Pascal-Bolonti Controversy:”Conclusive?” Not Quite!

The main storyline that emerged leading up to former WBC Light-Heavyweight champion Jean Pascal’s fight against top contender Roberto Bolonti was that if Pascal were victorious, a world championship fight against undefeated unified WBO/IBF/WBA Light-Heavyweight world champion Sergey Kovalev would be next for Pascal. Prior to this fight, I commented that it would be interesting to see if the potential title shot against Kovalev would influence how Pascal would fight against Bolonti and whether he would look for a knockout.

This fight did have the look on paper of an interesting clash of styles between Pascal, a fighter known for his hand speed, lateral movement, and unorthodox style against Bolonti, a fighter who entered the fight with a near 64% career knockout percentage having scored knockouts in twenty-four of his thirty-five career wins. Bolonti however, also failed in two previous attempts in stepping up his class of opposition against Tony Bellew and former WBO Light-Heavyweight world champion Juergon Braehmer. What would happen when the two fighters met on December 6th at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada can be summed up in one word “Inconclusive.” Some may also say that this fight was simply over before it could really get started.

The first round of this fight was relatively uneventful as both fighters were wary of each other and each were able to have periods of effectiveness in what was the definition of a “Swing Round.”  Neither fighter stood out from the other and you could make an argument for either winning the round. It was in the second round however, where the fight would begin to open up and then take a sudden and controversial turn.

A quick jab from Pascal would drop Bolonti seconds into round two. It was a flash knockdown as Bolonti was caught off balance and was not hurt. Bolonti subsequently got up quickly and the fight continued. Pascal began to let his hands go and landed some crisp body shots on Bolonti. As the fight seemed to be heating up, it would be brought to a sudden and controversial end.

In the final minute of round two while the two fighters were in a clinch that ended up on the ropes, Referee Michael Griffin ordered the two fighters to break. Before the two fighters could be separated however, Pascal would land a short right hand to the jaw of Bolonti sending him down to the canvas and out cold. After several minutes of confusion as to whether or not Pascal should have been disqualified for hitting his opponent with a punch on the break that resulted in the fight being stopped, it was determined that it was an unintentional foul and that the fight would be ruled a no contest. Bolonti did regain consciousness, but was carried from the ring on a stretcher and taken to a local hospital. As of this writing there is no update on the medical condition of Roberto Bolonti. The obvious question here coming out of this fight, was the ruling of a no contest the appropriate call?

For his part Pascal stated after the fight that he did not hear Referee Michael Griffin’s order to break before throwing the right hand that ended the fight. It appeared however, at least in this observer’s eyes that Griffin was in the process of attempting to separate the fighters as Pascal threw and landed the punch. Although it is certainly understandable that Pascal may not have heard Griffin due to the noise of what was a packed house at the Bell Centre and thus the punch on the break being unintentional, there may be some who feel that a disqualification was warranted. This observer had the reaction that Pascal should have been disqualified. The clock indicating how much time was left in the round clearly showed that Griffin had his hands on Pascal at least a full three seconds before Pascal threw the deciding blow. 

My reaction was based on Referee Michael Griffin having his hands on the fighters attempting to separate them before Pascal threw the punch that subsequently knocked Bolonti out. Although it is understandable that Pascal may not have heard Griffin verbally call for the fighters to break from the clinch, Pascal throwing the punch after Griffin had begun the process of physically separating the fighters and had his hands on the fighters would seem to indicate that Pascal should have been disqualified. Video replays of the incident clearly confirm that Pascal threw the punch after Griffin had begun to physically separate the fighters.

There may be some who are of the opinion that although the punch from Pascal did appear to be unintentional, the end result was that one man was knocked out as a result of a foul. This differs significantly from when a fight is stopped either as a result of an accidental clash of heads where one fighter sustains a cut that prevents that fighter from continuing or a fight where one fighter suffers an injury from being tangled and put down by his opponent while in a clinch as was the case in the first fight between Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson in 2011. In that fight Hopkins missed a punch and ended up off balance and leaning on the back of Dawson in the second round. Dawson lifted Hopkins up and dropped Hopkins to the canvas. Hopkins suffered an injury to his left shoulder and could not continue. Although on that night the fight was ruled to be a knockout win for Dawson, the result would later be changed to a no contest by the California State Athletic Commission. 

