Former CFL lineman Braidwood to face Bahoeli for obscure WBU heavyweight title

QUEBEC – A bout for an obscure world title between local journeyman Eric Martel-Bahoeli and former Canadian Football League defensive lineman Adam Braidwood will be a co-feature to the light heavyweight showdown between Lucian Bute and Eleider Alvarez on Feb. 24 at the Centre Videotron.

Bahoeli (11-6-1) and Braidwood (6-1) will fight for the vacant heavyweight title of the World Boxing Union, a little-known sanctioning body based in the U.S. The WBU ranks Bahoeli seventh, even though he is 1-3-1 in his last five bouts, and Braidwood ninth.

The 12-round bout promises to be a brawl.

Bahoeli, 35, is coming off a draw with Avery Gibson on July 29 in his hometown of Quebec City. Braidwood, 32, stopped Lee Mein in his last outing on Dec. 2.

Braidwood is forging a new career in boxing. The six-foot-four 250 pounder from Victoria was taken first overall by the Edmonton Eskimos in the 2006 CFL draft. After a promising rookie season, he missed two full campaigns with knee injuries and then got into trouble for abuse of painkillers and other drugs and spent time in prison for assault and firearms violations.

He was released by the Eskimos in 2011.

The fight between Bute, the former IBF super-middleweight champion, and top contender Alvarez, both based in Montreal, will determine the mandatory challenger for WBC champion Adonis Stevenson of Montreal.