Pascal?s plan is to take Kovalev deep, land combinations, and show the world that he?s got a chin that just won?t quit?
The presser of pressers for the fight of fights has garnered the lion?s share of attention this week. After all, it?s not every day, week, month, year, decade, century or millennium that a fight of this magnitude occurs. And while Wednesday?s press conference in L.A. was as tame as tame could be, the fight itself will hopefully be anything but, especially since the future of boxing hangs in the balance, or so we?ve been told a thousand times.
While publicity for the fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao has been through the roof, back on earth there?s a fight this weekend upon which boxing?s future doesn?t depend, which is a pity as it?s going to be a barnburner.
Saturday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, WBA/IBF/WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev (26-0-1, 23 KOs), from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, by way of Kopeysk, Russia, enters enemy territory to defend his titles against former WBC light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal (29-2-1, 17 KOs), from Laval, Quebec, Canada, by way of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
For those sensitive to such things, Kovalev is the cat?s meow, or perhaps the lion?s roar would be more descriptive. The good old-fashioned 12-round whupping he put on Bernard Hopkins notwithstanding, Krusher delights in crushing opponents. Naturally, he would like nothing better than to get his hands on WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson to unify the titles. But Adonis has succeeded in avoiding the only man who might separate him from his senses?with the happy exception of Sergey Kovalev.
In light of Superman?s super avoidance, Kovalev is meeting the next best thing. Pascal, like Stevenson, is a Haitian transplant making his home in Canada. Unlike Stevenson, Pascal isn?t a knockout artist (even though he?s predicting a kayo). But what he lacks in power he makes up for with athleticism, which isn?t likely derail the unflappable Kovalev.
?I don?t care what he says,? stated Kovalev. ?He can say one thing, but in the ring everybody doing different when faced with me. I don?t want to say that everybody is afraid of me or scared of me. Before the fight is before the fight. When you are in the ring and you see how hard your opponent can punch, like maximum, believe me your mind changes. Before the fight everybody has a plan.?
Pascal?s plan is to take Kovalev deep, land combinations, and show the world, no less than Krusher, that he?s got a chin that just won?t quit. That may be a fool?s errand, but Pascal is no fool.
?Jean Pascal is tough boxer,? Kovalev said, ?and Saturday I will see how tough. I am not going say any prediction. This is boxing. Anything can happen with a fight. As a fighter he is a very dangerous fighter. He has a punch, he can punch hard. I am very interested to fight with him and see what I can do in the ring against Jean Pascal because every fight is something new; it?s like a new test. For me it?s very important this fight. He?s a very good fighter, smart. He has a lot of power. It?ll be a very interesting fight, believe me, because I will be there!?
Kovalev is notorious for, among other things, entering the ring without a game plan. Unlike other boxers, he?d rather adapt to the situation at hand.
?I don?t have any strategy for any fight,? he added. ?I am my fighting from the situation. Because if your opponent will definitely be fighting differently with you and your plan is broken you need to do some thinking inside. For me it?s not my goal to knock somebody out in the ring. I?m just boxing. If it will happen that I knock him out or down, it?s a bonus. Save me time, save me energy, and make me mentally stronger and teach me what I should do in the gym to repeat this.?
Presumably Pascal knows what to expect Saturday night. Kovalev knows what to expect for sure.
?He?s throwing a lot of punches after you do. It?s like you?re punching and he?s blocking and throwing. It?s a dangerous moment. You should be very careful. For every fight you should be careful, but he?s fast, he?s smart, he?s a very good athlete. He?s a very good boxer. He?s fought good fighters: Bernard Hopkins, Carl Froch and Chad Dawson. They were champions; the best in light heavyweight division. But now it?s our fight and this fight is more interesting for boxing fans because he likes to speak a lot more than he needs to speak. But it?s just making me hungry. I?m not talker, I will show everything, who I am, in the ring. We will see in the ring who will be best and who will win. I?m very interested what he will say after the fight when he will be sleeping on the floor!?
Kovalev vs. Pascal will be televised live Saturday night on HBO World Championship Boxing at 9:45 PM ET/PT.
