Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua II: LIVE updates and results, full coverage

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua II: LIVE updates and results, full coverage.

Please click here to read the full report on the Oleksandr Usyk-Anthony Joshua fight Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

***

Oleksandr Usyk successfully defended his heavyweight titles by defeating Anthony Joshua by a split decision in their rematch Saturday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Two judges had Usyk winning, 116-112 and 115-113. The third scored it for Joshua, 115-113. Boxing Junkie scored it 115-113 for Usyk, seven rounds to five.

Usyk defeated Joshua by a unanimous decision by a unanimous decision to win the titles last September.

A full report will follow shortly.

***

Filip Hrgovich survived a first-round knockdown to defeat Zhang Zhilei by a unanimous decision in a competitive, back-and-forth IBF heavyweight title eliminator.

The scores were 115-112, 115-112 and 114-113. Boxing Junkie scored it 115-112 for Hrgovic, eight rounds to four.

***

Callum Smith stopped Mathieu Bauderlique in the fourth round of a scheduled 12-round lightweight fight, Smith’s second as a full-fledged 175-pounder.

Smith (29-1, 21 KOs) put Bauderlique (21-2, 12 KOs) down with a left hook early in the final round. The Englishman followed that with a series of hard shots, including another left hook that sent the Frenchman to the canvas again and ended the fight.

***

Badou Jack defeated Richard Rivera by a split decision in a 10-round cruiserweight bout.

Two judges scored it for Jack, 96-94 and 96-94. One had Rivera winning, 96-94.

Jack (27-3-3, 16 KOs) apparently benefitted from an extended Round 8, which reportedly went 3 minutes, 58 seconds. The Swede did particularly well in that extra minute.

***

Oleksandr Usyk will defend his three heavyweight titles against former champion Anthony Joshua in their rematch today (Saturday) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (DAZN).

Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs) won the IBF, WBA and WBO belts by outpointing Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs) last September.

Also on the card, light heavyweight contender Callum Smith will face Mathieu Bauderlique; Filip Hrgovic will take on Zhang Zhilei in a heavyweight bout; and cruiserweight contender Badou Jack will fight Richard Rivera.

The card begins at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT. The main event will take place later in the show.

Boxing Junkie will post results of all the featured bouts on the card immediately after they end. Simply return to this post when the time comes.

Full coverage – a fight story, photo gallery and analysis – will follow on separate posts the night of the fight and the following day.

Enjoy the fights!

[lawrence-related id=32059,32040,32032,32018]

[vertical-gallery id=32063]

Jean Pascal tests positive for PEDs, Badou Jack seeking new opponent

Jean Pascal tested positive for PEDs, forcing Badou Jack to find a new opponent for June 6.

Badou Jack is searching for another opponent after Jean Pascal tested positive for three banned substances and was removed from the June 6 pay-per-view card featuring the exhibition between Floyd Mayweather and Logan Paul.

Yahoo Sports reported that Pascal failed tests for Drostanolone, Drostanolone Metabolite and Epitrenbolone.

The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association administered the random drug test.

Pascal, a 38-year-old secondary light heavyweight titleholder, defeated Jack by a split decision in December 2019. The French-Canadian hasn’t fought since that bout.

“My fight with @jeanpascalchamp is OFF as he tested positive for 3 different steroids. We suspected he was dirty the first time around and @Vada_testing confirmed it this time. I’m still fighting on June 6th and my team is looking for a replacement opponent.”

Pascal (35-6-1, 20 KOs) said he plans to prove that he’s not a cheater. He said he has fired his fitness trainer.

“I am shocked and embarrassed,” Pascal said in a formal statement. “I would never voluntarily take illegal substances. I’ve always fought for a clean sport and will continue to do so. I’m one of the first modern boxers to insist on random testing, and I’ve passed countless tests during my 13 years at the highest level of boxing,” Pascal stated.

“I want to assure all my fans that this is an isolated incident, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to prove it. My strength and conditioning coach was fired last night. I realize that no matter what I say, this is a stain on my name, and I’m determined to wash it out.

