GYM signs Canadian Olympian Custio Clayton To make pro debut Dec. 19 in Quebec City

MONTREAL (Nov. 28, 2014) -- The best amateur boxer in Canada for more than five years, Custio Clayton, has signed a long-term agreement with Groupe Yvon MichelInc. (GYM). The leader of the Canadian National Team in recent years, Clayton captured   six national titles. He represented Canada at many international tournaments including the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi and 2014 in Glasgow, 2013 World Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan and 2011 in Baku, Azerbaijan, highlighted by his participation in the 2012 Olympics in London. Clayton is best remembered for becoming first Canadian boxer to win two Olympic matches since silver-medalist David Defiagbon at 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Afterdisposing of Oscar Molina, of Mexico, and Cameron Hammond, of Australia, Clayton lost a 14-14 tiebreaker to the eventual silver medalist, Welsh Fred Evans, depriving Clayton of an Olympic medal by the tiniest margin. In 2013, the AIBA ranked him the No. 6 welterweight (152 lbs., 69 kg.). Bernard Barré, head of recruitment at GYM, has only the highest praise for Clayton."Since the inception of our organization, he said, "we made a point to sign the greatest Canadian boxers. Clayton is part of this group that, before him, includes Adonis Stevenson, Jean Pascal and Andrew Kooner.  Custio Clayton developed into the star of the Canadian National Team during his amateur career at a small gym with limited Nova Scotia resources. In this context his amateur trainer, Gary Johnson, did miraculous works. We are convinced that, in his new framework, Clayton will develop his full potential and achieve great success."    Clayton, 27, is delighted to join GYM: "Signing with GYM, led by Yvon Michel, is what I've always wanted," Clayton commented. "I am very proud he has given me this opportunity. I had six concrete offers, including two from the US, but I am convincedthat my chances of success are best with GYM, one of the best and proven organizations in the world." Team Clayton also includes his manager, Douggy Berneche, and Canadian National Team coach Daniel Trépanier. They will provide Clayton with all of the required specialists for his professional career. He recently moved to Montreal and his family will join him there in early 2015. His first professional fight will take place December 19 at the Quebec City Coliseum.His opponent will be announced shortly. He will fight as super welterweight (154 lbs.) division. "Custio is already a very mature boxer who will quickly go through the steps and end up in the world elite of his division before long," Berneche added. "Making his prodebut on a program headlined by world champion Adonis "Superman" Stevenson defending his crown, also featuring future superstar Artur Beterbiev and Andre Dirrell on the same card being televised by the prestigious boxing network, Showtime, will be inspiring for Custio to start his pro career in style." The next GYM event will take place Dec. 19 at the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City. Tickets are on sale at Pepsi Coliseum box office in Quebec (418-691-7211) or by calling1 (800) 900-7469, GYM at (514) 383-0666 and Champion Boxing Club (514)376-0980, and online at www.billetech.com, Ticket prices range from $25 to $ 250 onthe floor.

'RED DAWN' Saturday night in Montreal Artur Beterbiev vs. Tavoris Cloud NABA Light Heavyweight Championship

PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release Also the return of charismatic Stephane Ouellet MONTREAL (September 24, 2014) - Two-time Russian Olympian Artur Beterbiev (5-0-0, 5 KOs) steps up in class this Saturday night (Sept. 27) as he headlines "Red Dawn" against former International Boxing Federation (IBF) light heavyweight champion Tavoris "Thunder" Cloud (24-2-0, 19 KOs) in the 12-round main event for the vacant North American Boxing Association (NABA) 175-pound title at famed Bell Centre in Montreal. "Red Dawn" is co-promoted by Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) and InterBox, in association with Eye of the Tiger Management (EOTTM) and the participation of Don King Productions (DKP), and co-presented by Mise-O-Jeu and Videotron. The 29-year-old Beterbiev, who moved to Montreal last year, is on the fast track to stardom. Beterbiev has a rich amateur pedigree having captured gold medals in the 2006 World Cup in Baku and 2008 World Cup in Moscow, as well as at the 2009 World Championships in Milan. During his incredible amateur career, Beterbiev was crowned Russian and European champion, and his amateur victims include present WBO Sergey Kovalev twice, WBO world title challenger Ismayl Sillah, U.S. Olympian Michael Hunter Jr., and 2007 World Championships gold medalist Abbos Atoev. Beterbiev turned pro in 2013 and he is undefeated with all five victories coming by knockout, fighting a total of only 11 rounds, compared to Cloud's 130. The 32-year-old Cloud, fighting out of Tallahassee, Florida, currently world rated byThe Ring Magazine (#7), as well as WBC #9 and WBA #14, is attempting to reposition himself for another world title shot. Cloud won the IBF light heavyweight title in 2009 with a 12-round decision over Clinton Woods (42-4-1, 25 KOs). He successfully defended his IBF title four times against former world champions Glen Johnson (50-13-2, 34 KOs) and Gabriel Campillo (21-3-1, 8 KOs), as well as challengers Fulgencio Zuniga (24-4-1, 21 KOs) and Yusaf Mack (29-3-2, 17 KOs).    Cloud's undefeated win streak was halted in 2013 at 24, when he lost his IBF title by 12-round decision to living legend Bernard Hopkins (52-6-2, 32 KOs). Cloud was stopped later that year in seven rounds by WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis "Superman" Stevenson (24-1-0, 20 KOs) at Bell Centre. In the co-feature, former world title challenger Dierry "Dougy Style" Jean (26-1-0, 18 KOs), fighting out of Montreal by way of Haiti, will defend his North Amrican Boxing Federation (NABF) lightweight title against Mexican invader Daniel "Cañerito" Ruiz (32-7- 2, 22 KOs) in a 12-round bout.  Jean, who is ranked No. 10 by the WBC, is battling his way back to another world title shot. Former No. 1 contender Stephane Ouellet (29-5, 18 KOs), of Jonquiere, Quebec, returns to action in a four-round middleweight fight against Belgium import Cedric Spera (10-2, 2 KOs). His return is creating a lot of interest in Quebec. He is one of the most beloved and charismatic fighter of the history of Canadian boxing. At 43 he is not dreaming of world championship fights but to redeem himself after been knockout twice in his last two fights, in the second round against Omar Sheika in 2001 in Las Vegas and against Joachim Alcine in the first round, at the Montreal Bell Center, in an ill-advised return in 2004.  A pair of popular Quebec-based, world-rated welterweights, former world title challenger Antonin Decarie (30-2, 9 KOs) and Kevin Bizier (21-1, 14 KOs), will be in separate fights. WBC #6, WBO #10 and IBF #11 faces Ivan Pereyra (19-3, 13 KOs), of Belgium, in a 10-round fight, while IBF #6 Bizier meets Laszlo "Bulldog" Fazekas (25-15-1, 17 KOs), of Hungry, in an eight-round match. Three undefeated Canadian prospects round-out a solid top-to-bottom card.  Montreal super lightweight Junior Ulysse (3-0, 3 KOs) hopes to keep his KO streak alive against unbeaten Polish opponent Krystian Huczko (2-0), and Laval super middleweight Eric Bazinian (5-0-0, 3 KOs) puts his unblemished record on the line versus Baptise Castegnaro (5-2, 2 KOs), of France, in a pair of six-round matches.  Montreal super welterweight Steven Butler (4-0, 3 KOs) meets his toughest opponent to date, Frenchman Bernard Follea (5-2-1, 1 KO), in a four-round bout. Tickets are on sale and available to purchase at Bell Centre, online atwww.evenko.ca, or by calling GYM (514 383-0666) and the club Boxing Champion(514 376-0980). Ticket prices range from $50 in the red to $250 on the floor.                                                                  -30-   ABOUT GROUPE YVON MICHEL, INC.: Founded in 2004, Yvon Michel's GYM's mission is the development of high-level boxers by providing a supportive coaching and especially management competition. GYM is active in recruiting talent in order to achieve its objectives and event planning. Since its founding nine years ago, GYM has promoted 117 events, including ticket and PPV viewing history making fights such as Pascal vs. Hopkins I and II. GYM has produced more than 300 hours of television with Canal Indigo, Bell TV, Shaw TV, TVA Sports, VOX, TVA, CBC, RDS and V, in Canada, as well as HBO, Showtime and ESPN in the USA. A total of seven different GYM boxers have fought in 21 world championship fights. Under the tutelage of GYM, Joachim Alcine captured the WBA super welterweight title in 2007 and Jean Pascal the WBC light heavyweight championship in in 2009. Since June of 2013, Adonis "Superman" Stevenson has held the WBC light heavyweight title. In addition to also being The Ring and lineal light heavyweight champion, Stevenson was named the 2013 Boxer of the Year by The Ring, Sports Illustrated and many other publications.

