Bujold wins 11th straight national boxing crown
KITCHENER — Mandy Bujold boxed her way into the record books Saturday, dismantling a young challenger to win her 11th consecutive national title.
Bujold, who went into the bout in Quebec City tied with Domenic Filane as the owner of 10 Canadian championships, beat Nova Scotia’s Bianca Paquin in a 3-0 decision at the Canadian National Championships.
The Olympian and two-time Pan Am Game champ said afterward she was proud to make Canadian boxing history — and thanked everyone who had helped her reach this special milestone in her career.
“I couldn’t do this without the continued support I get from my sponsors, my family and my community. It means so much to have you all behind me every step of the way,” she said.
Bujold, a 29-year-old flyweight fighter, had a bye in the first round at the nationals, and beat Hamilton’s Kassandra O’Reilly in the semifinals in a unanimous decision Thursday night.
With new coach Stevie Bailey of Guelph’s TNT Boxing club in her corner, Bujold used Paquin’s aggressiveness against her and patiently stayed in control over three rounds.
“Bianca is a very aggressive fighter who likes to brawl so I knew my game plan would be to make her miss while coming in and capitalize with speed and movement,” Bujold said.
“I gained control from the opening bell and executed my game plan exactly as planned.”
After 14 years in the sport, Bujold hasn’t said what her next move will be. But she hasn’t ruled out another shot at the Olympics, after taking a break from boxing.