Pascal heads to UK to face Carl Froch
27.11.08
Photo's courtesy of Justin Mckie.
Unbeaten 21-0 Canadian Super middleweight, Jean Pascal today sets off to Nottingham, England for the fight of his life with Carl 'the Cobra' Froch at the Nottingham Arena on December the 6th.
The vacant WBC super middleweight world title will be on the line between the two unbeaten punchers.
"I have good memories of England," Said Pascal
"I won gold against the British guy in front of 15,000 people, so I don't know why I won't be able to repeat that."
That 'British guy' was Contender star Paul Smith, who lost to Pascal in the Commonwealth games final in Manchester 6 years ago when Pascal was aged just 20.
Pascal has been in Arizona since September, training for the biggest fight of his career and believes he is in the best shape ever.
"I know my shape is there. Right now, I can't wait to be back in the U.K. because they're good fans. I can't wait to show them my skills."
Pascal's promoter Yvon Michel, who will co-promote the main event with British promoter Mick Hennessy, believes that his man's vast amateur experience will help him cope with the fierce support expected for Froch.
Sebastien Demers was another Yvon Michael fighter who travelled to the placid boxing land of Germany.
Yet he went to pieces in an IBF title fight in Germany last year against Arthur Abraham, the winner by 3rd round KO.
"Demers never expected to see a crowd that hostile," said Michel. "We don't see that here and Sebastien was stunned and hurt by that" he recalled to Canadian news.
"But Jean has that experience and now he has to turn it to his favour."
His opponent, Carl Froch has no such confidence issues and originally fancied the idea of the fight being held in Canada so he could get more foreign exposure.
Froch has previously fought himself in Pascal's country against former Canadian Olympian Donny Orr - and Froch beat him quite handily during an England squad visit.
"I'd fight Pascal in his living room with his best friend as the referee" said the ever confident Froch recently. But beneath the exterior of confidence, the intelligent Froch has prepared for his showdown with Pascal with meticulous attention to all aspects of his camp.
In stark contrast to Pascal, who trained within the warm and sunny environment of Arizona, Froch has pounded the forests and hills of winter-time Ireland. Icy morning runs along wet lanes tempered with fierce sparring with talented professional colleagues like Commonwealth middleweight Champion Darren Barker.
Froch has also recruited the experience of a 250+ Cuban amateur in the name of Luis Garcia.
"He (Pascal) looks like quite a skilful, slick fighter," said Froch.
"He's said in the past he's a Roy Jones fan and obviously he works on trying to be like him stylewise.
"I fought flashy people. I've actually got a flashy sparring partner (Luis Garcia). He's unbelievable. He's a Cuban and he's very, very good... to say the least."
The winner of Froch vs Pascal will arguably own the best title in perhaps one of the best divisions of boxing. The super middleweight division has a raft of names and excitement match-ups waiting to be made. The likes of Mikkel Kessler, Lucian Bute, Librado Andrade, have now be joined by Jermain Taylor.
Also rumoured talk of Kelly Pavlik soon to join the 168lb weight class ensures that some box office showdowns await.
Speaking to Canadian Press, the GYM promoter likened the super middleweight division to the old heavyweights.
"This is the toughest and the best division and it's where the money's at, so I'm really glad that I'm in this weight class now," said Pascal. "I know I can do really well in this class."
"It's the weight division of the future" Michel said.
"Not long ago, it was controlled by Europe, so there was little interest in the United States.
It was Calzaghe, Kessler, Sanavia and Beyer, but then Jeff Lacy came in, Jermain Taylor moved up, Pavlik moved up for two fights. There are celebrities in that division and really talented young fighters like Jean Pascal. It's the perfect mix."
The fight will be shown on ITV in the UK and Super Channel in Canada.
Pascal talks to press prior to leaving Canada:-
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Cotto vs Jennings update
27.11.08
Miguel Cotto has been told to respond to the ready-made offer of a fight at the Boardwalk hall, Atlantic City on Feb 21 which be part of a double-header televised in conjuction with Kelly Pavlik's return to the ring against Marco Antonio Rubio.
Jennings, from Manchester, England is currently 34-1 (16ko) and is highly ranked within the WBO has mainly fought in the UK and is best described as a durable technical fighter.
Cotto, has seemingly refused to be rushed into making a decision about fighting Jennings in what would be his first fight since his KO loss to Antonio Margarito.
Cotto vs Margarito - the rematch, is a fight that will almost certainly take place in 2009 but in the meantime Miguel needs to fight - as he will already have been inactive for nearly 8 months if/when he fights Jennings.
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Froch vs Pascal winner: Jermain Taylor Next
26.11.08
The WBC have confirmed that Jermain Taylor has been instilled as the mandatory challenger to the winner of the vacant WBC Super middleweight title fight in Nottingham on December the 6th between England's Carl Froch (23-0, 19ko) and Canada's Jean Pascal (21-0, 14ko).
Purse bids must be quickly agreed 2 weeks after the title fight on December the 19th.
However Jermain Taylor has already avoided a fight with Carl Froch for the WBC title itself, opting to take on and defeat Jeff Lacy.
In his post-fight interview he reeled off several fights that would interest him but did not mention either challenger of the WBC world title.
Elsewhere Karo Murat (18-0, 11ko) of Germany is to fight Marcus Johnson (16-0, 13ko) from the USA, to determine the second mandatory challenger behind Jermain Taylor.
