By Jake Donovan

Sergey Kovalev is well aware that he will be relegated to the villain role for his light heavyweight title fight rematch with Jean Pascal next January at Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

He and his team weren’t quite prepared to have to assume that role as early as the first press conference to formally announce the event.

The past weekend has been spent by Team Kovalev enjoying all that Quebec has to offer. The reigning unbeaten, unified light heavyweight champion was in town to take in a full night of action last Saturday in Quebec City, remaining in town for Monday’s press conference in Montreal.

Heading into the session, Kovalev knew to expect some semblance of trash talk from Pascal, whom he stopped in the 8th round of their first fight this past March – also at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Both teams were announced to the assembled media on hand, but it was Pascal and his handlers who immediately went on the attack regarding Kovalev’s past and future. 

“Sergey Kovalev plans to fight Adonis Stevenson. He plans to fight Andre Ward in September or something like that,” noted Jean Bedard of Interbox, who along with Main Events will co-promote the January 30th rematch. “HBO wants to buy all of the fights, and Al Haymon wants to buy (the Stevenson fight).

“Unfortunately Jean Pascal will break the party January 30.”

Bedard alluded to the three-fight plan in place for Kovalev (28-0-1, 25KOs) and Ward to eventually square off next year in what will likely headline an HBO PPV event. The deal was made to have Ward to commit to such a fight in order to renew his own fight contract with HBO, which has been in the Kovalev business dating back to his title winning effort over Nathan Cleverly more than two years ago.

Skeptics would view such a deal structure as a boxer looking too far down the road rather than what’s immediately in front of him. As such, Kovalev and his team were unnecessarily forced to explain that nothing could be further from the truth.

“We mean no disrespect,” stated Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events, Kovalev’s promoter since 2012. “We do have a fight plan with Ward. As far as that Stevenson guy – we think he’s still posturing, but we will be sending him a contract as well. If he signs it we will know he's for real.

“This is the way the world works. Boxing is a year-round sport, where you don’t have the luxury of waiting for a big fight. The challenge to a great champion (like Kovalev) is to not look past an opponent whom he has already fought and defeated… but to recognize that Jean Pascal is a great warrior, with a new trainer (Freddie Roach) and that he will be coming in with new tactics.”

As the session wore on, it was hardly the most disrespectful thing said of Kovalev. Pascal (30-3-1, 17KOs) spent much of his time behind the mic speaking on his opponent’s actions following the weigh-in prior to their first fight, as well as tossing multiple accusations of racism.

Rather than address every issue and concern raised by Team Pascal, the defending champ and his handlers simply offered cover-all statements.

“I respect the fact that Jean Pascal is a warrior who is to get into the ring (again with Kovalev) and get his ass kicked more thoroughly than he did the last time,” Duva stated in her best efforts to remain composed following Pascal’s lengthy rant. “I do not respect much of what he said, which was ugly, uncalled for and completely unnecessary.

“I will say to the concern that Sergey might not focus on this fight, that he has other things on the horizon - I'm not worried about that anymore, so thank you (to Pascal).”

Kovalev summed up his thoughts as best as he could without letting it rip.

“I think that we are tired of listening to the trash he said,” Kovalev said during his brief time at the podium. “It's his opinion. I'm no talker. I'm a boxer, I'm no trash talker. I can show you on January 30 what I can do to close his mouth for all time and forever.”

 Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox