“I’ve been looking forward to this match for a long time because I was supposed to box her at nationals and that was like two years ago and it never happened,” she said.
The fighter said she recently sparred Pevere during a national boxing camp in Montreal earlier this year and came away encouraged.
“And now I’m just really excited to get in there with her, and it’s going to be like one of the best bouts of my career,” she said.
Her coach and father, Quenten Demers, believes the matchup represents another major step forward for the young boxer as she moves up to the 60-kilogram division and begins facing increasingly elite international competition.
“This is really good experience for Havana,” he said. “Hazel is like one of the best boxers around.”
Pevere recently returned from competition in Spain against European opponents, while Havanna has also been building international experience through training camps and tournaments, including the U19 World Boxing Futures Cup in Thailand, where she finished 17th.
Her growing résumé also includes four provincial titles, two national medals and a Western Canadian championship.
“I’m just getting sharper as I progress in my competitions and training,” Havanna said. “I’m really excited to showcase it.”
The Saskatoon bout is only part of an increasingly busy summer schedule.
The young athlete is also preparing for the Rival Boxing Tournament in Oklahoma in July, where her team expects her to compete in three contests while potentially targeting a matchup against American 60-kilogram champion Kaylee Aguilar of Houston.
“It’s exciting times for us,” Quenten said.
The family said they are also learning how to better balance recovery and performance as the level of competition rises.
“We’re actually learning from how we have been training,” Quenten said. “And I think we were training a little bit too hard.”
He said the team has adjusted its approach by easing training intensity and placing more emphasis on nutrition and recovery so Havanna can peak at the right moments.
Despite the growing pressure and travel, the boxer said she is embracing the challenge.
“I’m not really like overwhelmed,” she said. “It’s to be expected, right? When you get up here at this high level.”
The long-term target, she said, remains clear.
“I want to get to the Olympics, the real Olympics, and do my best there,” Havanna said.
The June 13 card is expected to feature several high-level professional bouts, including WBA interim flyweight world champion Alexas Kubicki defending her 112-pound title against Guatemala’s Maria Micheo Santizo, alongside former 126-pound and current 130-pound Canadian champion Logan Cloutier.
—
Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com