By Dan Ambrose: WBC light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal (26-1, 16 KO’s) is flying high after his 11 round technical decision win over former two time light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson (29-1, 17 KO’s) last Saturday night while fighting in front of a home audience, at the Bell Centre, in Montreal, Canada.
Pascal, 27, now feels that he’s the best fighter in the light heavyweight division, saying in an article at the USA Today, “Chad Dawson is a great fighter, but now I know I also belong among the best in the world. I showed that I’m the best light-heavyweight in the world and that I should be on the pound-for-pound list.”
IBF light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud might have something to say about that, as he’s got the fire power to take Pascal out if the two were to meet any time soon. Pascal did well against a passive looking Dawson, who seemed to not want to engage with Pascal until the 11th round.
When Dawson did finally let his hands go, he had Pascal looking hurt and unsteady. However, Dawson was soon after hurt by a heads butt that ripped open his right eyelid, causing the ringside doctor to step in and halt the fight in the 11th.
If Dawson had fought aggressively as he did in the 11th in the earlier rounds, he would have likely stopped Pascal early in the fight. But he held back and deserved to lose. While it was a great win by Pascal, it seemed kind of tainted because of the head butt marring the fight just when Dawson had Pascal in trouble.
There supposedly is a rematch clause in the contract, so it will be interesting to see if the two fighters meet again. If not, then Pascal might be fighting Lucian Bute soon. If Pascal believes he’s the best light heavyweight in the division, he’s going to need to fight Cloud so he can prove it.
Right now, I would have to favor Cloud because he’s a lot more rugged and heavy handed than Pascal. I don’t know that Pascal’s chin would hold up under the kind of pounding that Cloud would give him.
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