'RED DAWN' Artur Beterbiev vs. Tavoris Cloud NABA Light Heavyweight Championship

PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release   September 27 at Bell Centre in Montreal MONTREAL (August 27, 2014) - Former world amateur champion and two-time Russian Olympian Artur Beterbiev (5-0-0, 5 KOs), who moved to Montreal more than a year ago when he first turned professional, will face former International Boxing Federation (IBF) light heavyweight champion Tavoris "Thunder" Cloud (24-2-0, 19 KOs), Saturday night, September 27 at Bell Centre in Montreal. "Red Dawn," featuring Beterbiev vs. Cloud for the vacant North American Boxing Association (NABA) light heavyweight title, is co-promoted by Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) and InterBox, in association with Eye of the Tiger Management (EOTTM) and the participation of Don King Productions (DKP), and co-presented by Mise-O-Jeu and Videotron. Beterbiev, 29, has lived with his family in Laval for more than one year. His wife gave birth to their third child a few weeks ago at St. Mary's General Hospital in Montreal. The newborn, Sofia, joined siblings Akhmad, 4, and 2-year-old Amira in the Beterbiev family. A graduate of the University of Dagestan in Makhachkala with a degree in law, Beterbiev had an outstanding amateur career, earning gold medals as a heavyweight in the 2006 World Cup in Baku and 2008 World Cup in Moscow, as well as at the 2009 World Championships in Milan. He also participated in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, bowing out in the second round to the eventual gold medalist, Zhang Xiaoping, of China. Beterbiev also fought at the 2012 London Olympics, where he lost in the quarterfinals to eventual Olympic champion Oleksandr Usyk, of Ukraine.  During his incredible amateur career, Beterbiev was crowned Russian and European champion. He has defeated renowned boxers such as Sergey Kovalev twice, Ismayl Sillakh, Michael Hunter Jr., Abbos Atoev and many others. With Anna Reva as his manager, Beterbiev turned pro in 2013 and he is undefeated with all five victories by knockout, fighting a total of only 11 rounds. The 32-year-old Cloud, fighting out of Tallahassee, Florida, was the IBF light heavyweight champion for four of his 10-year pro career. He originally won the IBF 175-pound championship in 2009 by way of a 12-round decision over Clinton Woods (42-4-1, 25 KOs), successfully defended his IBF title four times against former world champions Glen Johnson (50-13-2, 34 KOs) and Gabriel Campillo (21-3-1, 8 KOs), as well as challengers Fulgencio Zuniga (24-4-1, 21 KOs) and Yusaf Mack (29-3-2, 17 KOs). Cloud's unbeaten win streak was stopped at 24, along with his championship reign, March 2013 in New York as he lost by 12-round decision to the phenomenal Bernard Hopkins (52-6-2, 32 KOs) . In his attempt to regain a world title on Sept. 28, 2013, Cloud was stopped after seven rounds by World Boxing Council (WBC) light heavyweight champion Adonis "Superman" Stevenson (24-1-0, 20 KOs) at Bell Centre. According to The Ring, Cloud is ranked No. 7 among the best heavyweight in the world, in addition to No. 9 by the WBC and No. 15 by the World Boxing Association (WBA). He has suffered only two defeats during in his pro career, one prior to the distance, but he has never been knocked down. More significantly, Cloud has a decided advantage over Beterbiev in experience having fought a total of 130 rounds, including 75 in world championships. Cloud believes have what it takes to derail his opponent. The combination of his aggressive style and hard proven track record are compelling factors in his favor. Cloud represents a major challenge for Beterbiev, who is prepared to make his mark. "Artur Beterbiev is an extremely special talent and we have a boundless confidence in his abilities," GYM president Yvon Michel said. "It is unheard of for a fighter with only five fights of professional experience to headline an event at the Bell Centre against an opponent the caliber of Cloud. Quebec fans, who admired Valeri Kharlamov, Alexander Yakushev and Vladislav Tretiak, and adopted Alex Kovalev and Sergey Markov, will quickly be won over by this Alexander Ovechkin of boxing." In the co-feature, former world title challenger Dierry "Dougy Style" Jean (26-1-0, 18 KOs) will defend his NABF lightweight title against Mexican invader Daniel "Cañerito" Ruiz (32-7- 2, 22 KOs). GYM, InterBox and EOTTM will present an 8-fight card on Sept. 27. Also fighting are two world welterweight contenders from Quebec and Montreal, respectively, Kevin Bizier (21-1-0, 14 KOs) and Antonin Decarie (30-2-0, 9 KOs) in separate bouts. Three promising prospects Junior Ulysses (3-0-0, 3 KOs), Steven Butler (4-0-0, 3 KOs) and Eric Bazinian (5-0- 0 3 KOs) - are also scheduled to be in action on the undercard. Tickets go on sale this Saturday morning (Aug. 30) at 10:00 a.m. ET and will be available to purchase at Bell Centre, online at www.evenko.ca, or by calling GYM (514 383-0666) and the club Boxing Champion (514 376-0980). Ticket prices range from $50 in the red to $250 on the floor. -30-  ABOUT GROUPE YVON MICHEL, INC.: Founded in 2004, Yvon Michel's GYM's mission is the development of high-level boxers by providing a supportive coaching and especially management competition. GYM is active in recruiting talent in order to achieve its objectives and event planning. Since its founding nine years ago, GYM has promoted 117 events, including ticket and PPV viewing history making fights such as Pascal vs. Hopkins I and II. GYM has produced more than 300 hours of television with Canal Indigo, Bell TV, Shaw TV, TVA Sports, VOX, TVA, CBC, RDS and V, in Canada, as well as HBO, Showtime and ESPN in the USA. A total of seven different GYM boxers have fought in 21 world championship fights. Under the tutelage of GYM, Joachim Alcine captured the WBA super welterweight title in 2007 and Jean Pascal the WBC light heavyweight championship in in 2009. Since June of 2013, Adonis "Superman" Stevenson has held the WBC light heavyweight title. In addition to also being The Ring and lineal light heavyweight champion, Stevenson was named the 2013 Boxer of the Year by The Ring, Sports Illustrated and many other publications.