“If that means I have to come out of pocket for the most advanced 365 days random VADA testing available to boxers, then that’s what I’ll do.”

Jack (23-3-3, 13 KOs) is coming off a shutout decision over Blake McKernan in November.

The Las Vegas-based Swede also tweeted: “Btw … this wasn’t the first time this happened to me. Lucian Bute took steroids for our fight & now Jean Pascal. Are you so scared of a fair fight with me that y’all need to take steroids to fight me? #Cowards @lucianbute @jeanpascalchamp.”

The June 6 card will take place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

[lawrence-related id=20512]

Jean Pascal tests positive for PEDs, Badou Jack seeking new opponent

Jean Pascal tested positive for PEDs, forcing Badou Jack to find a new opponent for June 6.

Badou Jack is searching for another opponent after Jean Pascal tested positive for three banned substances and was removed from the June 6 pay-per-view card featuring the exhibition between Floyd Mayweather and Logan Paul.

Yahoo Sports reported that Pascal failed tests for Drostanolone, Drostanolone Metabolite and Epitrenbolone.

The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association administered the random drug test.

Pascal, a 38-year-old secondary light heavyweight titleholder, defeated Jack by a split decision in December 2019. The French-Canadian hasn’t fought since that bout.

“My fight with @jeanpascalchamp is OFF as he tested positive for 3 different steroids. We suspected he was dirty the first time around and @Vada_testing confirmed it this time. I’m still fighting on June 6th and my team is looking for a replacement opponent.”

Pascal (35-6-1, 20 KOs) said he plans to prove that he’s not a cheater. He said he has fired his fitness trainer.

“I am shocked and embarrassed,” Pascal said in a formal statement. “I would never voluntarily take illegal substances. I’ve always fought for a clean sport and will continue to do so. I’m one of the first modern boxers to insist on random testing, and I’ve passed countless tests during my 13 years at the highest level of boxing,” Pascal stated.

“I want to assure all my fans that this is an isolated incident, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to prove it. My strength and conditioning coach was fired last night. I realize that no matter what I say, this is a stain on my name, and I’m determined to wash it out.

“If that means I have to come out of pocket for the most advanced 365 days random VADA testing available to boxers, then that’s what I’ll do.”

Jack (23-3-3, 13 KOs) is coming off a shutout decision over Blake McKernan in November.

The Las Vegas-based Swede also tweeted: “Btw … this wasn’t the first time this happened to me. Lucian Bute took steroids for our fight & now Jean Pascal. Are you so scared of a fair fight with me that y’all need to take steroids to fight me? #Cowards @lucianbute @jeanpascalchamp.”

The June 6 card will take place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

[lawrence-related id=20512]

Badou Jack on his rematch with Jean Pascal: ‘I’m going to win every round’

Badou Jack on his rematch with Jean Pascal on June 6: “I’m going to win every round.”

The way Badou Jack sees it, he could be 3-1 in his last four fights. And even the loss in his projection was in part because of bad luck.

The reality? The former super middleweight titleholder is 1-2-1 in his last four, including a split-decision setback against Jean Pascal at 175 pounds that he will have the opportunity to avenge on the Floyd Mayweather-Logan Paul card Saturday.

The other loss came against Marcus Browne when he had a cut on his forehead so massive it seemed his brain could’ve fallen out. He last fought in November, when he outpointed journeyman Blake McKernan.

“I lost that fight,” he told Boxing Junkie, referring to the unanimous-decision loss to Browne. “I have no excuses. Everyone saw what happened. I lost that fight fair and square. The one was because of boxing politics, in my opinion.

“It’s it what it is, boxing politics. Now I have a new trainer. We’ve made small adjustments so I can finish these guys and not worry about boxing politics.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD99YgcvWP0

Jack lived up to his reputation as a slow starter against Pascal, at least according to the judges. He lost the first five rounds of the December 2019 fight on all three scorecards, going down in Round 4.

The Las Vegas-based Swede roared back — putting Pascal down in Round 12 — to make it a close fight but he ended up on the wrong end of the decision. Judge Julie Lederman scored it for him 114-112 but Barry Lindenman and Nelson Vazquez had Pascal winning by the same score.

