Boxer Marie-Ève Dicaire, who literally sacrificed her life for combat sports, still doesn’t know if she will return to the arena after her unanimous decision defeat by the judges in a unification bout against Briton Natasha Jonas in England last Saturday .
• Read also: Was this Dicaire’s last fight?
• Read also: Marie-Ève Dicaire did not get the better of Natasha Jonas
As part of her first interview with Quebec media, the boxer told QUB radio’s Isabelle Maréchal that she shouldn’t make a decision when her emotions are still at their limit. “I am a girl of heart and very instinctive. I am often unpredictable. However, as regards the decisions relating to the rest of my career, I will take them with a clear head, taking into account what my team advises me to do.
For 30 years she was punched in the face. “I sacrificed my life for combat sports. It’s already a miracle that my body has managed to last all this time. It has to be taken into consideration. Sure, I don’t like to lose, but I have to make sure I weigh the pros and cons. I’m 36 and my whole life ahead. Also, I don’t have any injuries that are mortgaging me in the long term.
Called back to her duel, the boxer stressed that she entered the ring in the best preparation of her career. “I was at the peak of my physical and mental shape. I had faith in our game plan. However boxing is like life, there are always imponderables and you have to react. That’s what we did, but it wasn’t enough to save us with victory. I am disappointed with the result, but I am proud of how far my team has come to get to this unification fight.
During this confrontation, the Quebec sportswoman looked like an underdog, a role she is familiar with and felt very comfortable in. “We knew we would be fighting in front of a hostile crowd and in a difficult environment. Amazingly, it’s like I won the hearts of the British, because I walked away with an ovation,” the athlete recalled, adding that she would be curious to cross swords with Natasha Jonas again.
A distant passion
From the age of six, Marie-Ève Dicaire wanted to make a living with a combat sport.
“I am an athlete who has taken a tangent towards boxing. It would have been difficult to find a sport more reserved for men than boxing. He added some spice to this adventure. I don’t stop at comments on social networks. Those who allow themselves to be talked about do not represent the majority of people.
“I have incredible support from the people of Quebec. I have this career, because the public has bought tickets to my fights. There will always be criticism. The moment we try to change things, we make ourselves vulnerable to criticism. But it will take more than that for me to stop promoting women’s sport around the world.
