Kovalev Trainer JD Jackson Says Pascal Tends To Fade After Four

There are no weight issues, he’s at about 179 now, he can eat and drink and on Saturday night, he can be merry…or, OK do what he does best, which is be a methodical pugilist who can and usually does take out his foe at some point on fight night.

Yes, much of the air in the boxing room has been taken, greedily sucked, you could say, by the Mayweather-Pacquiao negotiations…and much attention has been paid to the new ‘boxing is back on primetime’ narrative which unfolded in the last few weeks and culminated on Saturday…but now we look forward to the return of the “Krusher,” Kovalev that is, the man who handled a living legend in Bernard Hopkins with stunning ease in his last outing.

Question is, can he handle his Saturday foe in the same style. Can Kovalev get another W against the athletic Haitian-born hitter who makes Montreal his home, Jean Pascal (29-2-1)?

Trainer John David Jackson seemed pretty darn sure of his guy when we chatted on Tuesday afternoon. The ex 154 and 160 pound champ told me that he’s relaxed, and Kovalev, who holds the WBA, WBO and IBF 175 crowns, is too. “I was a bit more excited for the Hopkins fight,” he told me. “He’s a better fighter, a better name. Pascal is good, but not on the same level. Could the fight be easier against Pascal than it was against Hopkins? You can’t say that, Pascal might show up and let it all hang out. We are not taking him lightly. He’s a good puncher, has a very good chin, never been stopped, his chin has been very reliable for him. But he’s not really a refined boxer. He might try and test Kovalev’s power…He has good skills, but not to the level it’s kept him undefeated. He’s a decent fighter. But in the long run, he has a tendency to after four rounds die out. I don’t see him being able to change that.”

Interesting, and something to keep your eye on come fight night, friends, if you are in La Centre Bell or you are watching on La HBO.

Readers, talk to me. Any show of hands of anyone picking the 32-year-old Pascal to win by upset? Fire a comment in our Forum!

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