By Jim Dower: Dan Rafael is reporting that a fight between IBF light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud (24-0, 19 KO’s) and former WBC light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal (26-2-1, 16 KO’s) has been finalized for August 11th in Canada and will be televised on Showtime Sports.

Cloud, 30, has defended his International Boxing Federation 175 pound title four times after beating Clinton Woods for the vacant title in August 2009. Cloud hasn’t faced anyone of note. However, he did recently beat former WBA light heavyweight champion Gabriel Campillo by a questionable 12 round split decision in his last fight in February and looked horrible. Campillo, who isn’t much of a puncher, had him Cloud hurt early in the fight and was out-boxing him for much of the fight until easing off at the wrong moment late.

Pascal, 29, hasn’t fought since losing his World Boxing Council title last year in May against then 46-year-old Bernard Hopkins. This was their second fight, and Pascal didn’t look good in either one of the bouts. Hopkins did a great job of slowing the pace down and neutralizing Pascal’s periodic explosive bursts of punches. In the 2nd, Pascal clearly lost and looked hopelessly confused by Hopkins.

Cloud has a good chance of beating Pascal in this fight, because the one problem Pascal has is dealing with fighters that push a fast pace. Pascal, #6 WBA, #7 WBC, #7 IBF, wore down in a loss to Carl Froch in December 2008 when he pushed a fast pace that Pascal couldn’t keep up with. Pascal does have a small chance of beating Cloud if he can explode on him early to hurt him. Cloud can be hit, and his chin doesn’t appear to be the greatest. If Pascal land some of his speedy power punches, he could take Cloud out in the first couple of rounds. That’s the best chance Pascal has in the fight, because the longer this fight goes the more it will favor Cloud because if his high work rate and decent power.