By Mark Vester
WBC/IBO light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal is ready for the biggest fight of his career. On Saturday he defends his titles against Bernard Hopkins before a hometown crowd of thousands at the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec. If it's possible, Pascal would love to score an early knockout over Hopkins, but he's prepared to go the full twelve round distance if necessary.
"I would like to have a first round knockout, but by doing the rounds, I get experience. Anyhow, I like a long fight. I am not paid by round, I would like to have an early knockout, but I like to fight. I am a fighter and if it goes long it doesn't matter. For sure, as a fighter, you try to go for the KO, the knockout all the time, but I am prepared to do 12 rounds. I am not going to aim at it; if it comes it comes, if it doesn't, it's not important," Pascal said.
Hopkins is known as a dirty fighter and likes to use every trick in the book to win his fights. Pascal watched Hopkins use a few of his dirty tactics in the rematch with Roy Jones Jr. earlier this year. Pascal will not allow Hopkins to get away with such tactics.
"He fought the fight that he had to fight against Roy Jones, but I just hope he's not going to try to do the same with me because it won't work. Like I said, he has to back up his legacy and how Bernard Hopkins wants to be remembered, as a dirty fighter or as a clean fighter. I hope he's going to want to be remembered as a clean legend and not a dirty legend so I think there's going to be a clean fight and he's going to do his best to win the fight fairly," Pascal said.
