Review by AllTheBestFights.com: 2015-03-14, exciting and tough bout thanks to a great performance by two of the best light-heavyweights in the world: Sergey Kovalev vs Jean Pascal is one of the best boxing fights of 2015 and it gets four stars (we had rated this fight three stars but [ we were probably drunk:-)] after watching it again we have changed our rating – March 16, 2015).The undefeated Sergey Kovalev entered this fight with a professional boxing record of 26-0-1 (23 KOs=88%) and he is ranked as the No.2 light heavyweight in the world (currently the #1 in this division is Adonis Stevenson); he fought three times in 2014 defending twice his Wbo belt, against Cedric Agnew (=Kovalev vs Agnew) and Blake Caparello (=Kovalev vs Caparello), then he faced Bernard Hopkins in a three titles unification fight (=Hopkins vs Kovalev).
His opponent, Jean Pascal, has an official record of 29-2-1 (17 knockouts) and he entered as the No.3 in the same weight class; he suffered his last defeat in 2011 when he faced Bernard Hopkins in their rematch (fight in which Pascal lost both his Wbc and Ibo belts, Hopkins vs Pascal 2). After losing he came back to win beating Aleksy Kuziemski (=Pascal vs Kuziemski), George Blades and Lucian Bute (=Pascal vs Bute). Pascal’s last bout, against Roberto Feliciano Bolonti, ended in a no-contest (=Pascal vs Bolonti). Kovalev vs Pascal is valid for the WBA, IBF and WBO world light heavyweight titles (all held by Kovalev); they also faced each other a second time on January 30, 2016 (=Kovalev vs Pascal II). Watch the video and rate this fight!
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Date: 2015-03-14
Where: Bell Centre, Montreal, Canada
Division: light heavyweight (175 lbs, 79.4 kg)
Title: WBA, IBF and WBO World light heavyweight titles
Kovalev’s previous fight: Bernard Hopkins vs Sergey Kovalev
Pascal’s previous fight: Jean Pascal vs Roberto Feliciano Bolonti
Kovalev’s next fight: Sergey Kovalev vs Nadjib Mohammedi
Pascal’s next fight: Jean Pascal vs Yunieski Gonzalez
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Official video:
(Alternative free embeddable video hosted on Youtube)
Official highlights
Great fight.
Spoiler alert – don’t read until after.
Pascal did well to come back after the first knock down but the stoppage was the right call. He was out of it and saved when Kovalev slipped and went to the floor after the ropes held Pascal up. Pascal could barely make it to the neutral corner while the ref helped Kovalev up and cleaned his gloves. The ref saw Pascal stumbling (as did Kovalev) and went and asked him if he was OK. (I never heard the response) Fight continued & with another 2 rights. The ref jumped in.
A rematch is a mute point.
Besides 2 low blows I don’t think he ever hurt Kovalev with those sneaky rights.
Pascal needs to take some time off.
Recoup and try to fight Stevenson. I don’t see Haymon allowing Stevenson to fight Kovalev.
Awesome account…Stevenson will be protected form Kovalev…
Yeah, Stevenson makes 3M$ fighting guys like Bika, he won’t risk it against Kovalev I think. Sadly. :/
Well, don’t mind what I said above, I just watched an interview in French with Stevenson’s promoter Yvon Michel and he is very very convincing that they want Kovalev after the Bika fight for Stevenson.
Si Stevenson peut faire 3M$ contre Bika, imagine combien il pourrait faire en affrontant Kovalev à Montréal, surtout après ce qui vient de se passer vs Pascal. D’ailleurs, Pascal a lancé une perche à Yvon Michel pour un combat vs Stevenson. Je ne serais pas surpris qu’avant la fin 2015 on ait droit à Stevenson-Kovalev, puis un combat du gagnant contre Pascal début 2016.
Oui tu as raison, depuis que j’ai écrit ce commentaire, Stevenson a bien dit qu’il voulait avoir Kovalev et vice-versa. Peut-etre meme tout de suite apres Bika! J’espere que ca va marcher.
Well, don’t mind what I said, I just watched an interview in French with Stevenson’s promoter Yvon Michel and he is very very convincing that they want Kovalev after the Bika fight for Stevenson.
Great assessment of a fight. I think he hurt KOvalev but he couldn’t take the beating anymore. KOvalev didn’t wanna exchange so I just have seen 1 thing I don’t like about my fighter.
what do you mean “one thing you don’t like”?
