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Thursday, April 20, 2023

Carolina Duer to Face Gabriela Bouvier on April 29

Carolina Duer is scheduled to face Gabriela Bouvier on April 29 at Polideportivo los Polvorines in a suburb of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Both fighters are former world champions. Duer is a boxing legend and recently made expert Malissa Smith's list of the top 5 Jewish female boxers of all-time.

Duer (20-6-2, 6 KOs) is a 44 year old native of Buenos Aires. She now lives in southern Florida. Duer has held a version of the super flyweight and bantamweight world titles during her career, which began in 2007. She is 10-3-1 in world title fights (not including bouts for "interim" belts). She can box and she can brawl. In recent fights, she has relied on her experience more, fighting in bursts and clinching when need be.

Duer participated in a reality show called The Challenge: Argentina this year and is constantly in the gym. She has recently sparred with Stefi Cohen, Avril Mathie, and Ivan Baranchik. But she hasn't been very active inside the prize-ring of late. Her last fight was a four-rounder in August of 2021. That has been her only pro fight since November of 2019.

The 31-year-old Gabriela Bouvier (16-12-1, 3 KOs) turned pro in 2010. She's from Aiguá, Uruguay, a rural town almost three hours outside of the capital, Montevideo. Before one fight, it was announced that Gabriela was from Montevideo; she shook her head, looked at her trainer, and gave him a sarcastic smile.

A tough fighter with good skills, Bouvier's record is a bit deceiving. Seven of her twelve losses have come in world title bouts. She has only lost to good fighters, including three to Mariana Juarez. Duer has also dropped one fight to Juarez. But Gabriela's wins have not been nearly as impressive as Duer's. Bouvier has only four wins against opponents who had winning records when they fought the Uruguayan. Her world title win came against a 6-4-1 fighter for a vacant belt. She defended it once before losing it. Her record in world title bouts (2-7) is unusual for this era because of the number of title chances she's had.

Bouvier throws a technically-sound punch with either hand. Her follow-through is a bit elongated, which generates more power, but also leaves her open to counters. She has been stopped only three times in 29 fights, an impressive record for someone who eats a lot of clean punches. Bouvier isn't at all concerned with defense. She keeps her hands up, but if the guard happens to block a punch, so be it, it was surely an accident. No matter, she can take a good shot

Instead, Bouvier is solely focused on attacking her opponent. She has three weapons: the straight right, the left hook, and her forehead. Many of her opponents have been nailed in the face with a Bouvier butt. Those headbutts might be called "intentional accidents," because Gabriela often leads with her head. For a clincher like Duer, it's a major concern.

Bouvier took nearly three years off from 2019 until last year. In her comeback fight, Bouvier was thoroughly outboxed by southpaw Skye Nicolson, who avoided Bouvier's head by using her foot and hand speed from the outside. After 16 years in the ring, Duer might not have the necessary speed to replicate Nicolson's mastery of the sweet science anymore, so it's setting up to be a rough fight for Duer: win, lose, or draw.

Duer and Bouvier have another common opponent in addition to Juarez. Both have beaten club fighter Silvia Fernanda Zacarias with Duer doing so twice.  In all, Bouvier represents a good test for Duer. If Duer wins, it proves she's still at world level. If not, another world title would likely no longer be a possibility.

This bout is scheduled for ten two-minute rounds and is for an alphabet organization's minor trinket.

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