If Taylor decides to give up his mandatory slot, then the winner of Murat vs Johnson would likely be the new champion's first defence.
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2008 British Olympian boxer arrested
25.11.08
22- year old Boxer Bradley Saunders, who was tipped for great things at the Beijing Olympics, is currently being questioned by police on suspicion of dealing drugs from his home in Sedgefield, County Durham on Monday after a warrant was served on his semi-detached property in Cragside.
The boxer and his girlfriend Stephanie Elliott were held overnight at the neighbouring Police Station after a police sniffer dog discovered a large tin which was full of a suspicious white powder believed to be cocaine, which is currently under analysis.
Should the powder be confirmed as cocaine it would have a street value of around £12,000.
Saunders was knocked out in the second round of his Olympic bid and now sees the prospect of custody should the Police confirm that drugs were found on his property.
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Nicky Cook OFF the Dec 6th Excel bill
24.11.08
Current WBO Super Featherweight champion Nicky Cook has been forced to withdraw from his proposed defence against Stephen Foster Junior following illness.
"I'm absolutely devastated that I won't be able to defend my title for the first time and especially as it's in my backyard," he said.
"I returned to training last week but it was clear that I had missed too many training sessions to catch up and I just felt really weak because of the flu.
"I can't let my heart rule my head and it's important that I'm 100 percent fit and ready to defend my title rather than lose it and come out with excuses."
Promoter Frank Warren had the following to say:-
"Obviously this is unfortunate, but these things happen in boxing and Nicky needs to be fully fit to defend his title," Warren said.
"Enzo now headlines the show and is in a real hard fight against Banks. We have worked hard to get him a world title opportunity on his first fight back and now it is down to him to do the business in the ring.
"There's a lot of interest in Amir's big return and to see how he comes back after his first loss, but he has gone to America and trained with one of the best in Freddie Roach and we will see how he has progressed."
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Jurgen Brahmer loses to WBA champion Hugo Garay
24.11.08
Germany's 'Hundred year talent' aka Jurgen Brahmer was defeated in his attempt to steal Argentinian Hugo Garay's WBA World title in Rostock, Germany last Saturday night.
118-110, 117-112 and an amazingly biased 116-115 - all in favour of the current champion Garay.
From the very start of the fight, Garay marched forward and landed countless hard punches to the German's head and body. The challenger adopted to use the wrong tactics and entered into an inside-fight with Garay who was too strong for the German who was coming up from Super Middleweight. Whenever the challenger landed any good shots, the champion roared back with better punches of his own. And the final bell, the decision was not in any doubt.
"I'm very disappointed. I wanted this title fight as quick as possible, but I needed more time to get used to Light Heavyweight" Said Brahmer afterwards
"Garay is a strong champion. I have to prepare myself better next time."
Meanwhile the champion was happy with the win in Germany against their no1 talent - "I'm happy with my victory. I had a great training camp with some great sparring partners. He was hard to fight,(him) being a southpaw." Said Garay.
* Watch Clip of Fight *
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Tszyu's former trainer: Mundine to beat Pavlik
24.11.08
Australian trainer Johnny Lewis, trainer of six world champions including Kostya Tszyu and Jeff Fenech recently told popular Australian website, SportsNut, that he believes fellow Australian Anthony Mundine can defeat Kelly 'the Ghost' Pavlik.
"Anthony Mundine has a great chance to dominate the middleweight division if he wants to take on the world’s best" said Lewis
"I was ringside to see world champ Kelly Pavlik put in a shocker against Bernard Hopkins in their light-heavyweight battle in Atlantic City.I was stunned."
"Having seen Pavlik blast out top middleweights such as Jermain Taylor and Edison Miranda I thought he would have far too much for 43-year-old Hopkins.
I was wrong. Pavlik looked mediocre at best and I really think he is there for the taking by a fighter with Mundine’s skills"
Mundine, who has lost to both Mikkel Kessler and was famously knocked out by Sven Ottke, has since improved signifacantly and looks to conquer the middleweight division after stepping down a weight.
"Anthony has to be one of the fastest fighters in the world at middleweight and super-middleweight and I see Pavlik as his chance to really announce his arrival as a leading international fighter"
"With his amazing speed and that incredible right hand I feel he could really give Pavlik a shock" said Lewis.
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Lennox tells newspaper: £60m for my return !
24.11.08
The former undisputed Heavyweight champion of the world, Lennox Lewis has told Independent Newspaper that he will return for a rematch with Vitali Klitschko if someone pays up £60m ($100 usd)
"It is not and it has never been about the money," says 43 year old Lewis.
"I've had big offers again and again since the first day that I retired and I always say 'No'. It is about respect and the glory - and I have nothing to prove."
Speculation has also been on a possible England vs Ukraine super-fight double header between David Haye vs Vladimir Klitschko on the undercard to Lennox Lewis vs Vitali Klitschko, possibly staged at Wembley stadium in 2009.
"I don't have to do this, I don't need money and my legacy speaks for itself. But boxing needs me," said Lewis "The heavyweight game is so boring now. All the characters are gone.
"It would have to be nearer $100m to make me say yes, but there are people out there who can get that kind of money together.
"There are a lot of people who would pay to see me fight again... It would be exciting, for the sport and for me. And if I come back it will be to win, not play."
Their last fight (courtesy of youtube):-
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