ stopped Evgeny Shvedenko—in the first round again—but this time with a knockout so devastating it went viral, with millions of views. Returning again in August, he made quick work of Ghanaian contender Sena Agbeko. ‘The African Assassin’ had never been knocked down in his career, but Iglesias sent him to the canvas in the first round and stopped him in the next. Finally, in November, the tornado finished the year strong by stopping undefeated Ukrainian contender Petro Ivanov—then 20-0—with a lightning-fast right hand in the 5th round. This marked his third successful defense of his IBO title while bringing him closer to the other belts, as he is ranked 4th and 7th in the WBC and IBF standings.
In addition, Eye of the Tiger reached new heights in championship bouts this year. Of the 80 fights participated in by its 23 athletes, 24 were championship fights, with a total of 31 titles at stake. Thanks to this impressive record, EOTTM was named Promoter of the Year for the third consecutive time by the North American Boxing Federation (NABF).
Moreover, two new NABF champions were crowned in Quebec this year. Among them, Arthur Biyarslanov (17-0, 14 KOs), known as ‘The Wolf,’ already successfully defended his title twice. The Olympic athlete from the Rio Games, who joined EOTTM last winter, is now ranked 16th in the WBC super-lightweight division.
In the light-heavyweight division, Imam Khataev (9-0, 9 KOs) had a year as explosive as his record suggests. The Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist won the NABF title in January by defeating Polish champion Michal Ludwiczak. The Chechen powerhouse then destroyed top 25 contender Ricards Bolotniks, Olympic boxer Ezequiel Maderna, and top 15 world contender Yunior Menendez. His exceptional year now sees him ranked 7th and 8th by the WBC and IBF.
Also at 175 pounds, Albert Ramirez (19-0, 16 KOs) won the WBA international light-heavyweight title in January against Artur Ziyatdinov, and defended it in August against former world-title contender Adam Deines. The Venezuelan pride of EOTTM is now one of the highest-ranked contenders in the world, as the year ends, ranked #2 by the WBA and WBO, and #3 and #4 by the WBC and IBF. As for the WBC Continental Americas title, EOTTM newcomer Dzmitry Asanau (9-0, 4 KOs) won the lightweight version of the green belt in November by defeating powerful Argentine puncher Matias Rueda by knockout in the 5th round.
In women’s boxing, the harvest was just as impressive, as EOTTM celebrated the crowning of its first and second world champions. First, the WBA world title at 154 pounds was won by the persevering Olympian Mary Spencer (9-2, 6 KOs) in September. Also, the historic victory in March by Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse (7-2, 2 KOs), who, by claiming the WBC world heavyweight title, became the third Quebec woman to win a world championship. Meanwhile, Leïla Beaudoin (12-1, 1 KO) took an important step toward the top by becoming the WBO international champion at 130 pounds in August.
With a mix of dazzling and resilient performances, several other EOTTM athletes finished the year with high rankings in the global standings. In the super-middleweight division, Erik Bazinyan (32-1-1, 23 KOs) made his mark in the U.S. by offering solid opposition to former world champion Jaime Munguia. With this experience behind him, Bazinyan will restart his climb to the top in 2025, still ranked 10th by the WBC, WBA, and IBF.
Steve Claggett (39-8-2, 27 KOs) also proved that he belongs in the ring with the best in the world. In June, in Miami, ‘The Dragon’ put immense pressure on the world super-lightweight champion, Teofimo Lopez, for 12 rounds. Following this honorable loss, Claggett immediately returned to training and, by October, was back on the winning path, moving up to 13th in the WBC rankings.
Finally, Montrealer Christopher Guerrero (12-0, 7 KOs) made his first breakthrough on the world stage. With three victories, including impressive performances against Americans Kenny Larson and Courtney Pennington, ‘Machine Gun’ reached the 15th spot in the IBF’s 147-pound division.
As for the rising stars, several athletes also made a mark this year. EOTTM saw significant progress from 19- and 21-year-olds Wilkens Mathieu (12-0, 8 KOs) and Jhon Orobio (12-0, 11 KOs). Thanks to their exceptional talent and work ethic, the two Montrealers were the most active boxers in the country, each earning seven victories in 2024.
Five other names also caught attention. Among them, Alexandre Gaumont (12-0, 8 KOs) was victorious three times, including in his first career final. At the same event, Luis Santana (13-0, 6 KOs) also earned his 3rd victory of the year, delivering possibly the round of the year to the Quebec audience. The young sensation known as ‘The Future,’ Avery Martin-Duval (12-0-1, 7 KOs), triumphed twice, including in his first semi-final in May. The electrifying Thomas Chabot (11-0, 8 KOs) from Thetford Mines also secured a double win. Montreal-based Mehmet Unal (11-0, 9 KOs) won his first two 10-round bouts without ever going the distance, while Moreno Fendero (8-0, 6 KOs) continued his powerful ascent with six victories this year!
“Internationally, 2024 has been the best year in our history. And the strategy we want to continue in 2025 is to organize the local fights our fans want, and use them as a springboard to the international scene. We’re starting strong with Erik Bazinyan facing Steven Butler, but we’re far from stopping there,” said Eye of the Tiger President Camille Estephan.
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