I know what you mean. Kovalev, by the way, was not happy with his performance and with his preparation for that outing. He said he would hire one more trainer to teach him more tricks and to improve his boxing technique.
Great fight!
Nice fight, bit of an early stoppage. I’d have loved to see if Pascal could have rebounded as he did in the fifth or fourth, after the knockdown.
Yeah it was an early stoppage… if you wanted to see him die. Look at Pascal at 29:57, as the ref is with Kovalev. He’s stumbling all about the place and Kovalev starts pointing at him. Don’t give me that ‘early stoppage’ nonsense. He then goes on to take two big shots and his hands are down and is not defending himself.
Maybe I’m too savage :P
the only tough opponent for kovalev is Stevenson, but if he escapes i would like to see kovalev among the cruiserweights!!
What an entertaining fight and what a great show from Kovalev and Pascal, thanks a lot to them! They are worthy of a higher pay than Floyd and Pac. That was an epic battle and I’d say Kovalev and Golovkin are the two top P4P fighters right now. Kovalev proved he has a great chin and Pascal proved he can be dangerous in rounds 5 and 6, not only in the beginning. It was amazing for me to see him bullying Kovalev for 1.5 rounds and occupying center ring. It was so unusual to see Kovalev on the defensive, I was even thinking of a possible upset. But unfortunately Pascal ran out of steam by round 7 and in round 8 he was devastated; the stoppage was inevitable anyway, maybe a bit too early, but Pascal was badly hurt. Pascal was knocked down for the first time in round 3 and he was actually down on the ropes again in round 8. What can you do about this crushing power? I do not think 38-year-old Stevenson will be able to stand that beating. The only match for Kovalev is Beterbiev – maybe next year.
Purses 2.75M Pascal 3.25M Kovalev.
Pascal was the money cow of the fight, as he said himself. I hope this fight helps Kovalev be a bigger draw :)
Even though Kovalev is a powerful and very talented fighter… it’s going to be hard for him, I think, to build a real fanbase. He’s not charismatic at all, his post-fight interviews are pointless, and he’s a russian now living in Florida. He fought in almost every American states in front of crowds attracted mostly by his opponents. It’s probably about to change, but as an example, I can’t imagine this fight vs Pascal happening anywhere else in the world and attracting as many people as it did in Montreal.
I don’t completely agree with you, for a true world champion with this power and 90% of victories by knockouts I think it’s not so difficult to build a “real fanbase”…..and I appreciate more a boxer like him than boxers acting like Mayweather or Broner
Kovalev said Pascal has ‘no heart’ after the fight which of course is ridiculous. Maybe that was due to Kovalev struggling with English.
Pascal put a good fight in rounds 5th and 6th but Kovalev is too strong. However, in my opinion the stoppage was premature since Pascal looks like he can take the fight for a bit longer.
i don’t like how the ref put Pascal in the corner after the slip. the ref set Pascal up
Pascal was saved by a slip.
Was out on his feet. Stumbled to the neutral corner. Ref saw this and went and verbally asked him if he was OK. (I didn’t hear a response)
Allowed fight to go on. 2 more right hands and stopped it.
Why let Pascal get pummeled? Possibly take brain damage or worse. He was not making it out the fight on his feet. Simple as that.
I do not see Stevenson fighting Kovalev.
I had really hoped Pascal would have fought Stevenson. That would have been a toss up fight. Stevenson a slight edge on power but Pascal edging ability.
they should have been centered in the ring after the slip. that’s the only thing done incorrectly in that fight. Good stoppage.
BTW, video isn’t working at least in Canada. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egrjcqns8r8
Watching this again to prepare for the rematch this week-end. Pascal first claimed after the first fight that his eardrum got destroyed in the bout, I’m not a doctor but I find this pretty hard to believe.
Anyway, Pascal definitely has a chance, he won two rounds and may have put Kovalev down in the 8th, it was hard to see. I don’t know if you guys have seen the last press conference for the 2nd fight, but it was hilarious, with pascal saying Kovalev was a racist and giving bananas to John David Jackson, Kovalev’s trainer.
Reason says Kovalev is more likely to win, but I go with my heart of quebecer of course. GO PASCAL!!!
Matt you have my full support Go Pascal Go. Regarding the press conference I didn’t watch it however all they do there is just business related to bring more audience.
Yes, here the journalist have either fallen in the trap or are part of the show, saying the 2 absolutely hate each other etc. Pascal is one hell of a showman, but tomorrow is the real thing, I read they expect 8000 people. I won’t be able to go but I’ll watch. Thanks for the support, go Pascal!