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Cloutier’s Canada Corner
Pascal Back In Action Dec. 16
By Daniel Cloutier
MONTRÉAL - Former WBC light heavyweight champion of the
world, the Montrealer Jean Pascal will be back in the ring
December 16th at the Cogeco Theatre in Trois-Rivières, a
city located at mid-way between Montréal and Québec City.
The
name of his opponent will be revealed in the next days. The
Cogeco Theatre can welcome 400 boxing fans.
Pascal (30-4-1) will fight for the first time since his
painful and humiliating lost against the Russian Sergey
Kovalev (30-1-1) last January 30th in the ring of the Bell
Centre. Outclassed physically and technically, Pascal lost
this rematch by TKO in the seventh round. He lost also his
first match up with Kovalev, 10 months earlier, also at Bell
Centre, this time by TKO in the eighth round.
Last Saturday in Las Vegas, Kovalev lost his WBA, WBO and
IBF light heavyweight championship of the world, a
controversial defeat by unanimous decision against the
Californian Andre Ward (almost of the boxing writers
covering this event picked Kovalev as winner, by two or
three points).
Pascal mentioned he had no intention to take his retirement
after his severe defeat against Kovalev last January. “My
passion for boxing is not dead, said Pascal Wednesday in a
press conference held at the restaurant La Cage aux Sports»
at Bell Centre. Actually, I am training with the same desire
than last year. I want absolutely to complete my career on a
good note. After my second defeat against Kovalev,
retirement was out of question. I am expecting to get a
solid performance in December in Trois-Rivières.”
Pascal has a new trainer: Stéphan Larouche, the former
Lucian Bute’s trainer. Bute is now trained by Howard and
Otis Grant at the Monster GYM in Dorval, in the West Island
of Montréal. “Jean and I were rivals in the past, we are now
partners, said Larouche. Jean is working with me since
September, and trust me, he is clearly determinate to get
back on the winning tract. He is working like hell in the
gym, in sparring like in his physical preparation. I am sure
he will impress his fans December 16th.”
The president of The Eye Of The Tiger Management Group,
Antonin Décarie (the assistant of the promoter Camille
Estephan), believes also that Pascal will deliver a great
performance December 16th. “ Jean wanted absolutely to be
back in action before the end of the year, and he will do
it, said Décarie. We will be able to confirm his opponent in
the next days. We are in serious negotiation with two
potential candidates. Jean did not want to leave boxing on a
sad note (the last defeat against Kovalev), then, he will
tell us when he will feel it’s time for him to quit boxing.”
Pascal is 34 years old.
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