by Geoffrey Ciani (Exclusive Interview by Jenna J & Geoffrey Ciani) – This week’s 131st edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio (brought to you by CWH Promotions) featured an exclusive interview with former WBC light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal (26-2-1, 16 KOs). Pascal shared his views on a variety of topics including his recent fights with Bernard Hopkins, his future plans in the sport, the Super Six Final matchup between Andre Ward and Carl Froch, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Junior’s upcoming fights, Tavoris Cloud’s knockout victory against Yusaf Mack, and more! Here is what he had to say:
His views on Tavoris Cloud’s recent knockout victory against Yusaf Mack:
“Honestly, he fought good. That was a close fight before the knockdown. That was a really close fight because I think Yusaf Mack was doing good. On the judges’ cards he was by up one, and down by one point with two judges. So that was a really close, close fight, but Tavoris Cloud did his thing. We all know that he has great power and he used his power and his stamina to break him down.”
Regarding rumors that he will face Tavoris Cloud in October:
“Honestly I really don’t know. That’s not on my mind right now. Right now I’m just trying to relax because I had three fights in nine months. You know, who does that? Pacquiao doesn’t do that. Mayweather doesn’t do that. It’s only me in the boxing world who fights three fights in nine months. I think that’s a lot, and I deserve the rest. I need a break. I know fans want me to be back in the ring ASAP, but I really need a break. They want me to fight Tavoris Cloud on October 15 and I really think that’s too close for me. I would like to fight probably this November, so right now I’m just trying to enjoy my time, enjoy myself, and then get back in the ring really, really soon.”
On whether this means he would pass up on the opportunity to face Cloud on the Bernard Hopkins versus Chad Dawson under card:
“If the fight is October 15, I think I’m going to pass on the opportunity because my body needs rest. I can’t make four fights in twelve months. That’s a lot for a boxer of my caliber. A boxer of my caliber fights once or twice a year. So for me to fight four times, that would be a lot. Like I said I don’t say no, but I don’t know yet because I have to think about it. I have to talk to my team because any fighter that I’m going to fight for my next fight is going to be for a world championship fight. So that’s going to be a big task. That’s going to be a tough challenge. Plus in my next fight, I not only need to win, I need to win with passion! I need to show my talent because in my last two fights I had a good show, but I didn’t show my talents. So for my next fight I really know that I need to win, but win in great fashion.”
His views on his rematch with Bernard Hopkins and the way the fight was scored by the judges:
“You know the score with one judge, I think he had Bernard by eight rounds. I think that was way too much because the fight was much closer than that. You know Bernard is a smart boxer and a smart guy. He went into that fight like he was the champion because he was complaining that much, he was whining that much that people started to believe that he should have won the first fight. So with me, I went into this fight in the judges’ minds like I was the challenger, so any close rounds went to Bernard Hopkins. Any close rounds went to the legend for the history instead of going to the hometown champion. I really think that’s why he won the fight. Like I said, that was a really close fight. I don’t take anything away from Bernard. He’s a great fighter, but I know for a fact that I can beat this man. So if he gives me a rematch like I did for him, I really think I’m going to pull out the victory next time.”
On what he has learned from his two fights against Bernard Hopkins:
“Well I can say it’s really hard to tell, but I gained a lot of experience. I learned old tricks, I know what to do, and in case something like that again happens I’m going to be able to deal with it because I would have been there already. Like Bernard in the sixth round, he put his thumb in my eye so rounds six to ten I was seeing doubles. It was like I was seeing Bernard and I was seeing Hopkins at the same time. That was really crazy in the fight. So he has a lot of tricks like that, and I think that through me off a little bit from rounds six through ten. But like I said, this is boxing. That’s part of boxing. He’s an old fox. He won the fight. I can’t say nothing about it. I’m not going to say that I got robbed. He won a close decision and let’s do it again for a third time.”
His views on the upcoming fight between Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson:
“Honestly, that’s hard to tell because Dawson has been saying that I’m an amateur boxer, but the thing is he got beat up by an amateur boxer. Even though he was saying that, I have respect for Chad Dawson. He has good technique, he has great skills, and he’s doing everything right. He’s not doing anything great like when Roy Jones had great speed and great combinations. Chad Dawson is doing everything good. Like I said, he has a good technique and he has a good everything. Bernard is an old fox. He’s smart. He knows how to use his experience, so you know that’s going to be a boring fight I guess, but it’s going to be experience versus technique. So that’s really hard to tell who’s going to win.”
