ANTONIN DECARIE vs DORIN SPIVEY

One of Canada’s up and coming fighters is featured on the Ngoudjo-Urango show on Friday when unbeaten Antonin Decarie defends his WBO NABO welter title against substitute Dorin Spivey, a 35-year-old veteran from Norfolk, VA. who comes in as a replacement for Michael Clark.

Spivey’s manager, Pat Nelson, tells me that his man is ready for a 12-rounder because he was in effect on standby and was already training for a bout scheduled for one week after the fight in Montreal. “Spivey’s been sparring with local guys in Norfolk and he says he has been having good work,” Nelson said. “He spars with four guys, three rounds each for 12 rounds, so I know he’ll be ready and I’m expecting a good performance from him.”

This will be Spivey’s second bout after a 20-month layoff. “He lost a decision to Dean White in a bout he really felt he won, and his got kinda discouraged,” Nelson said.

Spivey won a four-rounder in August, and based on his experience and boxing skills he should be a decent test for Decarie. The Montreal local favourite has won 20 bouts in a row but he is not considered a very hard hitter, with just six opponents stopped. Spivey has fought at a higher level, with his best performances being wins over Canadian Billy Irwin and the then-undefeated Michael Stewart, although these fights were in 2001 and 2002 respectively.

Decarie was impressive in his last fight when he wore down game slugger Hector Munoz for a stoppage win in the last round, and before this he outpointed the previously unbeaten Ohio boxer, Brian Camechis, when he had to get off the floor to win. (Officially, Decarie was not knocked down, the referee having ruled a slip, but the fighter himself has admitted in interviews that he was legitimately dropped by a left hook — the first time he had been floored, amateur or pro, he said.)

As an amateur, Decarie won several Canadian national titles and boxed in the Commonwealth Games and Pan American Games, as well as winning a couple of bouts with the Canadian team in Ireland, so he is quite a seasoned boxer even though Spivey has much more pro experience.

Spivey says he has regained his enthusiasm for boxing but one wonders how much he has left at 35 and after just four bouts in the past three years. At his best, though, Spivey was a slick, smart boxer and as recently as June 2006 he lost a close eight-rounder to the highly useful Eleazar Contreras. Also, at one time Spivey was trained by Pernell Whitaker, so he has probably picked up some defensive tricks.

Decarie looks like being too young and strong for the veteran, and he should win a fairly clear decision. The Spivey of the Irwin and Clark fights might well have had the edge over Decarie, but as the matchmaker/agent Rick Glaser would put it: “That day has come and gone.”