Pascal impressive in win against Diaconu, takes title

Jean Pascal was able to successfully  mix smart boxing and roughhouse fighting to annex the WBC light heavyweight crown from Adrian Diaconu at the Bell Centre, Montreal, Canada on Friday night.

The two Montreal residents waged an exciting and fierce battle that so far, deserves mention as a fight of the year candidate. Diaconu was a slight favorite entering the bout probably because Pascal was moving up a weight division and Pascal had lost in a recent title shot at 168 to Carl Froch.

But Pascal was valiant in defeat in that bout and probably gained the requisite experience that prepared Pascal, mentally and physically, for the task at hand.

Pascal looked to exploit his speed advantage early in the fight by creating distance between himself and Diaconu while using a jab. And the plan, for the most part, was working. But Diaconu is a strong and rugged man that was going to be in hot pursuit all night long.

As I watched, I wondered how long Pascal would be able to play keep away from the pursuing Diaconu. But Pascal had a surprise for Diaconu – he was willing to stand and trade at many different junctures of nearly every round.

And Pascal not only was able to out maneuver Diaconu, he was able to outfight him on many occasions, too. Pascal, who many saw as a Roy Jones light type fighter, proved that while he may not be quite the supernatural talent Jones once was, he is clearly a tougher, stronger and more durable boxer than Jones could have ever have hoped to be.

And Pascal’s considerable talent coupled with his underrated toughness and tenacity make for a very formidable and exciting fighter. It was great to see Pascal push the bull (Diaconu) back while punching hard and landing well with his free hand.

Pascal built up and early lead in the fight and was really pouring it on when he dropped Diaconu in the 5th pound. Pascal went after his prey with a vengeance but got clipped high on the head that put him in instant trouble. But the round was nearly over and Pascal was able to clinch and punch for the remainder of the round.

Pascal seemed to suffer from a little fatigue in the 7^th and 8^th rounds and probably lost those rounds. This is where Diaconu was going to have to make his move. But Pascal got a second wind and was able to keep pace with the ever charging Diaconu in the last 3^rd of their fight. And while Diaconu did provide some effective pressure, Pascal landed the better overall punches and was really punishing Diaconu in the last 2 rounds.

Pascal appeared like he might be able to score another knockdown in the last round as he battered Diaconu around the ring but Diaconu wouldn’t fold and made one last charge. But it was too late, he lost the round and it was obvious that reasonable judges would cause the title to change hands. They did via unanimous decision.

This really was a marvelous fight with a forward moving guy Diaconu against the boxer Pascal. But there was much hard fighting  going on.  And a man with less fortitude than Pascal would have surely crumbled under Diaconu’s exhausting pressure.

After this win, I see Pascal as a big player in this division with a mix of old lions like Bernard Hopkins and Glen Johnson coupled with some talented young fighters like IBF champ Chad Dawson,  top contender Tavoris Cloud and resurgent Shaun George et al.

And I think Pascal can give a good account of himself against any of the aforementioned fighters. I sense many thought Pascal was more sizzle than steak prior to this fight but I think he’s proved in his loss against Froch and this coming out win over Diaconu that he indeed, has plenty of substance to go along with hip rapier reflexes.

Diaconu can still make for some excellent fights in the division and can’t be counted out. Even a rematch would be worthy down the road. Of course, Diaconu will need a rest and time to heal as his face took a substantial battering in this rough fight. Pascal was surprisingly, unmarked.

I picked Pascal to win because I felt he had the tools to handle Diaconu. I knew Diaconu is tough and provides steady pressure but he sometimes seems to fight in one gear when he should ratchet things up a notch. And I believed that Pascal showed enough grit with a tough guy like Froch that he should be able to expound on that performance in this fight. Further,  I felt that the weight gain would benefit Pascal who wouldn’t have to shave himself down to 168. And the weight gain did seem to help as Pascal was still lean and ripped, carrying the weight very well.

At only 26 years old Pascal’s future is indeed very bright. He can fight and he’s exciting. The more exposure he gets, the better.