Jack (23-3-3, 13 KOs) doesn’t believe he deserved to lose all five rounds but he acknowledged that he has had the tendency to fall behind early in some fights, the result of his patient, break-them-down style.

Among the adjustments he and the new trainer, Jonathan Banks, are working on: Get to work at the opening bell.

“I’m going to win every round in this fight,” he said. “I’m not looking to give anything away. We’re working on things in the gym. You’ll see. I’m going to win every round. That’s it. They can call me a slow starter … in the past.”

If Jack sounds like a brash youngster, that’s because he feels like one even at 37. He said he feels strong in the gym and runs as far and as fast as he ever did. He’s fit. Plus, he has a wealth of experience – a solid amateur background and 12 years as a pro – from which to draw.

Of course, he has nothing on Pascal (35-6-1, 20 KOs) took up the sport at a younger age and has been a professional for 16 years. Jack believes he’s fresher than his rival.

“Obviously he’s doing something right,” Jack said of Pascal. “He’s beaten a lot of good fighters. And he’s fought everybody. He has a lot more mileage on him even though he’s only a year older than I am, though.

“I’m still here, going strong. I’m still learning, still feeling great. I still have a lot left. You’ll see.”

[lawrence-related id=20510,20187,20092,15854,4684,4597]

Badou Jack on his rematch with Jean Pascal: ‘I’m going to win every round’

Badou Jack on his rematch with Jean Pascal on June 6: “I’m going to win every round.”

The way Badou Jack sees it, he could be 3-1 in his last four fights. And even the loss in his projection was in part because of bad luck.

The reality? The former super middleweight titleholder is 1-2-1 in his last four, including a split-decision setback against Jean Pascal at 175 pounds that he will have the opportunity to avenge on the Floyd Mayweather-Logan Paul card Saturday.

The other loss came against Marcus Browne when he had a cut on his forehead so massive it seemed his brain could’ve fallen out. He last fought in November, when he outpointed journeyman Blake McKernan.

“I lost that fight,” he told Boxing Junkie, referring to the unanimous-decision loss to Browne. “I have no excuses. Everyone saw what happened. I lost that fight fair and square. The one was because of boxing politics, in my opinion.

“It’s it what it is, boxing politics. Now I have a new trainer. We’ve made small adjustments so I can finish these guys and not worry about boxing politics.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD99YgcvWP0

Jack lived up to his reputation as a slow starter against Pascal, at least according to the judges. He lost the first five rounds of the December 2019 fight on all three scorecards, going down in Round 4.

The Las Vegas-based Swede roared back — putting Pascal down in Round 12 — to make it a close fight but he ended up on the wrong end of the decision. Judge Julie Lederman scored it for him 114-112 but Barry Lindenman and Nelson Vazquez had Pascal winning by the same score.

Jack (23-3-3, 13 KOs) doesn’t believe he deserved to lose all five rounds but he acknowledged that he has had the tendency to fall behind early in some fights, the result of his patient, break-them-down style.

Among the adjustments he and the new trainer, Jonathan Banks, are working on: Get to work at the opening bell.

“I’m going to win every round in this fight,” he said. “I’m not looking to give anything away. We’re working on things in the gym. You’ll see. I’m going to win every round. That’s it. They can call me a slow starter … in the past.”

If Jack sounds like a brash youngster, that’s because he feels like one even at 37. He said he feels strong in the gym and runs as far and as fast as he ever did. He’s fit. Plus, he has a wealth of experience – a solid amateur background and 12 years as a pro – from which to draw.

Of course, he has nothing on Pascal (35-6-1, 20 KOs) took up the sport at a younger age and has been a professional for 16 years. Jack believes he’s fresher than his rival.

“Obviously he’s doing something right,” Jack said of Pascal. “He’s beaten a lot of good fighters. And he’s fought everybody. He has a lot more mileage on him even though he’s only a year older than I am, though.

“I’m still here, going strong. I’m still learning, still feeling great. I still have a lot left. You’ll see.”

