Kim Clavel Opens a Path to Undisputed with Title Win Over Yesenia Gomez!
The three words all fighters love to hear is: ‘and the new’. Those three words make all the hard work and sacrifice worth it. Newly crowned WBC junior flyweight champion Kim Clavel (16-0, 3KO) got to hear those words after dethroning the division’s longest reigning champion, Yesenia Gomez (19-6-3, 6KO).
Originally, this fight was canceled back in April after Clavel contracted COVID-19. Finally inside the ring, the fight was a matter of skill as Clavel masterfully used that amateur pedigree. She has won the 2016 Canadian Amateur championships and the 2017 AMBC American Boxing Continental championships. So going into the fight, she was the better boxer, and it showed.
In the early portion of the fight, the 31-year-old Canadian decided to brawl with the brawler in Gomez. This seemed to be a bad idea as Gomez was able to get in some good right-hand shots. However, Clavel found a groove, and she never lost control of the fight by boxing beautifully.
Clavel’s defense was on point also. She fired off blistering combinations and was out of range before Gomez could respond. In the final round, not looking to cruise to an easy victory, Clavel fought in a phonebooth at a furious pace fueled by the hometown crowd chanting, “Let’s go, Kim!”
When the final bell sounded, two judges scored it 99-91, and the other had it a shutout (100-90) for Clavel’s first title attempt.
A PUSH TOWARDS UNDISPUTED COULD BE NEXT
Next up for the newly crowned champion could be a major unification fight, before a run at undisputed. The smart business move would be to challenge Mexican WBA champion Jessica Nery Plata in a big unification bout. This fight can be made as Clavel has previously fought in Mexico.
Assuming she is victorious against Plata, next would be a classic match-up in a fight for undisputed against unified champion Evelin Bermudez. This fight would be two top-tier boxers competing at a high level.
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By: Garrisson Bland
