Injury leads to Macias stepping in for Bazinyan.
Fight Night Woes in Montreal
Erik Bazinyan, a native of Montreal, Quebec, has taken a hit—literally. An unfortunate injury has left him incapacitated, meaning he won't go head-to-head with Steven Butler in their June 27 bout at Centre Videotron. It was Camille Estephan, president of Eye of the Tiger Management, who broke the news on the X platform earlier this week, without providing details regarding Bazinyan's injury (32-1-1, 23 KOs).
According to Estephan, Jose de Jesus Macias (29-13-4, 15 KOs), a 33-year-old Mexican boxer, will replace Bazinyan. Macias previously bested Butler (35-5-1, 29 KOs) by knockout in Cuernavaca, Mexico back in January 2021.
"Getting my revenge, just like Maximus!—It's Butler vs Macias II. Bazinyan's recovery is anything but easy," Estephan wrote on X. Interestingly, Macias is no stranger to Bazinyan, having lost to him by unanimous decision in a fight held at the Cabaret du Casino de Montreal back on June 1, 2023.
In more disappointing news for Montreal fight fans, Quebec heavyweight Alexis Barrière (12-0, 10 KOs) has also had to withdraw from his fight against Roney Hines (14-0-1, 8 KOs) for the WBC Continental Americas title. Barrière, who most recently knocked out Ubaldo LLagor Resendiz on February 25 at Casino du Lac-Leamy, suffered an injury during a sparring session in Florida last week. He returned to Quebec for further examinations to ascertain the extent of his recovery.
These developments might leave boxing fans in Montreal a bit down in the dumps, but the ring's greatest challenge is always to rise and fight on. Stay tuned for updates on these promising fighters and their road to recovery.
[Enrichment Data Note: Although there are no specific news updates concerning the injuries of Erik Bazinyan and Alexis Barrière or the impact on their upcoming fights, a TikTok video exists that discusses a moment involving Bazinyan and speculates about potential future developments.]
Despite the unfortunate injuries forcing Erik Bazinyan and Alexis Barrière to withdraw from their respective fights in Montreal, the spirit of sports remains undeterred. Both Bazinyan and Barrière will have to navigate their recoveries, with Bazinyan set to face Jose de Jesus Macias in a rematch, having previously lost to him in a Montreal bout.