[lawrence-related id=20510,20187,20092,15854,4684,4597]

Badou Jack shuts out Blake McKernan on Tyson-Jones card

Badou Jack defeated Blake McKernan by a shutout decision on the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. card Saturday in Los Angeles.

Blake McKernan was the perfect medicine for what was ailing Badou Jack.

Jack, who hadn’t won a fight since 2017, defeated the tough, but grossly overmatched novice by a shutout decision in an eight-round cruiserweight fight on the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. card Saturday at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Jack, a former two division titleholder, was 0-2-1 in his last three fights – a draw with Adonis Stevenson and losses to Marcus Browne (UD) and Jean Pascal (SD) — but was the victim of some bad luck.

Some believe he deserved the decision against Stevenson, he suffered a ghastly cut on his forehead against Browne and his setback against Pascal also was disputed. Obviously, he was eager to get back into the win column.

Enter McKernan (13-1, 6 KOs), who was unbeaten entering the fight but had never tangled with anyone even close to Jack’s ability.

Jack (23-3-3, 13 KOs) is normally a slow starter but that wasn’t the case in this mismatch. The Las Vegas-based Swede pounded McKernan almost at will from the opening bell, targeting his opponent’s body in particular.

McKernan was tough – he absorbed a lot of hard punches – and never stopped trying but Jack’s effective aggression kept the California fighter on his heels and made it difficult for him to get much done himself.

By the fifth round, Jack was dishing out brutal punishment – mostly to the body — and didn’t stop until the final bell. McKernan, remarkably durable and determined, survived the beating to hear the final bell but didn’t win a single round.

All three judges had the same score: 80-72.

Jack, 37, said before the fight that he is targeting a rematch with Pascal, who hasn’t fought since his victory over Jack last December.

Badou Jack shuts out Blake McKernan on Tyson-Jones card

Badou Jack defeated Blake McKernan by a shutout decision on the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. card Saturday in Los Angeles.

Blake McKernan was the perfect medicine for what was ailing Badou Jack.

Jack, who hadn’t won a fight since 2017, defeated the tough, but grossly overmatched novice by a shutout decision in an eight-round cruiserweight fight on the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. card Saturday at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Jack, a former two division titleholder, was 0-2-1 in his last three fights – a draw with Adonis Stevenson and losses to Marcus Browne (UD) and Jean Pascal (SD) — but was the victim of some bad luck.

Some believe he deserved the decision against Stevenson, he suffered a ghastly cut on his forehead against Browne and his setback against Pascal also was disputed. Obviously, he was eager to get back into the win column.

Enter McKernan (13-1, 6 KOs), who was unbeaten entering the fight but had never tangled with anyone even close to Jack’s ability.

Jack (23-3-3, 13 KOs) is normally a slow starter but that wasn’t the case in this mismatch. The Las Vegas-based Swede pounded McKernan almost at will from the opening bell, targeting his opponent’s body in particular.

McKernan was tough – he absorbed a lot of hard punches – and never stopped trying but Jack’s effective aggression kept the California fighter on his heels and made it difficult for him to get much done himself.

By the fifth round, Jack was dishing out brutal punishment – mostly to the body — and didn’t stop until the final bell. McKernan, remarkably durable and determined, survived the beating to hear the final bell but didn’t win a single round.

All three judges had the same score: 80-72.

Jack, 37, said before the fight that he is targeting a rematch with Pascal, who hasn’t fought since his victory over Jack last December.

Who wins? Artur Beterbiev vs. five potential opponents

Boxing Junkie staffers are trying to have some fun while the sport is on hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic. One of the questions fans love to ask even amid a busy schedule is, “Who would win if …?” With that in mind, we decided to create …

Boxing Junkie staffers are trying to have some fun while the sport is on hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic.

One of the questions fans love to ask even amid a busy schedule is, “Who would win if …?” With that in mind, we decided to create our own “Who Wins?” feature, in which we pit a single fighter against each of five potential opponents and indicate who we believe would win the fights.

