Sillakh-Pascal in talks for May fight: Don’t hold your breath in this fight happening

By Boxing News - 01/28/2012 - Comments

Image: Sillakh-Pascal in talks for May fight: Don't hold your breath in this fight happeningBy Dan Ambrose: According to Dan Rafael, there are talks between former WBC light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal (26-2-1, 16 KO’s) and unbeaten contender Ismayl Sillakh (17-0, 14 KO’s) to fight in early 2012 in a World Boxing Council light heavyweight eliminator with the winner of that fight take on the winner of the April 28th fight between WBC light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson.

It sounds great, right? Well I wouldn’t hold my breath in this actually happening because I can’t see Pascal, #3 WBC, taking this risky right against the No.2 ranked challenger Sillakh. I hope Pascal does but I can’t see hit happening. He’s tasted the big money and facing Sillakh for small money in a risky fight, I just don’t see it happening.

Pascal will likely take a soft opponent some time in 2012 or most likely just sit and wait until the Hopkins vs. Dawson fight is over with and then come to the post-fight press conference and call out the winner to jump in front of the higher ranked Sillakh. That’s what I see happening here and I bet you the Dawson-Hopkins winner will elect to fight the much better known Pascal rather than fight Sillakh, who is appears to be a much better fighter.

Sillakh’s promoter Jon Wirt is reportedly in talks with Pascal’s promoter Yvon Michel in trying to arrange a fight between them. Wirt told Dan Rafael at ESPN “We’re very hopeful that this fight will take place between Sillakh and Pascal, and Yvon and I are talking about potentially doing it in May but nothing is done yet.”

I bet Wirt is doing all the heavy lifting here and probably for nothing. I wish Pascal would take this fight but I don’t see it happening. He’ll likely get another title shot whether he fights or not. He’s been sitting around doing nothing for the past eight months and I suspect he’ll wait around until April 28th to find out who wins the Dawson-Hopkins II fight. He’ll then call out the winner, get a verbal agreement and then move on from there to get the contract signed. Sillkah won’t be fighting Pascal, believe me. That guy will have to wait another year or so before he eventually gets his shot in 2013.



Comments are closed.