SUBMITTED PHOTO Janick Lacroix (left) and Tristan Deveau pose following a boxing card in Regina Saturday.
Janick Lacroix took a rare loss in the ring this past weekend, while Tristan Deveau showed he’s a boxer on the rise.
Lacroix, the celebrated reigning silver medalist at both nationals and Canada Winter Games this past year, lost a decision Saturday in Regina to Winnipeg’s Muhammed Makhloaf.
Deveau, who trains with Lacroix at the Medicine Hat Boxing Club, stopped ex-national champ Quinn Neald in the third round of their fight.
Both teenagers were up against tough competition. Neald was fighting in his hometown, but Deveau “came out hard from the first bell,” according to coach Kerry Fahlman.
“Hitting with power in both hands, gave him two standing eight counts,” added Fahlman of Deveau’s performance. “Great match for Tristan.”
It was hardly a poor showing from Lacroix, as Makhloaf is the reigning national junior 75 kilogram champion. The two could have met at Canada Winter Games in February where Lacroix took silver and Makhloaf was fourth. They were in different categories (Lacroix in youth, Makhloaf in junior) at nationals later in the spring.
Fahlman said the match “could have went either way but Janick ended up losing a 29-28 decision.”
He also noted a rematch will happen in Medicine Hat Jan. 11 or 12 at the Nieman/Page Memorial.
