Kovalev vs. Pascal: BoxingScene.com's Staff Predictions

By Jake Donovan 

The bout is billed as the best light heavyweight fight that can realistically be made today. There are elements of truth to that, as Sergey Kovalev and Jean Pascal rank high among the best light heavyweights in the world.

Both have been in pursuit of World light heavyweight king Adonis Stevenson, who has opted to go another route. Hungry to face the best, Kovalev and Pascal turn to each other as they clash tonight at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec City, Canada (Saturday, HBO, 9:45pm ET). 

BOXINGSCENE.COM STAFF PREDICTIONS: SERGEY KOVALEV vs. JEAN PASCAL

Ryan Burton (Kovalev TKO): Pascal will land some big shots and hurt Kovalev on occasion but the Russian will slowly wear him down and stop him late. 

Jake Donovan (Kovalev UD): Pascal has done a lot of talking before this fight. Not sure if any of it managed to get inside Kovalev’s head, or if he can successfully talk himself into believing he’s really the superior fighter. I don’t see his ego allowing himself to get knocked out, which will leave Kovalev with his second consecutive one-sided decision win where his opponent refuses to fight back.

Lyle Fitzsimmons (Kovalev TKO10): Like Golovkin, Kovalev keeps facing foees labeled "best he's ever been in with." Like Golovkin has been doing, Kovalev should succeed in violent style here again.

Takahiro Onaga (Kovalev KO7): Pascal is tough but Kovalev is a monster. Pascal to start well, have some success but when he slows Kovalev will batter him to finish.

Cliff Rold (Kovalev KO): Pascal should take Kovalev some rounds and give him some tests with his speed. That's not enough for the erratic and sometimes sloppy challenger. Kovalev breaks him down and a corner stoppage is possible.

Victor Salazar (Kovalev TKO8): Kovalev could be the better of the two in terms of technique and skill. He definitely is the better of the two in terms of sheer power. In terms of conditioning, the edge has to go to Kovalev as well. I see this fight going one way and that’s Kovalev by stoppage.

Reynaldo Sanchez (Kovalev KO8): Pascal will try to give us an exciting fight for at least 3-4 rounds. After that, Kovalev will impose his power and will battering Pascal into KO in the middle of this fight.

Alexey Sukachev (Kovalev TKO10): Call me a believer. I believe Kovalev, while not a better fighter than Pascal and not as smooth, is powerful, scary and active enough to win majority of the rounds. And either Pascal will be battered too hard, or cut, or something else but I feel he is not going distance against the Krusher.