By Yannis Mihanos: In the early morning today, I watched yesterday’s weigh -n highlights for tonight’s important fight between IBF/WBA/WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev (28-0-1, 25 KOs) and Jean Pascal (30-3-1, 17 KOs) on HBO Championship Boxing at the Bell Centre in Montreal of Canada.
As of now the favorite to win is clearly the 32-year-old Kovalev.
By Dan Ambrose: IBF/WBA/WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (28-0-1, 25 KOs) successfully made weight on Friday at the weight-in for his title defense on Saturday night against 33-year-old Jean Pascal (30-3-1, 17 KOs) on HBO Championship Boxing from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. Kovalev weighed in at 174.6lbs. Pascal came in at 174.3lbs. The fight card starts at 9:45 PM/ET/PT.
By Dan Ambrose: The negotiations between the promoters for WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson and IBF/WBA/WBO 175lb champion Sergey Kovalev has failed to produce a fight for the summer, according to Dan Rafael.
Apparently, there was disagreement over who would televise the fight – HBO or Showtime. Stevenson fights on Showtime whereas Kovalev is under contract to fight on HBO. Since this isn’t a fight on the same level as the Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao from last year, ironing out the deal hit a wall.
Kovalev has a fight this Saturday night against former WBC 175lb champion Jean Pascal at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. Perhaps if Kovalev wins in a sensational manner, it will help create more interest in a unification fight between Kovalev and Stevenson.
By Tim Fletcher: Trainer Freddie Roach is hoping to lead his fighter Jean Pascal (30-3-1, 17 KOs) to victory this Saturday night in his title shot against IBF/WBA/WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev (28-0-1, 25 KOs) at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. Roach thinks Pascal, 32, can win the fight over Kovalev if he fights the perfect fight by fighting smart for the full 12 rounds.
By Allan Fox: Trainer Freddie Roach says the plan for #3 WBO, #5 WBA, #6 IBF Jean Pascal (30-3-1, 17 KOs) for this Saturday night is to try and box unbeaten IBF/WBA/WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (28-0-1, 25 KOs) in their fight at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.
(Photo Credit: Vincent Ethier – Interbox) By Scott Gilfoid: Former WBC 175lb champion Jean Pascal (30-3-1, 17 KOs) rates former super middleweight world champion Carl Froch as a better puncher than IBF/WBA/WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev (28-0-1, 25 KOs), who Pascal will be facing this Saturday night on January 30th at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.
Pascal lost to Froch eight years ago in 2008 in losing by a 12 round unanimous decision by the scores of 116-112, 117-111 ND 118-110. Pascal was never shaken up in the fight or in danger of being knocked out.
One question you have to wonder about Pascal’s appraisal of Kovalev and Froch’s punching power is why didn’t Froch KO him? I mean, if Froch is supposed to be a better puncher than Kovalev, then why in the heck was Pascal able to handle his punching power for 12 rounds?
By Allan Fox: IBF/WBA/WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev (28-0-1, 25 KOs) showed anger an annoyance at his final press conference for Saturday’s fight against Jean Pascal (30-3-1, 17 KOs) at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. Pascal hit the race card button by calling the 32-year-old Kovalev a racist, and he didn’t care for that comment too much. Kovalev said “Everybody knows what is true, but you will see on Saturday. It will be a personal fight for me.”
Pascal, 33, seems to be trying to gain an edge over Kovalev by trying to work him up by calling him a racist. I’m not sure if it’s going to work out well enough for Pascal to get a victory though. Kovalev was clearly the better fighter in their bout last year in March, which was won by Kovalev by an eighth round knockout.
What changed in your training coming to this fight?
Sergey Kovalev: “I did a lot of mistakes in our last fight and right now I try to fix it. I try to be better. It’s a secret about my mistakes and just me and my trainer know about my mistakes. I learned from my first fight. Right now I fix it and try to be creative, do everything exactly correct and try to fight more harder and try to stop Pascal early this time.
“Because I was disappointed in my performance in our last fight against Pascal I want to do this much better, much more clear.
“I felt very comfortable (in last fight). Judge gave to him two rounds, but I didn’t feel I lost these rounds. I just take time, used a lot of jabs and get lot of points with the jab.
By Allan Fox: IBF/WBA/WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev (28-0-1, 25 KOs) is really looking forward to his fight later on this year against the unbeaten Andre Ward. That fight will surely be taking place later this year.
However, in the meantime, Kovalev must take care of business in his rematch against Jean Pascal (30-3, 17 KOs) on January 30th at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. Ward is going to be a formidable threat for Kovalev, because he’s got great boxing skills, is hard to hit, and he does well against slow punchers.
(Photo credit: Craig Bennett – Main Events) By Allan Fox: 33-year-old Jean Pascal (30-3-1, 17 KOs) has worked on the flaws in his game from his previous loss to IBF/WBA/WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev (28-0-1, 25 KOs), and Pascal now feels ready and confident of beating the Russian fighter in their rematch this month on January 30th at the Bell Centre, in Montreal, Canada.
The fight will be televised on HBO Boxing. Pascal is trained by Freddie Roach, and they both know what Pascal did wrong last year in March in Pascal’s 8th round knockout loss to Kovalev.