A little luck is all Yan Pellerin asked for when he jumped into the world of professional boxing with both feet in 2018. Four years later, he is a world contender.

With hindsight, this is a real tour de force for the former mixed martial arts fighter, who was frequently presented as the training partner of Steve Bossé.

But Pellerin never skimped on the effort and modestly climbed the ranks one by one, and despite losing his third fight, he eventually became NABO light-heavyweight champion last December. Today, he is ranked the 13th WBO contender.

And as if that weren’t enough, the athlete from Granby is now preparing to organize his first event as a promoter, next May 21, after a long agreement because of the pandemic. It will be held at a location in the greater Montreal area to be determined.

The arrival of a third player in a market that is not necessarily booming is surprising, but according to the principal concerned, he will meet a very present need.

“Right now, there are many boxers on the local scene whose talent is not exploited, explained Pellerin in a telephone interview with RDS.ca earlier this week. I want to help these boxers to progress and when they have reached a certain level, I can count on the help of Yvon Michel to help me establish contacts that I do not yet have in higher circles.

“When I arrived in professional boxing, I did not arrive with a championship title in the amateur ranks in my pocket. If Yvon gave me a place on his events, it’s because I was a ticket seller. There are currently several boxers who deserve even more than me the chance that I had. I’m not here for the money, just to help them. »

Fans will thus have the chance to see boxers like Alexis Barrière, Derek Pomerleau, Kevin Menoche, Francis Charbonneau and Petar Gavrilovic at work, but perhaps also more well-known veterans such as Francis Lafrenière or Shakeel Phinn. Lines have been cast…

Of the lot, Barrière is undoubtedly the most promising, since he was twice Canadian senior champion in the amateur ranks. The heavy Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu could also get his hands on his first belt on May 21, because the Canadian title could be at stake. The last Quebec pugilist to have owned it was David Cadieux, fifteen years ago already, in 2007.

Many offers

On a personal level, Pellerin is slowly but surely recovering from a serious shoulder injury suffered during his last fight against Francisco Rivas Ruiz in December 2021.

He was originally scheduled to undergo surgery to reattach his labrum, but doctors discovered degenerative osteoarthritis, which forced him to spend five hours on the operating table. His rehabilitation is progressing well, however, and he could make his return in June.

His name now appearing in the WBO rankings, Pellerin reveals that the phone has started ringing regularly and that the offers are pouring in. But he does not intend to make a decision in haste, specifying that he has the luxury of choosing and that he does not box to survive.

“What will dictate my decision is in particular the size of the amphitheater or the presence of a major television network. The goal is just to have big, big fun, explained Pellerin. We have already had talks with several boxers who are very well ranked.

“There is Briton Chris Billiam-Smith, who is ranked 3rd in the WBO. There is also the team of [l’ancien adversaire d’Adonis Stevenson et Jean Pascal] Badou Jack who contacted us. »

Boxer or even promoter, Pellerin basically has only one simple wish: to learn as much as possible and push his limits in an environment that he deems pleasant.