We started the series with our No. 1 boxer pound-for-pound, Vasiliy Lomachenko, and moved down the Boxing Junkie list to No. 2 Terence Crawford, No. 3 Canelo Alvarez, No. 4 Naoya Inoue, No. 5 Oleksandr Usyk  and No. 6 Gennady Golovkin, No. 7 Errol Spence Jr., No. 8 Tyson Fury, No. 9 Juan Francisco Estrada and No. 10 Mikey Garcia.

No. 11 Artur Beterbiev is next.

In this installment of Who Wins?, our staffers’ give their takes on how Beterbiev would do against Dmitry Bivol, Jean Pascal, Gilberto Ramirez, Badou Jack and Canelo Alvarez. We then tally Beterbiev’s record in those fights and present our standings.

Beterbiev has built a reputation as a capable boxer with uncommon strength, as his 100% knockout percentage suggests. He unleashed his full destructive power in his most-recent fight, breaking down and then brutally stopping then-unnbeaten Oleksandr Gvozdyk in the 10th round in October.

We want to acknowledge that the choice of possible opponents is subjective. We’re looking for the best possible but also realistic foes for our featured boxers. One caveat: We won’t consider promotional and managerial rivalries that often stand in the way of the best matchups. And we’re operating under the assumption that none of our featured boxers will fight with ring rust as result of their forced coronavirus-related layoff.

The plan is to work our way down our pound-for-pound list each day. That means our featured fighter tomorrow will be No. 12 Josh Taylor.

So here goes: Beterbiev vs. his five potential opponents.

***

BETERBIEV (15-0, 15 KOs) VS. BIVOL (17-0, 11 KOs)

Dmitriy Bivol (left, against Lenin Castillo) has a series of quality victories the past few years. Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA

Rosenthal: This could be Beterbiev’s most-difficult fight. Bivol has demonstrated his superior skill set against one quality opponent after another the past few years. He’s an excellent boxer, maybe good enough to expose whatever limitations Beterbiev might have. The question is whether he can weather the Beterbiev storm for 12 rounds. The guess here is he can’t. Beterbiev by late KO.

Frauenheim: Bivol is technically proficient. He knows his way around, moving across the ring on educated feet that take him in and out of harm’s way.  But he lacks power, or at least enough of it to keep the heavy-handed Bertebiev off him. Beterbiev cuts off ring and wins by a late-round stoppage.

Nam: Dmitry Bivol has the discipline, conditioning and quickness to outpoint Beterbiev, which is what you need to do against a bruiser like Beterbiev. It won’t be an aesthetically pleasing fight, but Bivol’s effective in-and-out motion will see him win the majority of rounds. As long as he can wade through a few big punches, Bivol wins on points.

***

BETERBIEV VS. PASCAL (35-6-1, 20 KOs)

Jean Pascal resurrected his career as an elite fighter by beating Badou Jack. Amanda Westcott / Showtime

Rosenthal: Pascal deserves a lot of credit for beating Marcus Browne and Badou Jack in succession, which made him a major player again after many had written him off. That doesn’t mean the 37-year-old can compete with Beterbiev. He can’t. Pacal relies on his power to win fights and he simply doesn’t measure up to Beterbiev in that department. Beterbiev by sixth-round KO.

Frauenheim: Pascal fought his way back into the title mix with victories over Marcus Browne and Badou Jack. He’s athletic. But his record includes tough bouts against the best at 175 pounds, everybody from Sergey Kovalev to Bernard Hopkins. Wear and tear are evident, too much to withstand Beterbiev for 12 rounds. Beterbiev, late stoppage.

Nam: Pacal is riding an impressive two-fight win streak over top light heavyweight contenders Marcus Browne and Badou Jack, but against Beterbiev he will be fresh out of luck. The only chance is for Pascal to land his unorthodox overhand right. But if Beterbiev, whose chin has prompted some questions in the past, evades them, he will batter the veteran into submission before the sixth round.

