Bernard Hopkins fought Jean Pascal twice, holding him to a draw in 2010 and then winning the light heavyweight championship from him in 2011. Hopkins watched Pascal’s fight with Lucian Bute earlier this month and was complimentary of his performance, while also noting the influence that Roy Jones Jr. had.
Fans in Canada responded in droves to the January 18 light heavyweight bout between Jean Pascal and Lucian Bute, but the HBO-televised headliner barely caused a ripple anywhere else in North America. Televised ratings for the live boxing telecast from Montreal drew an average of roughly 877,000 viewers, the lowest total for any World Championship Boxing telecast in more than 13 months, according to Nielsen Media Research. The main event averaged 982,000 viewers, topping out at around 1.13 million.
The crowd was fired up at the start and had their energy back for exciting close, but in between one thing was abundantly clear: Jean Pascal was the better man. It can be argued that for too much of twelve rounds, Pascal was the only one who came to win. Despite some success with the jab, the taller and longer Lucian Bute didn’t let his hands go. Having been stopped by Carl Froch in 2012, and put in trouble in his next fight against Denis Grachev, was Bute gun shy?
by David P. Greisman - The fans still packed the Bell Centre, more than 20,000 of them spending the evening in Montreal watching a card headlined by their province’s two most popular boxers of recent years. Many still cheered for Jean Pascal, and many more still roared for Lucian Bute. It was a big fight, one that had been spoken of for years. But it was a big fight in name only — and only because of the names involved. In truth, it was a fight that came far too late. And because of that, it was a fight that produced far too little excitement, lacking much in the way of action and drama. Years ago, this would’ve been a bout between two boxers at or near the top of their respective divisions. Now it was a match between two men who had nearly bottomed out. Years ago, the pairing hadn’t happened because each felt he had something better on the horizon. Now it was a meeting that might as well happen before the sun set on one (or both) of their careers.
Bell Centre, Montreal, Canada - Jean Pascal (29-2-1, 17KOs) dominated most of the action, but he was forced to survive after getting hurt in the last round - winning a twelve round unanimous decision over Lucian Bute (31-2, 24KOs). Bute was moving up to light heavyweight for the first time. 116-112, 117-110, 117-111 - all for Pascal.
Jean Pascal (29-2-1, 17KOs) feels Lucian Bute (31-2, 24KOs) has not fully regained his confidence after the five round beating at the hands of Carl Froch in May of 2012. Bute returned once that November, winning a twelve round decision over Denis Grachev. There were shakey moments in the Grachev fight and then Bute was inactive for over a year until he met Pascal on Saturday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.
Jean Pascal carried what action there was in the fight, landing an avg. of 16 of 37 punches per round. The tentative Lucian Bute avg'd 28 punches thrown per round (10 landed) thru eleven rounds before sniffing the finish line and throwing 98 punches in round twelve. 29% of Bute's landed punches came in the last round. His previous high for the fight was 19 landed- in round eleven.
Jean Pascal dominated an unusually tentative Lucian Bute to win the matchup of former world champions by unanimous decision before 20,479 at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Saturday night. One judge had it 118-110, another 117-111 and the third 116-112. The fight, billed as the biggest between two Canadians, was a one-sided affair, with Pascal (29-2-1) on attack from the outset. Bute (31-2) often looked confused and unwilling to attack until the final round when Pascal appeared to be exhausted.
Bell Centre, Montreal, Canada - Lucian Bute (31-2, 24KOs) was unable to let his hands go for much of his contest with Jean Pascal (29-2-1, 17KOs) - but in the twelfth and final round he finally started throwing and had Pascal in some trouble. But it was too late, as Pascal won on scores of 116-112, 118-110, 117-111.
by Cliff Rold - At the end of Rocky, Apollo Creed whispered to the Italian Stallion ‘ain’t gonna be no rematch.’ Rocky replied, ‘don’t want one.’ As both men talked about a resumption of their one-sided affair following the fight on Saturday at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, one could imagine any sane fan borrowing from Rocky. Rematch? Don’t want one. What would be the point after Haitian 31-year old former lineal World Light Heavyweight Champion Jean Pascal (29-2-1, 17 KO) won a lopsided unanimous decision that offered drama only in its last four minutes? Romanian 33-year old former IBF Super Middleweight Lucian Bute (31-2, 24 KO) beltholder had few answers for the superior speed, unorthodox technique, and explosiveness of Pascal until late in the eleventh round. The long building clash between a pair of Canadian imports, both of whom make their home in Laval, Quebec, left little doubt about the better man.