The question here in regard to this fight however, is whether or not Pascal should have been disqualified for landing a punch while the referee was in the process of trying to separate him and his opponent, which knocked his opponent out. Under the circumstances and having reviewed the fight several times, I believe that Jean Pascal did not hear Referee Michael Griffin’s instruction to break. I do also believe however, after reviewing the incident several times that due to Pascal throwing the punch after Referee Michael Griffin had begun to physically separate the fighters that there is likely grounds for a protest to be filed by the camp of Roberto Bolonti in what would likely be an attempt to have the result changed to a win for Bolonti.

Whether or not there will be a protest remains to be seen. In comments made after the fight to The Canadian Press head of the Quebec Boxing Commission Michel Hamelin stated that the fight was ruled a no contest due to both fighters throwing punches during the clinch and went on to state that it was Referee Michael Griffin’s decision to rule the fight a no contest and not the Quebec Boxing Commission’s decision. 

This is similar to the stance that the California State Athletic Commission took initially following Hopkins-Dawson 1 in 2011 where Referee Pat Russell initially awarded the fight to Dawson via second round knockout. It remains to be seen whether an appeal from Bolonti’s camp will be filed, but in this observer’s eyes there should be at least a video review of the incident so at the minimum there can be clarification for the fighters, their camps, Referee Michael Griffin, and the public so that any confusion can hopefully be resolved.

As for Referee Michael Griffin, although this observer believes that a disqualification of Pascal was warranted, it was a judgment call by the referee in charge and under circumstances like this I believe it underscores the importance and need for instant replay to be universally adapted when situations like this occur. Although I do not agree with the call of this fight being ruled a no contest by Griffin, it is important to remember that referees, judges, and others who are responsible for regulating the sport are human and mistakes can happen. Earlier this year, three of the sport’s major sanctioning organizations the World Boxing Council, (WBC) the World Boxing Association, (WBA) and the International Boxing Federation (IBF) announced their intention to adapt the use of instant replay to settle disputes like what happened in this fight in regard to world championship fights.

The obvious flaw however, is that it does not have any bearing on non-title fights such as this fight was and thus it will be up to each respective Athletic/Boxing commission around the world to adapt to the use of instant replay to settle disputes regardless if a world championship is at stake. There needs to be a universal standard in order to ensure that when circumstances like this emerge that there will be a conclusive outcome and that fights will not be left in a cloud of confusion. It is something that is long overdue.

The other question coming out of this fight is whether or not Jean Pascal will still face Sergey Kovalev for Kovalev’s unified world championship in March of next year. It may be true that Pascal did not lose against Roberto Bolonti, but it is also true that he did not gain a victory over Bolonti either. Although the fight between Kovalev and Pascal may indeed still happen next year, this observer believes that if Roberto Bolonti is medically cleared that the fairest thing to do would be for the sanctioning bodies to mandate an immediate rematch between Pascal and Bolonti. A title shot should only be awarded to a “Conclusive” winner.

 Whether or not the confusion that surrounds what happened in this fight will ultimately be resolved by way of protest and/or a commission review remains to be seen. In my eyes however, the appropriate course of action would be for a rematch to take place as was the case when Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson fought for a second time in 2012.  Simply put, it would be the right thing to do for all parties involved.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison 

 

A Look At Pascal-Bolonti And Lemieux-Rosado

The sport of Boxing has seen some fights throughout 2014 that have led to some intriguing potential bouts in 2015.  As the year 2014 in Boxing is winding down however, there are more bouts in the next couple of weeks that may lay the groundwork for more potential fights as 2015 approaches.  Such is the case in regard to two fights taking place on December 6th in the Light-Heavyweight and Middleweight divisions. The first of those bouts pits former Light-Heavyweight world champion Jean Pascal returns to the ring for the first time since defeating former Super-Middleweight world champion Lucian Bute in January of this year to take on top contender Roberto Bolonti at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada in a fight scheduled for ten rounds. 