***

BETERBIEV VS. RAMIREZ (40-0, 26 KOs)

Gilberto Ramirez (right, against Maxim Bursak) has some quality victories but hasn’t faced anyone like Artur Beterbiev. AP Photo / Mark J. Terrill

Rosenthal: Ramirez has a gaudy record, including a reign as a super middleweight titleholder. That’s impressive. However, the lanky Mexican — who has fought only once at 175 pounds — has neither neither the special skill set nor the punching power to cope with a beast like Beterbiev. Ramirez will have some success early but he’ll eventually wilt under the weight of Beterbiev’s punches and not reach the final bell.

Frauenheim: Ramirez, longtime super middleweight champ, has fought only once at light heavyweight. In April, he stopped Tommy Karpency, who came into the ring with seven losses. Ramirez hasn’t fought since. He looked comfortable in his debut. But his long upper-body is a big target for Beterbiev’s lethal right. Beterbiev, middle-round stoppage.

Nam: Ramirez is talented but his inactivity and inexperience at light heavyweight makes him a considerable underdog here. The southpaw is effective at both distance and range, but the latter will quicken his demise. Beterbiev will bully Ramirez en route to a late stoppage.

***

BETERBIEV VS. JACK (22-3-3, 13 KOs)

Badou Jack (right) fought Jean Pascal on even terms but came up short on the cards. Amanda Westcott / Showtime

Rosenthal: This could be Beterbiev’s toughest fight among the five here. Jack doesn’t have unusual punching power but he’s a clever boxer with a load of experience at the highest level. He might be good and resilient enough to give Beterbiev problems — for a while. Beterbiev will take firm control in the middle rounds, wear Jack down and win a clear decision.

Frauenheim: Jack is tough. He’s also scarred. He needed about 100 stitches for forehead gash suffered in loss to Browne. There was no rupture of the scar in a subsequent loss to Pascal. But Beterbiev’s right lands at higher velocity and with heavier impact than anything thrown by Pascal. Beterbiev wins a punishing, perhaps bloody decision.

Nam: Jack’s tendency to start slowly and waffle his way to split-decision losses and draws makes him especially vulnerable here. Beterbiev stops Jack before the final bell.

***

BETERBIEV VS. ALVAREZ (52-1-2, 36 KOs)

Canelo Alvarez (left) had trouble with Sergey Kovalev for much of their fight and Beterbiev would be a step up in opposition. Ethan Miller / Getty Images

Rosenthal: This fantasy fight would not end well for Alvarez. The Mexican superstar had enough trouble with a faded Kovalev before finally stopping him in the 11th round to win a light heavyweight title. Beterbiev is well-schooled, unusually strong 175-pounder in his prime. Alvarez was smart to move back down in weight. Beterbiev by eighth-round KO.

Frauenheim: A fight the public wants to see. For a while, it also sounded as if it were a fight that Canelo would do. But he quickly backtracked, relinquishing the light heavyweight belt he won by KO over Kovalev. Canelo sees in Beterbiev what everyone else has. Nobody at 175 pounds can beat him right now. Beterbiev, unanimous decision.

Nam: Don’t expect Alvarez to challenge Beterbiev anytime soon. The Russian is a bridge too far. Moreover, Alvarez is not a true light heavyweight despite his stoppage of Sergey Kovalev, who was, of course, washed up. Alvarez’s elite skills will only get him so far before Beterbiev mauls him to the canvas for a late stoppage.

***

THE FINAL TALLY

Artur Beterbiev: 14-1 (11 KOs)

***

THE STANDINGS

Canelo Alvarez: 15-0 (6 KOs)
Naoya Inoue
: 14-0-1 (5 KOs)
Vassiliy Lomachenko
: 14-0-1 (4 KOs)
Artur Beterbiev: 14-1 (11 KOs)
Tyson Fury
: 14-1 (8 KOs)
Terence Crawford: 14-1 (3 KOs)
Errol Spence Jr.: 13-2 (6 KOs)
Oleksandr Usyk
: 10-5 (2 KOs)
Juan Francisco Estrada: 9-5-1 (1 KOs)
Gennadiy Golovkin
: 9-6 (5 KOs)
Mikey Garcia: 7-8 (0 KOs)

 

Read more:

