Unbeaten Canadian lightweight (Prince) Lucas Bahdi one win away from WBA title fight
Unbeaten Canadian (Prince) Lucas Bahdi will meet former world champion Roger (The Kid) Gutierrez in a 12-round WBA lightweight title elimination bout on Aug. 23 in Orlando, Fla.
The winner will become the mandatory challenger for WBA 135-pound champion Gervonta (Tank) Davis.
The contest at the Caribe Royale Resort is the first of Bahdi's newly signed multi-fight contract extension with Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions.
Bahdi (19-0-0 with 15 knockouts) is currently ranked fifth among lightweight contenders by the WBA, sixth by the IBF, 12th by the WBC and 14th by the WBO.
Gutierrez (29-6-1 with 22 knockouts) is ranked ninth by the WBA. The 30-year-old Venezuelan, who has won his last two fights after losing two straight, won the WBA super-featherweight title in 2021, losing his crown 19 months later.
Bahdi made his pro debut in 2019, winning his first 11 fights by knockout. The 31-year-old from Niagara Falls, Ont., recorded unanimous decision wins over Mexico's Diego Fabian Eligio and Diego Andrade Chavez in 2022 before resuming his knockout streak.
In May 2023, Bahdi defeated Mexican Jesus Amparan to claim the IBF North American lightweight title. He then turned heads in July 2024 with a highlight-reel KO of American Ashton (H2O) Sylve. Bahdi won a unanimous decision over Filipino southpaw Ryan James Racaza last time out in March in Toronto.
Bahdi played hockey and soccer growing up, but things changed after he walked into a boxing gym at 14. He got serious about the sport at 16, shedding the other sports.
He fought as an amateur from 2009 to 2019 and was an Olympic alternate in 2016.
---
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
National Post
an hour ago
- National Post
NFL great suffers wardrobe malfunction during Hall of Fame induction
Article content The NFL pass-rushing great was honoured in Canton, Ohio, as part of the latest class inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But while he was receiving his gold jacket, it was another article of clothing the four-time NFL All-Pro had an issue with: His pants. Article content Article content The star defensive end walked on stage with his family and as he performed his signature 'calf-roping' sack dance, Allen suffered a wardrobe malfunction with a large tear down the back of his right thigh very visible after he got up from kneeling. Article content Jared Allen's pants ripped while he was doing his calf-roping celebration at the Gold Jacket ceremony. 😂😂😂 — Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 3, 2025 Article content After he got back to his feet, Allen checked the back of his pants with his hand and felt the rip. Article content He did seem to be in good spirits over the incident, however, appearing to laugh as he walked off the stage with his wife and two daughters. Article content Allen played 12 seasons in the NFL, starting out with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he enjoyed some success before being launched to superstardom after joining the Vikings in 2008. Article content During his six years in Minnesota, he recorded at least 11 sacks every season, including a career-high 22 in 2011 – a year which saw him finish as runner-up in NFL defensive player of the year voting. Article content
National Post
an hour ago
- National Post
Top Canucks draft pick Braeden Cootes misses world junior camp exhibition games with injury
Article content Vancouver Canucks 2025 first-round draft Braeden Cootes sat out Team Canada's three exhibition games at the world junior summer camp in Minneapolis last week with an undisclosed injury. Article content Canada coach Dale Hunter told Adam Kimelman that Cootes was among three players sidelined with 'light stuff, not heavy stuff,' and Kimelman referred to the 18-year-old Seattle Thunderbirds centre as missing action because he was 'banged up.' Article content Article content Article content There's been no update on his status from the Canucks. It's unclear whether he was injured at camp or this is a nagging issue. Article content Vancouver picked Cootes at No. 15 overall back in June and signed the 6-foot, 185-pound right-handed shot to his three-year, entry-level contract 10 days later. Article content Canada lost 6-3 to Finland and 8-4 to Sweden before beating the U.S. 6-2 in Minneapolis last week. Article content The world junior tournament uns Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Article content Canada coach Dale Hunter described injuries to Michael Misa, Henry Mews and Braeden Cootes as "light stuff, not heavy stuff." He said there's a chance one of them, along with defenseman Harrison Brunicke (illness), could play tomorrow vs. the U.S. Will be a game-time decision. — Adam Kimelman (@NHLAdamK) August 1, 2025 Article content Article content Canada and USA lineups for today's final game at the World Junior Summer Showcase. Michael Misa and Henry Mews back for Canada after sitting out yesterday. Braeden Cootes (banged up) and Harrison Brunicke (illness) sitting out. — Adam Kimelman (@NHLAdamK) August 2, 2025 Article content Cootes was one of 20 forwards and 36 players overall at the Canada camp. There were eight forwards invited who did not attend, and that list included Kelowna Rockets winger Tij Iginla and Brandon Wheat Kings centre Roger McQueen, who both missed most of this past season with injuries. Article content Of the 44 players invited, 11 are 18 year olds, including Cootes. The rest are 19. Seven players from the group played in this past season's world juniors. Article