Quick KO for Bahdi
Lucas Bahdi improved to 2-0 with a first-round knockout last Friday of Ricardo Gonzalez. Photos buy VIRGIL BARROW.
Blink and you might have missed Lucas Bahdi’s second professional fight.
Fighting against Mexican Ricardo Gonzalez last Friday at the Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls, it took the 25-year-old Niagara Falls welterweight a mere 55 seconds to knock out his opponent and improve his pro record to 2-0.
“It was a good fight for the time it went,” Bahdi said. “The guy was 2-0 with two knockouts so I knew I was in there with a good fighter and a good puncher.”
Bahdi started the bout using his jab and boxing from the outside and then was hit with a good shot by Gonzalez when he was in the middle of the ring.
“The shot actually woke me up and made me aware that the guy could punch,” he said. “The whole game plan for the fight was to knock him out with the left hand but when you are in there and fighting, sometimes things go differently.”
The former three-time Canadian amateur champion ended the fight with a overhand right to the chin.
“I was feinting to the body and he bit on it and I landed the overhand right and put him out.”
Bahdi trained hard for the fight and was more than happy to end it quickly.
“I am definitely OK with it because the quicker you get him out, the less punishment you take,” he said. “I want to do this Mike Tyson style and I don’t care how quick I get them out as long as I get the win and knockout.”
Fighting at home was an added bonus.
“I wasn’t planning on take a fight at home this soon, but things happen,” he said.
His first fight was in Mexico and his third will occur at the end of July in New Brunswick.
“I took the (Niagara Falls) fight last minute because I know I needed to get a fight to keep up with my plan to get 10 to 12 fights this year.”
He was a little worried with taking a fight against an unbeaten fighter, but it all worked out.
“It has been so far, so good, there’s been no injuries and I have two wins in 35 days.”
Bahdi feels he has made a smooth transition to the pro game. His biggest adjustment has been to the gloves used. Amateurs use 10-ounce gloves with heavily padded knuckles while pros used eight-ounce gloves with knuckles that are hard.
“Professional gloves are like a rock and that’s the only difference,” he said. “You are meant to knock people out with pro gloves and amateurs you are not.”
The most important adjustment is to avoid getting hit.
Everything else is business as usual.
“I am used to fighting without head gear and fighting with no shirt doesn’t make a difference,” Bahdi said.
