By Hans Olskon
Lucian Bute’s return to Quebec City against Glen Johnson is just one of the many terrific fights fans can expect Saturday night at the Pepsi Colisee. Let’s take a look at the undercard, jam packed with talent that is sure to entertain.
Pier-Olivier Cote (17-0) vs. Jorge Luis Teron (25-2-1)
When Mikkel Kessler injured his hand last month, it forced him to cancel his fight with WBO Super Middleweight Champion Robert Stieglitz. Showtime had planned to show that fight on tape delay, which was being held in Kessler’s native Denmark. Although it’s not a high-profile title fight, Showtime made the decision this week to televise hot prospect Pier-Olivier Cote’s fight against Jorge Luis Teron. Cote, a native of Quebec, has highly impressed in his recent outings. He grabbed a hard fought 8-round decision win back in July, beating Pedro Navarrette on the undercard of Lucian Bute’s Romanian homecoming. Before that, he scored a TKO4 over Aris Ambriz on the undercard of Pacquiao/Mosley out in Las Vegas in May. Cote looks to be on the fast track to a world title, and a strong performance on Saturday night could kick start run at one in 2012.
Check out Cote’s jaw-crushing knockout of Cesar Soriano last December:
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Fans attending the live event will be treated to a number of great fights. If you’re in the region, you won’t want to miss the non-televised undercard:
Steve Molitor (33-2) vs. Sebastien Gauthier (21-2)
After suffering a setback in March when he lost a his IBF Super Bantamweight title in a unanimous decision to Takalani Ndlovu in South Africa, Steve Molitor looks to get back on the winning track. He’ll take on Saint-Jerome’s Sebastien Gauthier in a scheduled 10-rounder.
Allan Green (30-3) vs. Sebastien Demers (31-4)
In a crossroads fight, former Super Six participant Allan Green squares off with Saint-Hyacinthe fan favorite Sebastien Demers. Demers tries to rebound from successive knockout losses in his last two fights. He was stopped in 3 rounds by Brian Vera in June 2010, and Renan St-Juste iced him in 2 rounds last December. He needs a win badly, and it won’t be easy against the hard hitting Allan Green. Most remembered for his 1st round destruction of Jaidon Codrington back in 2005, Green worked his way up to contender status by the end of the decade with wins over Carlos De Leon Jr and Tarvis Simms. Unfortunately, his lackluster performances against Andre Ward and Glen Johnson in the Super Six tournament left a lot to be desired. Green notched a win against journeyman Craig Gandy this past August, but he’s still in a position where another loss could make him irrelevant at the elite level. This one should be bombs away while it lasts.
Kevin Bizier (15-0) vs. Christian Bladt (38-12-2)
One of the most exciting prospects in Quebec, Kevin Bizier will take on Denmark’s Christian Bladt. With each successive fight, Bizier performs better and better. He’s scored exciting knockouts in his last two fights…in fact, he’s knocked out 11 of 15 for a KO % of 73.33. Expect another ‘next-level’ showing from Bizier.
Check out Bizier’s knockout of Edgar Ruiz back in February:
Also on the bill:
Rances Barthelemy (13-0) vs. Luis Ernesto Jose (30-8-2)
and
Schiller Hyppolite (1-0) vs. Dale Golden (1-0)
Boxing Insider’s Hans Olson can be reached at hanswilliamolson@yahoo.com. Follow him on Twitter @hansolson