Who wins? Vassiliy Lomachenko vs. five potential opponents

Who wins? Terence Crawford vs. five potential opponents

Who wins? Canelo Alvarez vs. five potential opponents

Who wins? Naoya Inoue vs. five potential opponents

Who wins? Oleksandr Usyk vs. five potential opponents

Who wins? Gennadiy Golovkin vs. five potential opponents

Who wins? Errol Spence Jr. vs. five potential opponents

Who wins? Juan Francisco Estrada vs. five potential opponents

Who wins? Mikey Garcia vs. five potential opponents

 

Jean Pascal, frustrated but compliant, in quarantine instead of gym

Jean Pascal had planned to be training in Miami for a rematch with Badou Jack but instead is in quarantine in Canada.

Jean Pascal planned to be in the gym. Instead, he went into quarantine.

In another example of a world paralyzed by a pandemic, Pascal went to Miami to begin training for a possible rematch with Badou Jack. He wanted to be ready. He planned on getting an early start. But coronavirus did to Pascal what it has been doing to everyone else. It put plans on hold.

Pascal arrived in Miami just as the threat began to force border closures. Pascal, who had hoped to train in south Florida for two weeks before moving into a camp in Puerto Rico, decided to go home to Quebec.

Instead of two weeks of training, he got two weeks of quarantine.

“They closed the borders,’’ Pascal told The Montreal Journal. “So I decided to come home wisely.”

Two weeks of quarantine is the Canadian recommendation for returning citizens. Pascal complied.

“I’m in quarantine, but my daughter Angel is not with me,’’ he said. “She will stay with my aunt for the duration of my confinement.”

Still, Pascal is frustrated.

“It is a waste of money because we paid for plane tickets, hotel rooms and food,’’ he said. “It’s a shame to come home and start from scratch. In a case where there is a cancellation due to an injury, we already have another fixed date. Because of this virus, we have no idea what will happen next. I don’t know if I’m going to go back to the ring in June, July or fall.’’

Pascal (35-6-1, 20 KOs) won a split decision over Jack (22-3-3, 13 KOs) for a light heavyweight title on Dec. 28 in Atlanta. It was controversial. A rematch looked inevitable.

“I did not yet have a fixed date for my next fight,” Pascal said. “However, I knew I was going to get back in the ring before the start of the summer.’’

Now, Pascal will wait.

“When I have a date, I am able to align my mind according to that,’’ he said. “Since it’s all in the air, it’s hard to keep motivated for training. It is especially hard to stay motivated in the chaos we are experiencing at the moment. I would find myself a little selfish to be so hungry, given that people are dying and many others are sick.”

Jean Pascal and Badou Jack agree to rematch in May

Jean Pascal and Badou Jack have agreed to terms to face each other in a rematch later this spring. Pascal won the first bout in December.

Jean Pascal and Badou Jack are running it back up.

The light heavyweight contenders went tit for tat for 12 rounds on the Dec. 28 Gervonta Davis-Yuriorkis Gamboa card before Pascal prevailed narrowly – and a tad controversially – on the scorecards. Now, they are headed toward a rematch after both parties agreed to terms, according to BoxingScene.

The fight could take place on three possible dates, May 9 or 23 on FOX, or May 16 on Showtime, the website reported. Al Haymon has output deals with both Showtime and Fox to showcase his Premier Boxing Champions cards.

The card could also feature a light heavyweight bout between Sullivan Barrera and Marcus Browne, who fought Jack and Pascal last year. Browne beat Jack but suffered three knockdowns en route to a technical-decision loss to Pascal.

Pascal-Jack stands to reprise what was one of the more entertaining fights in the latter half of 2019. Pascal controlled the early rounds, scoring a knockdown in Round 4, before Jack (22-3-3, 13 KOs) began to take control in the second half of the fight. He put Pascal on the canvas in the final round. Two of the judges scored it 114-112 for Pascal, while the third had it 114-112 for Jack.

Pascal has resurrected his career after flirting with retirement. Aside from a one-sided loss by decision to titleholder Dmitry Bivol, Pascal has looked sharp. He is 4-1 in his last five fights.