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Sergey Kovalev vs Jean Pascal: Possibility of an Upset?

Sergey Kovalev-Media-Q&A-WkotBy Travis Fleming

This weekend marks the 2nd straight Saturday featuring a blockbuster fight. Live from the wonderful fight city of Montreal, Canada, Sergey Kovalev defends his 3 major world light heavyweight titles against former light heavyweight kingpin Jean Pascal in what should be his toughest test to date. This fight has war written all over and might be a little to bloody for the faint of heart.

Kovalev is rightfully a heavy favorite coming off of his career defining win over living legend Bernard Hopkins. No one has made beating Hopkins look so easy, and although Hopkins was just about 50 years old, Kovalev was able to do what Pascal was unable to in back to back fights against Hopkins a few years earlier. Sergey “The Krusher” Kovalev is an extremely heavy handed fighter with underrated skill and speed. Kovalev has also notched an impressive knockout victory over former champ Gabriel Campillo and won his first title by destroying and stopping Welshman Nathan Cleverly in Cleverly’s home country. He’s no stranger to fighting in an opponent’s backyard so expect him to be perfectly comfortable fighting Pascal in Pascal’s hometown of Montreal. Kovalev is one of the rising stars in the sport and has proven to be a legitimate force.

Jean Pascal has been plagued by injury and periods of inactivity but definitely holds the experience advantage over Kovalev with a career defining win over a prime Chad Dawson for the lineal light heavyweight championship of the world, 2 close fights with a younger version of Bernard Hopkins than the one Kovalev faced, a close fight against Carl Froch in Froch’s hometown, a stoppage of former champ Silvio Branco, 2 wins over former champ Adrian Diaconu, and a win over hometown rival Lucien Bute, most recently.

Pascal might be past his best days, but he isn’t far removed, and in an effort to revive his youth he has enlisted the help of renowned strength and conditioning coach Memo Heredia. Heredia is best known for transforming Juan Manuel Marquez into a true welterweight for his fourth fight against the incredible Manny Pacquiao. He had Marquez looking like a welterweight Bane and Marquez put Pacquiao to sleep for several minutes with a counter right that remains the most famous knockout in recent history. Pascal has very quick hands like his idol Roy Jones, JR. who is also helping him train and Memo Heredia has gone on record stating that under his guidance, Pascal is looking faster than ever. Pascal has an excellent proven chin and an awkward style, launching ambush assaults from awkward angles then bouncing back out of punching distance, he also possesses very good power.

Saturday night, Kovalev will be facing his fastest, most powerful and most awkward opponent to date. Kovalev showed underrated ring IQ against Hopkins, in this fight he will have to show superior physical ability and toughness against a man who is no stranger to eating massive punches and returning his own.
Kovalev’s power and skill should see him to a decision victory against the iron chinned Pascal but the possibility of an upset is there. Pascal is faster than Kovalev and hits harder than other fighters who have dropped or hurt Kovalev. Kovalev went life and death with Journeyman Darnell Boone, getting hurt several times along the way and was recently dropped by the unheralded Blake Caparello.

If Kovalev somehow stops Pascal or dominates him in a wide decision victory it would be an incredible statement and he would deserve to move up the pound for pound rankings to number 6 or 7. 2013 was the year of the upset in boxing, 2014 had a few but not nearly as many so we are due for a big one and if Pascal manages to pull one off, he will cement his status as the best Canadian fighter of the last 25 years.

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