For reasons unknown to the WBC, Jean Pascal will not participate in the elimination process to determine the mandatory challenger for the WBC Light Heavyweight World Championship. Pascal’s adviser, Greg Leon, informed the WBC of Pascal’s decision.
During the 2014 WBC Convention, the WBC Board of Governors voted to make the winner of Pascal’s upcoming fight on March 14 against Sergey Kovalev the division’s mandatory challenger. The WBC Board of Governors’ unprecedented vote was aimed at facilitating and expediting the fight the boxing world wants to see: the winner of Kovalev vs. Pascal against WBC champion Adonis “Superman” Stevenson, with all four belts being contested.
The WBC hereby confirms that Kovalev has expressed his desire to continue his quest to become the WBC officially-designated mandatory challenger. Accordingly, if Kovalev wins his fight against Pascal, Kovalev will become the WBC Light Heavyweight Diamond Champion and mandatory challenger of the division. Should Pascal win on Saturday, the WBC will establish a process to determine the mandatory contender of the division in accordance with WBC Rules & Regulations.
Jean Pascal has enjoyed a very special relationship with the WBC throughout the years. In 2006, he became the WBC Latino champion. Pascal became the North American Boxing Federation champion in 2007, WBC World Champion in 2009, and received the prestigious distinction of becoming WBC Diamond Champion in 2014.
The WBC wishes the best of luck to both fighters. Without a doubt, Saturday night’s fight at the Bell Center in Montreal, Quebec, Canada will be one to watch.
Kovalev-Pascal weights
Sergey Kovalev
Jean Pascal
Chelyabinsk, Russia
Laval, QC, CAN
26-0-1, 23 KOs
29-2-1, 17 KOs
Weight: 174.2
Weight: 175
Trunks: Red/Silver
Trunks: BLK/Red/WHT
Vyacheslav Glazkov
Steve Cunningham
Lugansk, Ukraine
Philadelphia, PA, USA
19-0-1, 12 KOs
28-6, 13 KOs
Weight: 218.4
Weight: 209.6
Trunks: Blue/WHT
Trunks: BLK/Gold
Isaac Chilemba
Vasily Lepikhin
Blantyre, Malawi
Chelyabinsk, Russia
23-2-2, 10 KOs
17-0, 9 KOs
Weight: 175*
Weight: 174.9
Trunks: BLK/Gold
Trunks: White
Dierry Jean
Carlos Manuel Reyes
Montreal, QC, CAN
Mao, Dominican Republic
27-1, 19 KOs
24-3-1, 16 KOs
Weight: 137.7
Weight: 136.8
Trunks: Red/WHT
Trunks: BLK/Grey
Nadjib Mohammedi
Lee Junior Campbell
Aix-en-Provence, France
Laurenburg, NC, USA
37-3, 22 KOs
8-1, 4 KOs
Weight: 173
Weight: 174.2
Trunks: Red/BLK/Gold
Trunks: Cream/BLK
Yves Ulysse Junior
Miguel Antoine
Montreal, QC, CAN
Wildey, Barbados
5-0, 3 KOs
17-1-1, 9 KOs
Weight: 143.3
Weight: 143.9
Trunks: WHT/Red/BLK
Trunks: TBD
Dmitry Mikhaylenko
Felipe De La Paz
Gelendzhik, Russia
Monterrey, Mexico
18-0, 7 KOs
14-3-2, 5 KOs
Weight: 146.8
Weight: 145.3
Trunks: White
Trunks: BLK
David Theroux
Lukasz Janik
Sorel, QC, CAN
Katowice, Poland
5-0, 3 KOs
12-9-1, 6 KOs
Weight: 144.4
Weight: 144.6
Trunks: BLK/Silver
Trunks: BLK/Gold
*Chilemba originally weighed in 0.5 pounds overweight but was able to drop the excess weight within the commission’s two hour deadline.
Comments are closed.