 

The fight between Pascal and Bolonti, which will be televised in the United States via pay-per-view came about after Lucian Bute, who was originally scheduled to face Roberto Bolonti on this card pulled out due to an injury to his back while in training. Jean Pascal meanwhile was originally scheduled to face Super-Middleweight contender Donovan George in a Light-Heavyweight bout. This however, changed when negotiations between Pascal’s promoter Jean Bedard of Interbox and George’s management fell through leaving Pascal and Bolonti to face each other.

Another interesting twist to this fight emerged when it was announced earlier this week that if Pascal is victorious against Roberto Bolonti, he has a date to face undefeated unified WBO/IBF/WBA Light-Heavyweight world champion Sergey Kovalev in March of next year. This now puts Pascal in essentially the same scenario that Kovalev found himself in earlier this year when an opportunity emerged for Kovalev to face then IBF/WBA champion Bernard Hopkins in a unification fight a day prior to Kovalev’s defense of his WBO title against Blake Caparello. Kovalev subsequently took care of business against Caparello and went on to unify his title against Hopkins last month.

For the Canadian based Pascal the former WBC Light-Heavyweight world champion this could put him in position for another opportunity at a world championship. The task for Pascal before a potential fight between himself and Sergey Kovalev can take place will be to defeat Roberto Bolonti. Stylistically this fight seems to favor Pascal who uses an unorthodox style combining hand speed, power, and lateral movement to execute his offense. What has been a detriment however, for Pascal is he has had trouble in the past pacing himself and has faded in the latter stages of fights, most notably in his first fight with Bernard Hopkins.

It will be interesting to see whether the potential title shot against Sergey Kovalev will influence how Pascal (29-2-1, with 17 Knockouts) fights and whether he will be looking for a knockout in this fight. In Roberto Bolonti (35-3, with 24 Knockouts), Pascal faces a fighter who does have power registering a career knockout percentage of nearly 64%. An argument can be made however, that Bolonti, a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina has not been successful when he has attempted to step up his level of opposition as he suffered two of his three losses to top contender Tony Bellew and in his last fight to former WBO world champion Juergon Braehmer, who currently holds interim/regular champion status in the WBA’s Light-Heavyweight ratings.

The key to this fight in my eyes for Bolonti is he needs to find a way to let his hands go consistently and not give Pascal openings to execute his offense, which usually comes in quick spurts. Bolonti must find a way to keep Pascal somewhat on the defensive. In his last fight in June of this year, Juergon Braehmer consistently beat Bolonti to the punch often throwing and landing punches in combination and was able to win a lopsided twelve round unanimous decision over Bolonti.

Given Pascal’s unorthodox style and quickness, it would not surprise this observer if some were expecting a similar scenario in this fight where Pascal could likely beat Bolonti to the punch and box his way to a convincing decision victory as Braehmer was able to do. Bolonti however, has never been stopped in thirty-eight professional fights and will likely be there for Pascal for how ever long the fight lasts. 

The second fight that will likely be of interest to most Boxing fans on Saturday night pits top Middleweight contender David Lemieux against former world title challenger Gabriel Rosado at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York in a fight that will be televised in the United States by HBO, scheduled for twelve rounds. Lemieux (32-2, with 30 Knockouts) has been a rising contender in the talent stacked Middleweight division in recent years. Lemieux has knockout power in either hand registering a career knockout percentage of nearly 89% in his career thus far.

Lemieux however, has faced some adversity as he has climbed up the Middleweight ranks as he suffered a knockout loss at the hands of former world title challenger Marco Antonio Rubio in April 2011 and suffered another setback in losing a twelve round majority decision to Joachim Alcine later that year. Despite suffering those losses, Lemieux has shown the ability to bounce back and has won his last seven fights, winning six by knockout.

