Boxing
RAMA, Ont. – This could be Phil Boudreault’s last chance, and he knows it.
So far, so good.
The 31-year-old native of Sudbury, Ont., in his first boxing match since representing Canada at the 1996 Olympics and six months out of a prison cell, won a split decision over Tebor Brosch of Mississauga on Saturday night.
The four-round bout was the on the undercard of Steve Molitor’s third defence of his I.B.F. world junior featherweight title. The Sarnia, Ont.-born champ sat at ringside to cheer on Boudreault, who is training at the same gym as Molitor in Mississauga. Molitor’s trainer, Chris Johnson, is giving Boudreault a hand.
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Boudreault was bleeding from cuts over both eyes when his arm was raised in triumph after his pro debut.
"I’ve got to get in better shape," said Boudreault, who weighed in at the 154-pound light middleweight limit. "That’s 11 1-2 years of ring rust but I’m working it out." Boudreault’s biggest battles since barely missing out on a medal at the Atlanta Olympics have been with the law. He was jailed less than a year after finishing fourth in his weight class. He gave up on himself, he’s said.
There was an attempted boxing comeback. It never happened. He was imprisoned again three years ago for assault. He was released last June from Kingston’s Joyceville Institution. Under a five-year supervision order, restrictions on him include non-association with former associates from Hells Angels.
"No matter who you think you are, a life sentence is a scary thing," he said as he sat in a Casino Rama entertainment centre dressing room while a doctor patched up his wounds. "It’s a dark lonely place, penitentiary, and I definitely don’t want to spend my life there."
"I got out and got a second chance at life. When I went to the Olympics, I took it all for granted and I threw it all away, you know, just like a spoiled little brat, I guess."
"I’m out and I’ve got a second chance and I want to fight. I want to see what I can do over the next five or six years. I’m 31 now. I want to see what I can do before I’m 38." His supporters, Molitor included, hope he’s true to his word this time.
"I’ll fight again in April and we’ll see what happens then," said the heavily-tatooed fighter going by "The Sudbury Sensation" moniker.
His long-await pro debut was a slugfest. It was surprising both men were still standing at the last bell.
"That was a warmup fight," said Boudreault. "That guy (Brosch) has been active for the last five or six years."
"He’s had a lot of amateur fights and four pro fights now. That was my first fight in a ring since August 1996 so I’m happy with the win, the way the fight went."
"I got head-butted a couple of times, but what are you going to do?"
Get straight.
Dr. Terry Witzu is his manager.
"For somebody coming off that long a layoff, his fight experience paid off," said Witzu. "To come back like he did in the third round speaks so much for the warrior in him." In a super-featherweight bout that lasted only one minute 45 seconds, Martin (The Irish Macman) Lindsay (11-0) of Brampton dug a left into the left side of Jason (Too Sweet) Hayward near the kidney and the St. John’s boxer grimaced in pain, turned towards his corner and dropped to his knees. He was done. Hayward was soon on his feet and he was able to walk out of the ring.
Also on the undercard, 160-pounders Shawn (The Heat) Garnett (11-5-2) of Brampton, Ont., and Stephan (El Gato) Boyd (8-3-1) of Toronto engaged in a six-rounder that was ruled a draw, which was fair since so little happened.
Natalie (Too Bad) Brown (5-0) of Mississauga won a unanimous decision over Kelli Cofer (13-7-4) of Willard, Ohio, in a four-rounder. Brown is Johnson’s wife.
Source: Boudreault gets split decision win
