G.M. Ross – Friday night marked Tyson ‘the Prince of Hali’ Cave’s first encounter with a hard hitting, seasoned opponent in his short pro career. In an eight round, featherweight contest at Palooka’s Boxing Club in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Cave earned a unanimous decision over Robert Daluz, an American road-warrior with 10 fights in 2009 alone. The judges’ score cards read: Robert MacAvoy 79-73; Chris Schofield 78-74; Ian Bridgeman 78-74..
It’s difficult to say where Cave will go from here. Omar Valdez, of Edmonton, Alberta, is undefeated in his last four fights, with a record of 1-0-3, against unproven opponents. He met Cave in 2007, losing every round to ‘The Prince of Hali’ in the process. Valdez will return to action at the Palace Banquet Centre in Edmonton, Alberta on February 6, 2010. According to Boxrec.com, matchmaker Jeff Henwood is still in the market for a featherweight to fill the date, and Valdez’s performance against this yet unknown opponent may go a long way in determining whether or not he receives a rematch with Cave for the Canadian super bantamweight title.
A more intriguing possibility is a catchweight bout with reigning, undefeated, Canadian super featherweight champion Pier Olivier Cote of Quebec City, Quebec. Cote is coming off a November unanimous decision victory over Jason Hayward of Saint John’s, Newfoundland and at present has not been scheduled for his next appearance. A division below Cave is Canadian bantamweight champion Andrew Singh Kooner of Mississauga, Ontario, who is in need of an opponent for a March 27 date at the Hershey Centre in his hometown. A ‘Champion versus Champion’ tag-line would do wonders for the event, and spark some much needed interest for professional boxing in Ontario.
Last, but certainly not least, is Sebastien Gauthier of Saint Jerome, Quebec. Gauthier’s record sits at 17-2-0, with one loss coming in his most recent contest via second round knockout to future NABF bantamweight champion Mario Macias. Gauthier is the former WBO inter-continental bantamweight champion, and is considered the number one contender for the Canadian bantamweight title by the Canadian Boxing Federation.
Cave may be a long way from fights with fellow Canadian super bantams Olivier Lontchi and Steve Molitor, but fighting one of the above mentioned up-and-coming Canadians could do wonders for his resume, and expand his opportunities in the future.