Julio Garcia
On March 8th, KO Boxing will hold its first card of the year at the former Shaw Conference Centre. It’s a date that was not only going to be a fight for Edmonton’s Ryan Ford, but it’s also going to be his 37th birthday and he wanted to celebrate it by fighting in front of his hometown especially after losing his last fight in a controversial manner in February.
Unfortunately, for Ford, he will not get the chance to fight in front of his hometown crowd as the commission decided against letting him compete. A decision that has left Ford baffled as he is banned from fighting at home for a 30 day rest period but can fight elsewhere.
“I would like to inform everyone in Edmonton, the city I have been representing all my life world wide that the new opposed head of Edmonton Combat Commission, former bylaw officer Troy Courtoreille has told KO Boxing Promoter Mel Lubovac that I am not allowed to fight March 8th,” Ford stated via social media.
“He has taken it upon his self to over take the WBC, German Boxing Commission & Ringside Doctors Decision of not suspending me. He says he thinks I should be suspended [a] minimum 30 day [in part of a] rest suspension but I am allowed to fight any where else in the world but my home where I was born and raised, were my father was Canadian lightweight champion ranked #3 in the world. I started my fight career here and one day hope to bring a world title too?
Who is he to make this decision? For a person who has never laced up the gloves, been through a training camp or even been in the ring in a fight to say he thinks I should be suspended 30 days?
You can’t just make up your own laws. Saying if it occurred here in Edmonton it would require a 30 day minimum rest suspension. For my personal safety. Because of my age? Because I had 7 boxing matches in 18 months & I have fought 50 rounds of boxing in the last 14 months going 12 rounds with quality opponents in my last 4.
This is my Job, I am a professional fighter it is what I train do everyday .
I forgot to mention his fight observations that
going 12 rounds…
This is probably the first professional boxing fight Troy Courtoreille has watched.
If the WBC, German Commission & Ringside Doctors did not suspend me who are clearly certified for that job, Troy Courtoreille can not play God and do so. I am medically cleared to fight with all medicals [that] Canadian and European commissions ask for. There is nothing medically wrong with me to keep me from fighting and making a living For my family .
I have never been knocked out, knocked down or stopped in any of my 46 professional fights. But this former by law officer can make this decision? This is Illegal.
I am a professional fighter. I’m not a fly by night fighter and just fight for fun. This is not a hobby it is what I do to provide for my family and am trying my best to be a world champion. I take this fight game seriously it’s not a joke and I know the risks of getting in the ring.
By this, former bylaw officer Troy Courtoreille taking it upon his self to not let me fight is doing many things to hurt me. Taking away from me providing for my family, my sponsorships , my credibility along with KO boxing’s credibility.
I have a short window of opportunity to succeed in my career [and] holding me back from this fight with no credibility could set me back from a shot at a world title witch could be a potentially revenue of hundreds of thousands of dollars possibly more if I make it.
The Edmonton Combative Commission needs to have people who have been in or around the fight game for years taking these positions not just someone who has completed University with a degree or former bylaw officers who’s job was to hand out tickets.
These people will and are hurting the fight game by just thinking about saving their asses and coming up with excuses.
So literally Edmonton didn’t learn anything from their last mistake here and put another inexperienced person with no Combat experience to run a combative commission?
Trust me I will be getting a lawyer and sueing the Edmonton Combative Commission for stopping me from making a living to provide for my family and loss of revenue.”
