During a recent interview, WBA "regular" light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal reflected back on is two fights series with Bernard Hopkins.
For the WBC, IBO titles in 2010, they fought to a controversial twelve round majority draw. Hopkins, who went down twice in the first half - but surged in the second half when Pascal got tired.
In the 2011 rematch, Hopkins won a close twelve round unanimous decision over Pascal to become the oldest fighter in history to capture a major world title, at 46-years-old. Hopkins broke his own record, when he defeated Tavoris Cloud to capture a world title at 48-years-old.
Pascal believes that he did enough to win the first bout with Hopkins.
"It was a few days before Christmas," Pascal told The Montreal Journal.
"I was very well prepared for this fight. It was said that Bernard Hopkins was on the decline, some even said that he was already finished. But I did not take this fight lightly, it was the first time that I fought against a legend, such a big name from the United States. Hopkins did better in the second part of the fight, I admit. However, I had sent him down three times to the floor and in my opinion, I had won the first six rounds easily. The close rounds should have gone back to the champion.
“I had the impression that we wanted to make history with Bernard Hopkins. He was the oldest boxer trying to become champion. To become a champion, you have to beat the defending champion. Otherwise, the champion remains champion. Normally, I should have won the fight. It was a majority draw. I was very, very disappointed and the fans were disappointed.
“I was injured in the ribs before this fight and I think the information was leak. You will notice when watching this fight that Bernard Hopkins often attacks my body, which weakened me. If you look at the second fight, you will see that he does not attack me as often to the body as he did the first time."
In the rematch, Pascal believes he missed the opportunity to close the show early.
“I didn't see that I had shaken Hopkins so badly during the fight [in the second round]. If I had seen that, I think I would have tried to go for a knockout. These are the things you don't always see when you're in the thick of the action. Of course, if I had seen that during the fight, it could have changed things," Pascal said.
“It was a tough fight to swallow. Today, that pill is passed. It took me 8 years to become world champion again. After getting depressed, I got up and came back stronger. In life it is not the number of times you fall that is important, it is the number of times you get up that counts.”