The Quebec boxing world has lost one of its greatest pioneers in Hans-Karl Mühlegg.
Died on Sunday from cancer, the founder of Interbox allowed the sport he cherished to shine in the Belle Province for a few years before the start of the millennium, having produced two world champions, among other things.
Of course, there was Leonard Dorin, between 2002 and 2004, who was the WBA lightweight world champion, but before that, there was also Eric Lucas, the WBC superweight world champion. means, between 2001 and 2003.
Interbox was not even five years old when it produced its first world champion in Lucas, while Mühlegg had founded this promotion company in 1997.
From the start, the group had targeted several Quebecers to join its ranks, including Stéphane Ouellet, Jean-François Bergeron and Lucas.
“The fact that he arrived in the world of boxing, that he decided to leave the Interbox group with all the players who were part of his team – in there Yvon Michel and many others – it ended by raising boxing in Quebec to a world level, and today, boxing in Quebec is still at that level and there is a part [du mérite] which is his, ”said Lucas, joined at the end of the line.
The now 51-year-old athlete has only fond memories of the former promoter.
“He’s a nice man. I rubbed shoulders with him a bit during my years with Interbox, from 1998 to 2004, added the former world champion. We met for dinner a few years ago and he was a really human man.
“The word that comes back to me is that he is a really wonderful human being and very kind.”
A different and original way of doing things
In launching Interbox, Mühlegg adhered to a very unusual practice. Contrary to what is seen today, the athletes in his group were paid, like employees, to train, in addition to benefiting from housing and a vehicle provided, among other things.
“It had never been seen in the boxing world, for a promoter to start a boxing business and pay his athletes before he even made a dollar. Boxing has always worked [de la même façon]. The boxers were boxing and their promoter took a percentage of their purse. We weren’t the same.
“It allowed me to have all the necessary tools for an athlete. When we started with Interbox, we didn’t need to worry regarding money, because we had a salary to train, vehicles provided. We are talking regarding material goods, but also everything that surrounded training. Coaches, physical trainers, psychologists, we had everything at our disposal.
“It is thanks to this gentleman and all the investments he has made. For my part, it served me very well, I was able to put all my energy into my boxing career and it led me to the world championship. There is a big part of it that I can say that is also his.