His views on the Super Six Final matchup between Andre Ward and Carl Froch:
“Come on guys! Don’t do that to me, because those two guys are my friends so you know that’s really hard to tell. They are two great warriors, two great boxers, and I think they really deserve to be in the Finals. Honestly Carl Froch has great power, but a lot of people underestimate him. Andre Ward won a Gold Medal at the Olympics so what more can I say. He’s a good boxer. He’s very mature. So that’s going to be a good fight, and may the best guy win.”
On whether he would be interested in moving back down to 168 if he had the chance to fight the winner of the Super Six:
“I would like to move down to 168 pounds, but my body doesn’t allow me to do that. I walk around at like 187-189, but I only have a small percentage of body fat, so it would be impossible for me to go down to 168. After my fight against Bernard Hopkins we offered Lucian Bute to fight me next this fall, and he said no. So I was really disappointed because I think Lucian Bute’s fans deserve more than that. Lucian Bute is a great fighter but he’s always fighting boxers below his level, and he needs to step up his game and fight boxers of his caliber. Like he wants to fight Kelly Pavlik! Kelly Pavlik was a great boxer, but I don’t think he’s at Lucian Bute’s level right now. I don’t want to take anything away from Kelly Pavlik, but Bute is way bigger and he is more on his fight right now. So you know we offered him to fight me for the fourth time, and he said no. So I was really disappointed by him. Lucian Bute needs to get more balls, to risk himself a little bit, to try to roll the dice because one day it’s going to catch him.”
On whether he believes Bute is biding his time so he can be well rested to face the winner of the Super Six who will have had five difficult fights in a row:
“Yes, but that’s going to trick him because he’s going to be fresh, but fresh without really valuable experience. You know me, I fought Carl Froch and I gained experience. I fought Bernard Hopkins twice and that brought me a lot of experience. In boxing, you see you can be good but you need adversity to see what you can do in front of adversity. Anyone can be the pound-for-pound boxer when they seek out boxers. Anyone can be like that. Once when he’s in a fight with a real boxer, he’s going to see adversity and he’s not going to be able to do anything because it’s going to be his first time facing adversity. He might be fresh, but he won’t have the experience to win those kind of fights, because at that level, talent sometimes is not enough.”
His views on whether Roy Jones Junior should retire because of the recent knockout losses he has suffered:
“Who am I to tell Roy Jones to hang up the gloves. This man is probably one of the best fighters ever, I’m talking about prime time. He must be in the top three in the world ever, so who am I to judge this man. He’s been boxing for at least two decades, so you know it’s hard to tell someone to stop when he’s been doing that his whole life. I think that this is a really tough decision for Roy to make, but I can’t judge people on that. I can’t judge Roy on that, and he can do whatever he wants to do. To me, I know prime time wise he’s one of the best in the world.”
Regarding Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Junior’s respective upcoming fights against Juan Manuel Marquez and Victory Ortiz, and who he thinks faces the tougher challenge:
“Floyd should be a little bit more active. Floyd has a tough fight and I think Pacquiao this time is really, really going to beat Marquez because of the way Pacquiao evolved is not the way Marquez evolved. Pacquiao got bigger, he’s faster, he’s stronger, so I think that’s going to be a really easy fight for Pacquiao this time.”
Regarding whether he would be ready to take Tavoris Cloud on in Novermber or December:
“Yeah, of course! If the fight is in November or December, I’m in! I’m in with anyone!”
Regarding what strategy he would use if he is to face Tavoris Cloud in his next fight:
“Honestly, I would love to tell you that Jenna, but I can’t in case I’m fighting Cloud. You know what I mean? I saw great things about Cloud, but I saw some weaknesses, also. So I’m going to try to expose those weaknesses to win the fight.”
On what it would mean for him to regain a portion of the light heavyweight championship:
“That would mean a lot to me because it’s easier to become champion than to re-become champion. So you know once you win it once it’s good, but to be able to be champion twice is a great thing. That will mean a lot to me and if I win the IBF title or another world title, I will be ready for anyone after that.”
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For those interested in listening to the Jean Pascal interview in its entirety, it begins approximately one hour and fifty-six minutes into the program.
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