content Cootes was captain of the Canadian team that won the Under-18 world championship in May in Frisco, Texas. He finished that tournament with six goals and 12 points in seven games. Article content Cootes was also captain of the Thunderbirds this past season, sharing the 'C' initially with Canucks 2023 third rounder Sawyer Mynio and then taking it full time when the Thunderbirds traded blue liner Mynio to the Calgary Hitmen in early January. Article content Mynio played for Team Canada at the world juniors this past season in Ottawa. The team was bounced in the quarterfinals with a 4-3 loss to Czechia. Article content Article content Cootes tallied 26 times and had 63 points in 60 regular season games in his second full season in Seattle. He notched 14 goals and put up 35 points in 64 games as a WHL rookie in 2023-24. Article content Seattle makes its first visit to B.C. in the WHL's second week of the season, playing a weekend twin bill with the Kamloops Blazers on Sept. 26-27. They aren't at the Langley Events Centre to face the Vancouver Giants until Feb. 6. Their other trip to the LEC is Feb. 27. Article content Seattle won the WHL title in 2022-23. They finished ninth in the 11-team Western Conference at 27-38-2-1 in 2023-24 and eighth at 30-33-4-1 last season. They pushed the first-place Everett Silvertips to six games in the first round, including losing twice in overtime. Article content
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Noah Lyles shoved by rival Kenny Bednarek after winning 200m at U.S. track championships
Noah Lyles landed the day's biggest blow on the track, passing Kenny Bednarek for the win, then looking his way to talk some trash. Bednarek's answer was a two-handed shove in the back after the finish line, some more heated words and a challenge for a rematch that can't come soon enough. U.S. track championships turned physical Sunday, with Lyles and Bednarek getting involved in a shoving and shouting match as they crossed the finish line of a hotly contested 200-metre final at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. "Like I've said before, Noah's going be Noah," Bednarek said. "If he wants to stare me down, that's fine." Lyles reeled in Bednarek and crossed in 19.63 seconds for a .04-second victory that sets up a rematch at world championships, on Sept. 19 in Tokyo. The best action in Round 1 came after the finish line. There was jawing, the shove and, then, Lyles turning around, backpedaling, reaching his arms out and bouncing up and down like a boxer before lobbing a few more choice words at Bednarek. Their argument bled into the start of what is normally a celebratory NBC winner's interview. "I tell ya, if you've got a problem, I expect a call," Bednarek said, as the network's Lewis Johnson moved the mic between the runners. Lyles replied: "You know what, you're right. You're right. Let's talk after this." Though they shook hands during that tense post-race, Bednarek was fired up well after the sprinters had left the track. "The summary is, don't do that to me," he said. "I don't do any of that stuff. It's not good character right there. That's pretty much it. At the end of the day, he won the race. I've got to give him props. He was the better man today." 'It's a respect factor' The win itself was no big surprise for Lyles, the three-time defending world champion who will have to get past Bednarek to make it four in Tokyo. Bednarek was asked what Lyles said as he turned around and gloated after securing his fifth national title at his favourite distance. "What he said didn't matter, it's just what he did," Bednarek said. "Unsportsmanlike [expletive] and I don't deal with that. It's a respect factor. He's fresh. Last time we lined it up, I beat him, that's all I can say. Next time we line up, I'm going to win. That's all that matters." Asked to expand on his role in the tiff, Lyles was less forthcoming: "On coach's orders, no comment." As is common in a year after the Olympics — and in an era after Usain Bolt — track is a sport desperately in need of some energy. Who else to provide it than Lyles, the sport's most engaging character this side of Sha'Carri Richardson, who found herself in off-the-track headlines again this weekend. Up to now, track media and the runners themselves have tried to generate rivalries between Lyles and Erriyon Knighton (fizzled), or Lyles and Letsile Tebogo (beat him in the Olympics last year) or, of course, between Lyles and NFL receiver Tyreek Hill (supposed grudge match never took place). Turns out, they probably should have looked at the lane next to him. Bednarek has won silver and beaten Lyles the last two times they've lined up in the 200 at the Olympics, even though Lyles has had issues at both — in Tokyo with his mental health, then in Paris with COVID. Bednarek referenced some long-simmering issues between the two. "Just some personal stuff we've got to handle," he said. But when asked for something, anything, about this burgeoning rivalry, Lyles demurred, instead focusing on what a difficult year this has been for him after an injury in April kept him out of spikes until June. "If they ain't gonna beat me now, they ain't gonna beat me ever," Lyles said. Bednarek isn't so sure of that. The 200 final was Bednarek's fifth race of the week, counting the three heats of the 100 meters, where he won the final Friday. Lyles, who has an automatic spot at worlds in that event as the defending champion, only ran one heat of the 100. "We'll go fresh and we'll see what happens," Bednarek said. "Because I'm very confident I can beat him. That's all I can say."