JEAN PASCAL WITH GYM AND INTERBOX NEXT FIGHT IN SEPTEMBER

For Immediate Release MONTREAL (April 16, 2014) -- This afternoon at La Cage aux Sports Boucherville, Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) and InterBox announced that they had reached an agreement with Jean Pascal Promotions to ensure the services of the NABF Champion and WBC Diamond Belt light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal (29-2-1, 17 KOs), who recently defeated Lucian Bute. The multi-fight agreement was signed last Saturday between President Yvon Michel of GYM, InterBox President Jean Bédard and Chief Operating Officer (CEO) of Jean Pascal Promotions, Greg Leon. WBC #1 contender Pascal became a promotional free agent after his fight this past January 18 in Montreal. During the nine years since his first professional fight Feb. 3, 2005, the 31 years old athlete fought all of his 32 fights under the aegis of Groupe Yvon Michel. During this period he won many titles highlighted by his conquest of popular WBC light heavyweight champion Adrian Diaconu at Montreal's Bell Centre in June 2009. The following year, in the same arena against Chad Dawson, he added the prestigious "Ring Magazine" and IBO titles, and was recognized as the lineal 175-pound champion. Last January, he won his clash against Bute in front of more than 20,000 spectators gathered in the castle of the Montreal Canadiens. Greg Leon, CEO of Jean Pascal Promotions, said, ""I want to thank Group Yvon Michel and InterBox for making our negotiation smooth and seamless. Jean Pascal Promotions and I are truly looking forward to promoting with such outstanding organizations. Jean Pascal is already the box office champion of the Canadian market and without question that is a position that he will only have a firmer stronghold of following these next two events. We are looking forward to giving the fans the fights they are craving and I have no doubt that Jean Pascal will be the last man standing when all is said and done." "We will work closely with GYM and InterBox across all platforms to design an integrated strategy that grows Jean Pascal's brand globally. Our entire team is very excited with the deal we have concluded," added Raven Brosier, consultant for Jean Pascal Promotions. "At GYM, we are particularly pleased to continue our association with Jean Pascal, thru his company Jean Pascal Promotions, which began when he was 22, in 2005," GYM president Yvon Michel commented. "Our alliance with InterBox in this project is not the result of a contextual improvisation but a long reflection that began at the end of last summer. Now, GYM and InterBox will join forces to offer the best opportunities for our boxers and to give our fans the best shows."    "For us at InterBox, we are excited to implement our agreement with GYM, to combine the respective talents of both organizations and work to present to boxing fans major fights. It is in this perceptive that fits the agreement with Jean Pascal Promotions. Our first goal was to keep this talented Quebec athlete here in Quebec," InterBox President Jean Bedard stated. "As President of Jean Pascal Promotions," Pascal remarked, "I have many new challenges ahead of me, but like I've done many times before, I plan on making history both inside and outside of the ring. I will be taking on the best challenges and give the fans their monies worth like I always do, but this time I will be doing so as a promoter and a boxer."  "This opportunity is like a dream come true for me. I'm very excited about working with and learning from Groupe Yvon Michel and InterBox to make our events something the fans will never forget. I have to thank Yvon Michel, Jean Bedard, and Jean Pascal Promotions CEO Greg Leon for making this deal possible. The rest of my staff - Antonio Decarie, Feymie Ze Lou and Raven Brosier - deserve great thanks also for being involved on every step of this new journey. The objective is to make two more fights in 2014 for Jean Pascal, the next scheduled for September. Discussions on the potential opponent are already underway  and those for a U.S. broadcast will follow.