by David P. Greisman
There were those who had predicted Sergey Kovalev would bomb Jean Pascal out as Kovalev had done to so many others. And Pascal was indeed hurt early, suffering the first official knockdown of his career, pro or amateur, in the third round.
He came back, yet in the eighth round got hurt again. The referee, Luis Pabon, stepped in and waved the fight off. Many observers felt the stoppage was proper. Some felt it came too soon. Pascal, of course, is in the latter camp.
“I’m very disappointed about the result. … I think the referee didn’t give me a fair shake,” Pascal said during the post-fight press conference. “I was not endangered. That’s part of boxing, to be hurt, to get hurt, to hurt the other guy, come back, and I was coming back in the fight, and when the referee stopped the fight I didn’t understand why because I was coming back. I was looking for a counter punch, and then he stopped the fight. But things happen. I need to respect the decision.”
He mentioned a sequence in which, after Kovalev landed a hard shot that seemed to shake Pascal, Kovalev then went down on what was ruled to be a slip. Someone from Kovalev’s camp began to wipe down the corner the fighters were in and Pascal tripped over that person’s arm, stumbling slightly. Kovalev was in a neutral corner. Pascal began to walk back toward the other neutral corner when he stumbled forward again, this time on his own. He remained in the corner as Kovalev approached, and Kovalev landed two heavy blows. Pabon jumped in.
“I was looking for the counter punch when the referee stopped the fight,” Pascal said. “If you look at my fights, I’m always doing that. If you look at the [Chad] Dawson fight, the [Lucian] Bute fight, I let them punch and then try to surprise them with a great counterpunch. I think the referee was looking to stop the fight from earlier. I don’t know why, because I’m a tough guy. I’ve never been on the canvas, never been down, so he should know better that I’m a tough guy.
“I cannot do nothing about it. I just need to respect the decision,” he said. “I’m open for a rematch. He said he’s open for a rematch, too. If he’s a true champion, he’s going to give me a rematch. … I think I should get a rematch because that was a good fight, a close fight, Kovalev get the first one so let’s make a second one.”
He was complimentary of Kovalev, as he’d been prior to the bout. But he says he’s been hit by heavier blows than those Kovalev threw on Saturday night.
“Kovalev is a good fighter, but I think I can beat this guy. He has a good punch, but I think Carl Froch hits harder than him,” Pascal said. “He has a good jab. He knows his distance very well. He has a solid punch. He’s not the hardest puncher that I’ve faced, but he has a great punch. He’s a good fighter, but nothing special. He’s a Russian, straight-up, his defense is OK. But I was coming back in the fight. I was not tired. He was getting tired, and the referee stopped the fight.
“My tank was still full and I was about to get my rhythm, and the referee stopped the fight. So maybe next time I’m going to try to get my rhythm and a little bit earlier and maybe hurt him before the eighth round,” he said. “I think I was going to get a knockout, but later on, probably in round 10, 11, because he was getting tired and doesn’t have a lot of experience in the late rounds. So I was coming back in the fight, but the referee stopped the fight too fast. I don’t know why, because I was still in the fight. Yes, that was a tough fight, but that was a tough fight for both of us. I gave my all. He gave his all and got the win this time, but next time I will get the win.”
Pick up a copy of David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” at http://bit.ly/fightingwordsamazon or internationally at http://bit.ly/fightingwordsworldwide . Send questions/comments via email at fightingwords1@gmail.com
