By Jake Donovan

Details are being worked out for a showdown between former light heavyweight king Jean Pascal and Donovan George, with the bout—once finalized—to take place on December 6 in Montreal, Canada.

The fight will serve as the chief support to the ring return of Lucian Bute, who faces Roberto Bolonti in a light heavyweight bout.

A huge box-office attraction, Pascal (29-2-1, 17KOs) has been in pursuit of a showdown with countryman and current 175 lb. champion Adonis ‘Superman’ Stevenson, for whom he serves as the mandatory challenger. Such a fight would prove big at the gate and in the ratings, but is just one of several that has been met with great resistance by Stevenson and his team, which includes powerful adviser Al Haymon.

The mandatory title fight is apparently being targeted by Stevenson’s team to take place next April in Montreal, leaving Pascal to take an interim bout for the sake of fending off ring rust. His last ring appearance came in January, scoring a clear unanimous decision over Bute at the Bell Centre, which will also play host to the December 6 show.

The fight has already been offered to George (26-4-2, 22KOs), who has scored two straight wins in 2014. The Chicagoland puncher impressed in a 12-round win over Dyah Davis in August, though suffering a broken right hand in the process. The war wound has fully healed, with George anxious to get back in the ring—even if it means moving up in weight, and also traveling nord de lignes.

“I'm coming to Montreal to win and shock the boxing world,” George vowed in confirming to BoxingScene.com receipt of the fight offer. “They offered us the fight and we jumped on it.”

Representatives from Pascal’s team politely declined comment.

Should Pascal return to the ring to face George on Dec. 6, it will mark the first time since 2010 he will have fought more than once in a calendar. Pascal claimed the lineal light heavyweight championship in Aug. ’10, scoring a technical decision win over Dawson in Montreal. His lone “successful” defense came in a draw versus Bernard Hopkins later that December, before losing a decision and the title to his legendary foe in their May ’11 rematch.

Pascal fought just once in each of the past four years. The rematch loss to Hopkins was his lone piece of ring action in 2011, not returning for another 19 months in a 10-round decision win over Aleksy Kuziemski in Dec. ’12. Nine months later came a 5th round knockout of George Blades on the undercard of Stevenson’s stoppage win over Tavoris Cloud—whom Pascal had pursued for two years and at one point was even scheduled to face.

The 12-round win over Bute is Pascal’s lone fight of 2014, having spent most of the rest of the year chasing Stevenson.

George has fought just once in Canada, suffering a 12th round knockout loss versus Stevenson in their Oct. ’12 super middleweight title eliminator. The winner was due a mandatory title shot at Carl Froch, but Stevenson opted to move up in weight, a move that paid off as he knocked out Chad Dawson in one round to claim the light heavyweight crown.

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com, as well as the Records Keeper for the Transnational Boxing Ratings Board and a member of Boxing Writers Association of America. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox