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Cloutier’s Canada Corner
Jean Pascal:
"My Fight With Kovalev Will Be The Most Prestigious Match Up
In Canadian Pro Boxing History"
By Daniel Cloutier
MONTRÉAL - Former WBC light heavyweight champion of the
world, the Montrealer Jean Pascal meet the Montréal medias
Monday afternoon at the InterBox office in Boucherville
(south shore Montréal suburb) , to talk about the biggest
mission of his boxing career.
March 14th in the ring of the Bell Centre in Montréal,
Pascal (29-2-1) will dispute definitively the most
significant bout of his career, when he will face the WBA,
WBO and IBF light heavyweight champion of the world, the
Russian Sergey Kovalev (26-0-1). It will be the first time
that a boxing fight presented on the Canadian territory will
involve three major world titles.
“Kovalev is a big challenge, no doubt about, he is actually
the king of the 175 pounds division, but I know in my heart
I have the skills, the speed and the intelligence to
dominate him, said Pascal. I will need to fight perfectly
technically and strategically, and its exactly what I gonna
do from the beginning to end of the fight. Clearly, it will
be crucial moment in my career. Kovalev, who is detaining
now three major world titles belts, will certainly be
established favourite to win and its perfect. The pressure
will be his shoulders, not on mine. When I will get out of
my dressing room to walk to the ring March 14th, it will be
very exciting moment for me, but probably a stressful moment
for Kovalev. But the main thing for me, it’s to realize my
dream to become back world champion. It’s my major ambition
for 2015. The fact the fight will be a historic one in
Canada, it’s just a «big big» plus for me. I could not
choice a best occasion to get back my statute of world
champion.
Pascal lost his WBC light heavyweight title to Bernard
Hopkins in 2011 in Montréal (unanimous decision). Kovalev
was WBO 175 pounds world champion last summer, but November
8th, he became WBA, WBO and IBF champion of the world in
beating Hopkins (55-7-2) in an unification titles bout
disputed at the Atlantic City Boardwalk Arena. He beat
Hopkins by unanimous decision, and clearly: 12 rounds to
nothing.
Pascal is clearly frustrated when we are mentioning him that
his local enemy, the Montrealer Southpaw Adonis Stevenson
(25-1-0), the actual WBC light heavyweight champion o the
world, is predicting his defeat against Kovalev. Stevenson
said: “I am sure Kovalev will kick the Pascal’s butt March
14th. He will beat him easily and I will face Kovalev at the
end of September at the new Québec City Colisée in a WBC,
WBA, WBO and IBF unification titles. The winner, in
September, will re recognized world wide as the real master
of the light heavyweight division.”
Pascal replied: “Stevenson can say what’s he wants, I know I
am better than him. If I fought the Argentinian Roberto
Feliciano Bolonti (35-3-0) December 6th at Bell Centre (no
contest verdict), it’s because Stevenson refused to face me.
Instead face me, he has chosen an easy opponent (Dmitry
Sukhotsky, a Russian that Stevenson beat by KO in the fifth
round last Friday in Quebec City). I challenged Stevenson
publicly this year, and he said no, no and no! Then, I asked
to my new promoter, Jean Bédard, to negotiate a fight with
Sergey Kovalev… and as you know, this huge project will
become reality March 14th. It will be greatest moment of my
career and certainly a historic moment for the Canadian pro
boxing. I don’t think I am exaggerating in saying it will be
the most prestigious bout of the Canadian pro boxing
history.”
Pascal, who can be a real humorist sometime, compared his
match up with Kovalev… to the movie Rocky IV. “Yes, March
14th, we will live a situation we can compare to the movie
Rocky IV, said Pascal. In that movie, with the Apollo
Creed’s death after his lost against Ivan Drago, Rocky
became world champion. Rocky was underdog, but he won the
heavyweight world championship bout in beating a Russian. I
will play the role of Rocky IV March 14th…”
On his side, Kovalev said to Russian journalists: “I am
expecting to have a very profitable 2015 year financially,
and a very special year in the ring. I should face two
Montrealers at my next two presences in the ring: Jean
Pascal and Adonis Stevenson. Obviously, I will have to take
care of Pascal in first, I will totally be concentrate on
him in the next months, but it’s clear in my mind that
before the end of the year, I will become unified light
heavyweight champion of the world. If i want to have all the
major belts in my possession, the WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF
belts, I will have to beat Stevenson next fall. Pascal and
Stevenson are two of the top light heavyweights in the
world, then, I will have a busy 2015 year.”
Kathy Duva, the Main Event boss, Kovalev’s promoter, said:
“Montréal is one of the most important boxing city in the
world, it’s a perfect place to present a so huge event. A
match up Pascal-Kovalev will certainly become one of the
greatest moment in the Canadian sports history.”
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