The Canadian based Lemieux, who also shares the same promoter as Jean Pascal will be fighting for the first time in the United States when he takes on the tough veteran Gabriel Rosado. Rosado (21-8, with 13 Knockouts) has twice fought for a world title giving valiant efforts against current unified WBA/IBO Middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin and undefeated former WBO champion Peter Quillin. In his last fight in August of this year, Rosado defeated Bryan Vera via sixth round knockout in a bout that was fought under the format and rules of BKB: Big Knockout Boxing for the BKB Middleweight world championship.

As some readers might recall in this observer’s previous coverage of BKB cards however, due to the rules and format in which fights are fought under BKB, those fights have not been considered official by official Boxing record keepers and for the time being, BKB remains a separate form of Professional Boxing as compared to the traditional form of the sport. In Rosado’s recent fights fought under the traditional format of Professional Boxing, he gone winless in his last four fights going 0-3-1, with a no decision in his fight against J’leon Love in May of last year.

Although Rosado, a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has gone winless in his previous four official fights, he has proven every time he gets in the ring that he comes to win and has always given everything he has no matter the opposition. This fight between Lemieux and Rosado has the makings of what could be an all-out war.

Even though the statistics may favor David Lemieux due to his high career knockout percentage, Gabriel Rosado will likely be more than willing to engage with Lemieux and will likely not be intimidated by Lemieux’s knockout record. Although Rosado, in contrast to Lemieux has only thirteen knockouts in his twenty-one wins he has given fighters like Gennady Golovkin and Peter Quillin stern tests and if Lemieux is underestimating Rosado, it would not shock me if what some would consider an upset were to take place.

It will be interesting to see what may be in store for the winner of this fight in what is a very deep Middleweight division where any of the top contenders could find themselves challenging for a world championship at any given time. For Lemieux, who is currently ranked in the top ten of the WBC, IBF, and WBO Middleweight ratings respectively, an impressive performance against Gabriel Rosado just may put him in line for a title shot. A victory for Rosado may put him right back in line for what would be a third attempt at a world title.

 No matter who should emerge victorious in these two fights, the results may just make the landscape of the Light-Heavyweight and Middleweight divisions even more interesting as 2015 approaches. We will see who emerges victorious on Saturday night.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison

 

Pascal vs. Bolonti can be seen in the United States via Integrated Sports Pay-Per-View and is available on cable and satellite television providers as well as online at www.GFL.TV on Saturday December 6th at 8PM EST/5PM PST. For ordering information contact your local cable or satellite provider or visit www.GFL.TV. Check your listings internationally.

Lemieux vs. Rosado can be seen in the United States on HBO on Saturday December 6th at 10PM EST/PST. Check your listings internationally.

Will Tyson Fury Be Next For Wladimir Klitschko?

The first encounter between then rising Heavyweight prospects Tyson Fury and Dereck Chisora established both fighters as players in the Heavyweight division. Although the undefeated Tyson Fury clearly won the first encounter between himself and Chisora, there was significant interest/anticipation for the rematch between the two now top Heavyweight contenders.

Prior to the rematch between Fury and Chisora, I stated that from a stylistic standpoint that this fight could have been expected to be fought in much of the same way that the first fight between the two was fought. The question that I had prior to this rematch was whether or not Chisora would be able to let his hands go more consistently than had been the case in the first fight. Although Chisora was able to have periodic success in the first encounter, he was not able to keep a consistent offensive rhythm throughout the fight and Fury was able to outwork him and box his way to a convincing twelve round unanimous decision. It would be up to Chisora to change the landscape of how the rematch would be fought.

