Dmitry Bivol vs Jean Pascal WBA Title Bout Preview
WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol seeks to make the third defense of his title against hard-nosed veteran Jean Pascal.
Location: Mark G. Etess Arena, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Time: 10:00 p.m. (ET)
Date: Saturday, November 24, 2018
Where to watch: HBO
From top to bottom, the influx of talent saturating the light heavyweight market is undeniable. With fighters like Eleider Alvarez, Dmitry Bivol, and Artur Beterbiev leading the way, the division has crawled out of obscurity.
Additionally, consolidating the various championships in must-see matchups is all it takes to further breath life into this division.
Dmitry Bivol (14-0, 11KOs)
Since bursting on the scene in 2014, Dmitry Bivol hasn’t stopped impressing fans with performance after performance.
The 27 year-old Russian powerhouse is fundamentally brilliant when he steps into the squared circle. His anomalous mixture of speed, power, and ring intelligence are a rarity only posed by a special breed.
Looking deeper into the tenacious champions extensive amateur career sheds light on his intense fighting style. Amassing a record of 268 wins and 15 losses is a testament to why he’s so good.
In August, Bivol collided with tough Malawian challenger Isaac Chilemba (25-6-2, 10KOs). Known throughout the sport as somewhat of a “gatekeeper,” his unconventional methods of attack have proven effective against most.
Nevertheless, Bivol isn’t most as he battered Chilemba for twelve-rounds. In the process, he controlled the pace and engaging when he wanted.
Advice to Bivol:
It’s time to put the old dog down! Pascal is strong early, but after five-rounds bring out the sleeping pills.
Jean Pascal (33-5-1, 20KOs)
At one point and time, Jean Pascal was the light heavyweight division. His entertaining style, fearless approach, and trash talk made for very compelling fights. The former world champion has enjoyed success over Chad Dawson, Bernard Hopkins, and Lucian Bute throughout his better years.
However, as the old saying goes, “Father time is undefeated.” Two crushing defeats to Sergey Kovalev revealed just how much punishment he had taken throughout his career.
Watching, Pascal now is almost unbearable, as he is a mirage compared to the fighter we all remember. His reflexes amongst other intangibles have slowed, and it may be time to close the curtains on a good career.
Advice to Pascal:
Make this your last fight! No need to get seriously hurt proceeding to compete.
Outcome:
Bivol wins by KO.
By: Cessell Robinson
