Boudreault victorious

BY LAUREL MYERS

With his third professional match under his belt, Phil Boudreault, "the Sudbury Sensation," a moniker he uses in the ring, remains undefeated in his professional career since his return to the sport in January.

Entering the fight with a 2-0 record, Boudreault knocked gloves with Tebor Brosch of Mississauga,1-2-2, for the second time in his still-fresh professional career.

In the rematch, held two weekends ago at the Belleville Quinte Sports Centre, the two pugilists battled it out in six rounds of what Boudreault's coach said was an incredible, but dirty fight.

"It was dirty fight on the opponent's behalf," coach Gord Apolloni said. "He was hitting below the belt and he head-butted Phil in the second round and busted his nose."

Despite the injury, the 32-year-old fought the remaining four rounds and earned a unanimous decision in his favour when the final bell rang. "This was his first time fighting a six-rounder," the coach said, adding Bouldreault's first two fights were only four rounds. After another six-round match, the fighter will move up to eight rounds.

Apolloni said he hopes the athlete can knock off a few more fights before moving on to challenge for a title in his weight division, which will be a 10-round battle.

The first time the boxers knocked gloves in January, Boudreault won in a split decision over Brosch after four rounds of battle, and claimed his first pro victory.

In his second pro fight, held in April at Casino Rama, Boudreault met up with Mexico's Eduardo Calderon. Unable to score the knockout victory he was gunning for, the "Sudbury Sensation" marked another unanimous decision victory.

Boudreault is a former Olympian who competed at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, where he finished fourth overall in his weight class. His boxing career was temporarily derailed with a decade-long struggle with the law. However, he has jumped back into the sport swinging and plans to take his game to the top.

The boxer's next fight will be held Aug. 29, again at Casino Rama, on the undercard of a world champion, Apolloni said. His opponent is yet to be determined.