By Richard Cloutier, netboxe.com
Promoter Yvon Michel advised BoxingScene.com/Netboxe.com, discussions are ongoing to organize a fight between Renan St-Juste (21-2-1) and Sebastien Demers (31-3-0). The two men could compete on December 3 at the Bell Centre in Montreal as part of the "Fast & Furious" series.
For many years the possibility of such a battle has been raised. It seems that the time has finally come. Both St-Juste and Demers have been defeated in their last outin. St-Juste lost a majority decision at the hands of the American Marcus Upshaw on May 28 at the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec. As for Demers, he was stopped by TKO by Bryan Vera in the ring Stade Uniprix in Jarry Park in Montreal on June 11.
"The announcement is very premature," said promoter Yvon Michel to BoxingScene.com. In fact, it's true that we have discussed it, but right now we have a problem with weight. If this issue fails to get resolved, Sebastien Demers will still be listed on the gala on Dec. 3, but will then face Nicholson Poulard."
If they can't agree on the weight, there is then actually a possibilty of seeing Sebastien Demers face Nicholson Poulard on December 18 at the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City on the undercard to Jean Pascal vs. Bernard Hopkins. Demers and Poulard, who is the half brother of Jean Pascal, clashed in November 2009 at the Casino de Montreal in a battle in which both boxers were dropped to the mat. Demers still won the fight by unanimous decision.
Sebastien Demers, a boxer from St-Hyacinthe, Quebec, was the International middleweight champion of the IBF between 2006 and 2008. He was until recently the proprietor of the NABF crown at super middleweight. His most notable fight was certainly the one in which he measured in 2007 in Germany against then world champion at middleweight Arthur Abraham. Demers had then suffered his first defeat in his career with a knockout in the third round. The second of his three defeats was registered against the Columbian Dionisio Miranda, one of the recent victims of St-Juste.
For his part, despite his recent defeat to Marcus Upshaw, Renan St-Juste still carries the dream of participating in a world title fight. His reputation for being a left-handed hitter, however, is not helping his chances of being selected by someone for an optional defense. Recently, the middleweight was very close to facing Kelly Pavlik. Promotional company InterBox actually tried, unsuccessfully, to make this fight on the undercard of the fight between Lucian Bute vs. Jesse Brinkley at the Bell Centre in Montreal on October 15. Pavlik chose another direction. This duel would have set the table for a possible fight between Pavlik and Bute.