The second encounter between the two however, was more or less a continuation from where the first fight in 2011 had left off when the two met on November 29th at the ExCel Center in London, England. Fury using his 6’9 height and 85” reach to keep the  6’1 ½ Chisora at distance and unable to land anything significant. Fury’s longer reach and combination punching were the story of this fight as he easily dictated how the fight would be fought and frankly administered a beating to Chisora. The fight did not live up to the anticipation that some had leading up to it. This was due to Fury’s fight plan in using his lateral movement to control distance and tying Chisora up whenever Chisora would get close.

Although it may not have been the most entertaining fight to watch, from a Boxing standpoint Fury fought a near perfect fight against a shorter opponent in not allowing that opponent to be able to get into a position where he could potentially be effective. The one-sided contest was stopped by Chisora’s corner after the conclusion of the tenth round giving Fury his second victory over Chisora and the twenty third victory of his career in as many fights. The win for Fury also won him the British and European Heavyweight championships and now puts him as the number one contender in the World Boxing Organization’s (WBO) Heavyweight ratings and in line to challenge unified IBF/WBA/WBO/IBO Heavyweight world champion Wladimir Klitschko.

The question that some may be wondering coming out of this fight is whether or not Fury will be the next challenger for Klitschko. Klitschko, as readers may recall has spent the last year fulfilling his mandatory title defense obligations defeating each of the top contenders in the WBA, IBF, and WBO Heavyweight ratings defeating Alexander Povetkin, Alex Leapai, and most recently Kubrat Pulev who he knocked out in five rounds on November 15th in what was Klitschko’s seventeenth successful title defense.

Some readers may recall this observer stating after Klitschko’s knockout of Pulev that one option for Klitschko would be for him to face the winner of the rematch between Fury and Chisora. Although Klitschko has for the moment fulfilled his mandatory obligations with no current mandatory challengers in either the World Boxing Association (WBA) or the International Boxing Organization (IBO) respective Heavyweight ratings and thus would theoretically allow Klitschko to make an elective defense against a top contender of his choosing, this observer believes that a fight between Klitschko and Fury makes the most sense as 2015 approaches.

As I discussed following Klitschko’s knockout of Kubrat Pulev, there are other options that are available for Klitschko if he decides to not make another mandatory title defense right away.  Possible fights against the likes of former WBA Heavyweight world champion Ruslan Chagaev, who currently holds interim/regular champion status in the WBA’s ratings, but has not been designated as the WBA’s mandatory challenger for Klitschko as of this writing, top contender Bryant Jennings, who is currently in line to face the winner of the potential fight between WBC world champion Bermane Stiverne and current WBC mandatory challenger Deontay Wilder, and finally current IBF number two rated contender Vyacheslav Glazkov could all be potential options.

In this observer’s opinion however, with only one current mandatory challenger and much of the rest of the Heavyweight division in limbo as the end of 2014 approaches, Tyson Fury should be next in line for Klitschko in what would be Klitschko’s eighteenth championship defense. It will be interesting to if Klitschko-Fury will be made for some time in early 2015.

As for Dereck Chisora, it will also be interesting to see where he goes following his second loss to Tyson Fury. Although Chisora was dominated in both fights against a much bigger man, Chisora is still a contender in the Heavyweight division and could be a potential opponent for any of the contenders in the division who are looking to position themselves in line for potential title shots.

An issue for Chisora and really any Heavyweight who does not have the benefit of height and long reach in the current era of the division will be having to face fighters who are taller, bigger, and enjoy a reach advantage over them. Chisora has experienced this twice in fights against Tyson Fury and although he was quite “Game” also in his fight with Vitali Klitschko. In the case of his fights with Fury as well as his fight with Klitschko, the Boxing physics were not in Chisora’s favor and if Chisora is going to remain a player in the Heavyweight division, he will need to find an answer that will allow him to effectively compete with fighters who are much bigger than him. Chisora does have punching power and has shown, despite losing five of his twenty-five professional fights that he can give most in the division a difficult fight and even gave Vitali Klitschko his fair share of difficulty when they fought in 2012. If Chisora cannot find a way to deal with fighters who are much bigger and have a significant reach advantage over him however, his future as a Heavyweight contender may be in question.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison 

 

Fury-Chisora II: Who Will Earn A Title Shot Against Wladimir Klitschko?

