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Cloutier’s Canada Corner
Bernard Hopkins: "Kovalev Will
Stop
Pascal In The Sixth Or Seventh Round"
By Daniel Cloutier
LAS VEGAS - Former champion of the world, one of the
greatest boxer of our generation, Bernard Hopkins fought the
two boxers involved in the main event of the InterBox boxing
show presented March 14th at Bell Centre in Montréal: the
Russian Sergey Kovalev (26-0-1) and the Montrealer Jean
Pascal (29-2-1).
Against Pascal, Kovalev will defend his WBA, WBO and IBF
light heavyweight championships of the world.
November 8th at the Boardwalk Arena in Atlantic City,
Kovalev, who showed up in the ring with the WBO belt, became
WBO, WBA and IBF light heavyweight champion of the world, in
beating Hopkins by unanimous decision (12 rounds to
nothing).
Hopkins faced twice Pascal.
December 18th 2010 at the Québec City Colisée, Hopkins and
Pascal fought 12 rounds, and the result was a draw. The
rematch has been presented May 21st 2011 at Bell Centre in
Montréal. This time, Hopkins won by unanimous decision and
dethroned Pascal as WBC light heavyweight champion of the
world.
Former middleweight (160 pounds), super middleweight (168
pounds) and light heavyweight (175 pounds) champion of the
world, Hopkins (55-7-2), who has been involved in 34 world
championship fights (record of 25-5-2 and two no contest),
believes that Kovalev will demolish Pascal March 14th.
“I fought both, and I can tell you that Kovalev is a lot of
more dangerous than Pascal, said Hopkins in the lobby of the
MGM Grand Friday morning. Kovalev is stronger physically
than Pascal, and he is a lot of more intense than him in
each round. My prediction? Kovalev will stop Pascal in the
sixth or the seventh round. Yes, I pick Kovalev to win by
TKO.”
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