Heavyweights: No rematch Yoka-Kean

Aurélie Sacchelli, Media365, published on Friday January 13, 2023 at 2:31 p.m.

The Canadian Simon Kean will not be the next opponent of Tony Yoka, who has not fought since his defeat on May 14 against Martin Bakole. The name of the lucky winner will be revealed very soon.

Simon Kean dreamed of challenging Tony Yoka on February 10 for a remake of their round of 16 London Olympics in 2012, where the Canadian won on points. “I beat him with one arm at the Games. It would have made me happy to use my two hands to demolish him in the pros, ”says the 34-year-old boxer in the columns of The team. Everything seemed closed to organize this fight, but the clan of the French boxer finally refused. “Kean’s promoter had started negotiations and we had more or less reached an agreement,” explains Yoka’s French promoter, Jérôme Abiteboul, to the sports daily. But I was also in contact with other opponents. And, ultimately, it’s not Kean that we chose. And it’s wrong to say it’s Canal+ who said no (what Kean’s promoter said, editor’s note). It’s a combination of reasons why we preferred another opponent. Canal+ will announce it in the next few days. »

Yoka criticized from all sides

The suspense therefore remains in order before knowing the future opponent of Tony Yoka (30 years old), who has not fought since May 14 and the first defeat of his professional career, against Martin Bakole. There is no doubt that the 2016 Olympic champion will want to get ahead of him who, shortly before Christmas, was criticized by both Bakole (“I didn’t want to finish it. I saw his children at the edge of the ring. A win on points was enough”), his American promoter (“After he divorced his wife, he surrounded himself with people whose sole purpose was to have fun and enjoyment”) and his trainer (“Tony got his nose busted in sparring two weeks before the fight, he shouldn’t have boxed”). A second defeat in a row is very stained for those who dream of boxing one day at the Stade de France or in Kinshasa, against a world Top 5…