This article has been submitted by Brandon “The Hebrew Hammer” Farber, and is part one in a multi-part Canadian boxing spotlight.

Lucian Bute, Joachim Alcine, Adrian Diaconu, Herman N’Goudjo and Jean Pascal are just a few amongst many Quebec fighters making waves across the boxing world. However, unless you are a French speaking boxing fan from Quebec, you haven’t seen or heard the impact these fighters are making in the sport. This is a problem that is deeply rooted in the lack of media coverage these up and coming stars receive in Canada. Not once have I heard any of these names mentioned on a national Canadian sports network. I put the blame directly on the shoulders of TSN, the Score and Rogers Sportsnet. How can these fighters expect to get into the spotlight without the media attention that they have earned? Currently, the only place one can watch their fights are on the TVA and RDS French television networks or live in person at the Bell Centre or the Casino de Montreal. So unless you subscribe to French cable television or live in the Montreal area you have definitely not been exposed to the tremendous potential these fighters have displayed. As a boxing fan I find this disheartening as these fighters have worked and trained vigorously to make names for themselves.

With the lack of Canadian media coverage it has been difficult for these Quebec fighters to land big money fights in the United States. Most of the fighters have had to slowly climb the ladder, fighting low quality opponents frequently. The majority of their fights have taken place in Montreal or in Europe. However, in the past couple of years things have begun to change slightly. Last year, ESPN held both a Wednesday Night Fights and a Friday Night Fights in Montreal. The events were completely sold out, as are many other boxing events held in Montreal. Joe Tessitore, an ESPN boxing analyst, described the events as overwhelming successes and witnessed the increasing talent and potential of Quebec fighters. He also witnessed the popularity of the sport in the province and he appreciated the monstrous sold-out crowd, something that does not happen often in the U.S.

The popularity of boxing and Mixed Martial Arts in Montreal is probably second to the Montreal Canadiens, obviously. As the U.S. media coverage of boxing in Quebec is increasing and Quebec based fighters are moving their way to the top of the ranks, the world will soon see the talent possessed by these young fighters. However, it is still extremely difficult for the Quebec fighters to land the big time prize fights and it will remain nearly impossible as long as they remain in the shadows. Realistically, the only way for a Quebec fighter to obtain a shot at a title is to climb the ranks and become a mandatory challenger. Even in the case of earning a mandatory challenger there are loads of politics and loop holes involved. The big time names in boxing really have nothing to gain by fighting the relatively unknown Quebec boxers. Why would “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather Jr. step into the ring with the likes of Joachim Alcine when a multimillion dollar payday is waiting at the end of the Oscar Del La Hoya rainbow? The answer is simple, he would never. If Miguel Cotto, the most dangerous man in the division, cannot get the “Pretty Boy” in the ring then what chance does an unknown boxer from Quebec have?

In Quebec, there are two major promotional boxing companies. Over the years, the rivalry has been quite nasty between Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) and Interbox. Prior to the arrival of GYM on the scene, Interbox dominated the development of fighters in Quebec. In my view, the increased competition of a rival company has provided greater incentive and motivation to develop more talented fighters, put together incredible fight cards and put Quebec on the map in the boxing world. Although the rivalry has not been a friendly one, I think both companies can appreciate what the opposition has done for their respective stable of fighters. GYM’s camp includes Joachim Alcine, Herman N’Goudjo, Jean Pascal, Sebastien Demers as well as some other promising young fighters. They are all trained by Howard Grant, yes, Otis’ brother. My home in Montreal is right around the corner from the GYM training facility. I have personally met Howard Grant and have seen and heard the determination in his voice to breed champion boxers and to put Quebec on the map. Actually, Howard Grant has generously offered to train me; perhaps I will take him up on this offer. One day I hope to have the opportunity to write an autobiographic profile of my struggles as a fighter from Quebec. As ODC readers, I probably would not get your hopes too high for that as I have a weak chin and I cut easily. I think that’s enough speculation for right now. However, in the near future I hope to obtain the privilege of interviewing Grant along with some of his fighters and bringing these responses to the ODC readers.

On the other side of town, Interbox, the original Montreal based boxing company has also succeeded in developing some dominant fighters. Amongst them are Lucian Bute and Adrian Diaconu. Stephane Larouche is the mastermind behind the development of the Interbox fighters. As I am sure most of the ODC readers are unfamiliar with these fighters’ abilities, ranks and recent fights, I will begin a series of articles which I will call “Farber’s Featured Fighters”, profiling the up and coming fighters as well as the established top ranked fighters Quebec has to offer. Lucian Bute will be the first boxer profiled in this series, and you can look for that article later this week.

This article has been submitted by Brandon “The Hebrew Hammer” Farber, and is part one in a multi-part Canadian boxing spotlight.