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Cloutier’s Canada Corner
Jean Pascal: "My Speed &
Experience Will Make The Difference In My Fight With
Gonzalez"
By Daniel Cloutier
MONTRÉAL - Former WBC light heavyweight champion of the
world, the Montrealer Jean Pascal wants absolutely to get
another shot for a world title. It’s exactly why he has
accepted whiteout hesitation the last offer of HBO. The
network offered him to face the promising Cuban Yunieski
Gonzalez (16-0-0) in a 10 rounds bout presented just before
the WBA, WBO and IBF light heavyweight championship of the
world between the Russian Sergey Kovalev (27-0-0) and the
French Nadjib Mohammedi (37-3-0) July 25th at the Mandalay
Bay hotel-casino in Las Vegas.
March 14th at Bell Centre in Montréal, Pascal lost his
chance to dethrone Kovalev as WBA, WBO and IBF 175 pounds
champion of the world. Pascal (29-3-1) lost by TKO in the
eighth round.
“True, I want absolutely to get another shot for a world
title, said Pascal Tuesday in a press conference held at the
restaurant La Cage aux Sports of the Bell Centre. I am sure
I still have the weapons necessaries to get a world title.
Then, I got to win July 25th. I have no choice if I want to
keep alive my chances to get another shot for a world title.
Gonzalez? I got to take him very seriously. He knows he will
be involved in the most significant bout of his career July
25th, then, he will certainly give everything he has to beat
me. On my side, I am positive I gonna win this bout. I
really believe my experience and my speed will make the
difference in the result of this bout. Gonzalez in hungry,
it’s clear, but he never faced a fighter of my caliber. I
have been involved in six world championships fights.
Gonzalez none. And I beat clearly a former IBF super
middleweight champion of the world, Lucian Bute, In January
2014 at Bell Centre. My experience in majors fights will
certainly be a crucial weapon July 25th. i got a perfect
preparation and I am very impatient to take this challenge.”
Pascal, in matter fact, fought in six world championship
bouts. In 2008, in Nottingham, England, he lost by unanimous
decision against the British Carl Froch in a WBC super
middleweight championship of the world. In 2009, Pascal
faced twice the Montrealer Romanian Adrian Diaconu, each
time in a WBC light heavyweight championship of the world.
Pascal won both fights by unanimous decision. In 2010 and
2011, Pascal fought twice the legendary Bernard Hopkins in
WBC light heavyweight titles bouts. In 2010, in Québec City,
the first match up was a draw. In the rematch, in 2011 in
Montréal, Hopkins won by unanimous decision. And Pascal lost
by TKO against Kovalev in his last world title bout. It was
the first time of his career that Pascal lost a fight before
the limit.
Pascal, a fighter of 33 years old, has 243 rounds of
experience in pro boxing, versus 66 for Gonzalez, who is 30 years old.
Marc Ramsay, the Pascal’s trainer, said: “I am totally agree
with Jean. I strongly believe that the experience, the
skills and the speed of my fighter will make him the winner
July 25th. But the crowd and the HBO clients will certainly
assist to a very intense and spectacular fight. Gonzalez is
a young wolf very hungry. He is extremely strong physically
and he hits really hard. Against this type of fighter, Jean
will need to use his speed and mobility to try to confuse
the opponent the most possible. Jean is determinate to get
another chance to fight in a world championship, then, trust
me, he will show a super determination, concentration and
craftiness in the ring at Mandalay Bay. Jean knows that
Gonzalez wants to use him as springboard to get himself a
shot for a world title in 2016. July 25th, it will be a
great match up between two natural warriors. I strongly
believe I will be in the winning corner….”
Gonzalez talked to the Montréal medias by videos conference.
“I am so happy to have this chance to face one of the
greatest names in the light heavyweight division, said
Gonzalez. I like intense fights, and I hope it will be the
case in the ring of the Mandalay Bay July 25th. I am a
natural attacker in the ring, and I will certainly use my
most important weapon from the beginning to the end.”
Ramsay replied: “No doubt in my mind, Gonzalez will attack
energetically July 25th, to try to hide the fact he has not
the Pascal’s experience and craftiness. But Jean is
perfectly prepared to face what Gonzalez can bring to the
table. Jean has been involved in six world championships
bouts, and his opponents in these championships bouts got
different styles. Jean has been able to give a solid
opposition in each of these world championships bouts. You
will see in action a Jean Pascal at his best July 25th. If
the fight is crucial for the Gonzalez future, it’s exactly
the same thing for Jean.”
Pascal will fight in Las Vegas for the first time of his
career. “It will be a fascinating experience, said Pascal.
Everybody knows that Las Vegas is one of the most
prestigious places for boxing in the world. I am sure I will
extremely motivated and exciting to go in the ring at the
Mandalay Bay Arena July 25th. I want to prove I still have
several important wins in my bag…”
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