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Cloutier’s Canada Corner
Marc Ramsay: "The Bigger The
Challenge,
The More Pascal Will Perform"
By Daniel Cloutier
MONTRÉAL - The Jean Pascal’s trainer, Marc Ramsay, believes
that the Montréal boxing fans will see in action the best
Jean Pascal ever March 14th in the ring of the Bell Centre.
Former WBC light heavyweight champion of the world, Pascal,
a Montrealer, will dispute that night the most significant
fight of his career. Pascal (29-2-1) will try to dethrone
the Russian Sergey Kovalev (26-0-1) as WBA, WBO and IBF
light heavyweight champion of the world.
This fight should attract between 15,000 and 20,000
spectators.
“The more a challenge is big, the more Pascal is performing,
said Ramsay. And Jean knows that next Saturday, he will live
the biggest challenge on his career. Kovalev is detaining
three of the four major crowns of the light heavyweight
division. He is big, strong, solid and intense, then, he did
not became WBA, WBO and IBF champion by accident. However, I
am positive that the Montreal boxing fans will see in action
the best Jean Pascal ever Saturday. Not only because Jean
loves big challenges, but also because he is a more mature
boxer, he is craftier than ever, and he is better
technically than he has never been. He is working so hard in
training to improve every aspects of his style. No doubt in
my mind Pascal has the skills, the confidence and the
determination to beat Kovalev. Even Kovalev is admitting
that he never faced a boxer with the Pascal’s skills. We
have prepared a great match plan for Kovalev, and I am sure
that Pascal will follow it perfectly. Jean knows this fight
is one of the most prestigious one in the Canadian boxing
history, then, he is enthusiast and motivated like he has
never been.”
John David Jackson, the Kovalev’s trainer, is not worried at
all for his fighter, who has been established favourite by
4-1 by the bookies, to keep his three crowns. “Kovalev is
not only good and strong, he is a real pro who is working
like hell in the gym every day, said Jackson. Kovalev is not
WBA, WBO and IBF champion of the world by coincidence. He is
so determinate to win each time he is the ring. He is really
ambitious. His statute of WBA, WBO and IBF champion is huge,
but he will never been satisfied before the moment which he
will have the four major crowns in his possession. He wants
so much to be the great master of the light heavyweight
division.”
Bernard Barré, the scout of the GYM Group, was the man who
recruited Pascal for the GYM Group in 2005. Pascal left the
GYM Group last fall to join the InterBox Group and the
promoter Jean Bédard.
“I really hope that Pascal gonna win Saturday evening, said
Barré. The four major crowns of the light heavyweight
division would be in Montréal, with Adonis Stevenson as WBC
champion. Imagine one second the popularity of an
unification titles bout between Pascal and Stevenson would
have in Montréal or Québec City next fall, a fight involving
the WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF 175 pounds world championships. It
would certainly become the most important fight in the
history of the Canadian boxing. No matter is the fight would
be in Montréal or Québec City, it would definitively be a
sell out. I am so impatient to see what will happen
Saturday. Jean Pascal is extremely fast for a light
heavyweight, he has a great mobility in the ring, his moves
are unpredictable, but he will have to fight with a great
courage and intensity to beat Kovalev. Kovalev is so strong
and so intense in the ring. As you know, Kovalev beat
Bernard Hopkins 12 rounds to nothing November 8th at the
Boardwalk Arena in Atlantic City. However, I am totally
agree with Yvon Michel (the promoter of the GYM group), who
said recently that Pascal becomes specially dangerous when
he is the underdog shoes. And we know the bookies are
establishing Kovalev to win by 4-1. I hope the bookies will
be wrong…”
Wednesday afternoon at the restaurant 4-9-10 of the Bell
Centre, Kovalev, Pascal, their trainers and the promoters
Jean Bédard and Kathy Duva (Main Event, the Kovalev’s
promoter), will all participate to the final press
conference of the event. Thursday afternoon, Bédard will
hold a final press conference for all the fighters involved
in the preliminaries bouts, at he restaurant «La Cage aux
sports» of the Bell Centre.
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