When Heavyweight contenders Tyson Fury and Dereck Chisora met in July 2011 it was to determine the British and Commonwealth Heavyweight championships. At the time both Fury and Chisora were both rising prospects in the Heavyweight division.

 For the first six rounds of the contest both fighters had their share of moments. Fury using his 6’9 frame to keep the 6’1 ½ Chisora on the outside, using his jab to set off combinations. Chisora looking to apply pressure by pushing the bigger man back. Although Chisora threw wide punches, he did have periodic success in landing left hooks and overhand rights. As the fight progressed however, it was Fury’s combination punching and overall greater activity that would win him the fight via a clear twelve round unanimous decision.

Even though the encounter between the two prospects was for the British and Commonwealth Heavyweight titles, the fight did establish both fighters as players in the Heavyweight division as Chisora would go on to challenge Vitali Klitschko for the WBC world championship in February 2012 putting forth a “Game” effort in defeat against one of the two most dominant Heavyweights of this era. Despite suffering losses to Fury, Klitschko, two-division world champion David Haye, and a highly controversial loss to undefeated contender Robert Helenius, Chisora has established himself as a legitimate contender in the Heavyweight division. Since suffering a fifth round knockout loss at the hands of David Haye in July 2012 Chisora has won five straight fights, winning four of those fights by knockout including victories over Malik Scott, Ordrej Pala, and in his last fight former world title challenger Kevin Johnson.

As the encounter between Chisora and Fury established Chisora as a player in the division, so too it did for the undefeated Tyson Fury. Fury has remained unbeaten in the years since his encounter with Chisora winning seven fights and scoring six knockouts against the likes of Vinny Maddalone, Martin Rogan, and former Cruiserweight world champion Steve Cunningham  just to name a few. 

When the two Heavyweights last fought as co-headliners as part of a twinbill at the Copper Box Arena in London, England in February of this year, it was clear that the path to a shot at a world Heavyweight championship for both Fury and Chisora would lead through each other as Fury scored a fourth round knockout over a “Game”, but over matched Joey Abell. Chisora would follow Fury by scoring a one-sided twelve round unanimous decision over Kevin Johnson. 

Following that card earlier this year, this observer stated that a rematch between Fury and Chisora was the logical option for both fighters. The rematch, which was scheduled to take place in July was postponed when Chisora fractured his left hand in his last sparring session prior to the fight taking place. When Fury and Chisora finally meet on Saturday night at the Excel Arena in London, England it will not be just for bragging rights or the European and British Heavyweight titles that will be on the line, but what is also at stake will be the right to challenge unified IBF/WBO/WBA/IBO Heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko in the World Boxing Organization’s (WBO) ratings.

From a stylistic standpoint this fight could be expected to be fought in much of the same way as the first fight was fought between Fury and Chisora. Fury looking to keep Chisora on the outside using his height and 85” reach to his advantage, Chisora looking to close distance and get on the inside of the bigger man. The question that I have in my mind as this fight approaches is whether or not Chisora will be able to let his hands go more consistently this time.

Although Chisora, who weighed 261lbs. for the first fight against Fury was able to have success early in the fight landing power punches, an argument can be made that as the fight went on Chisora’s weight gradually worked against him as he became inconsistent in letting his hands go. It will be interesting to see if Chisora, who weighed 241 ½lbs. at the weigh-in for the rematch with Fury on Friday will be able to have more success in this second encounter. In contrast to Chisora, Fury who weighed in at 264lbs. for the rematch will be looking to use that weight to his advantage by tying the shorter man up and making him unable to let his hands go if Chisora is able to get on the inside as was the case in the first fight.

As was the case the first time around when these two fought, the rematch is a highly anticipated grudge match between two fighters who dislike each other. While this might mean that the two will engage in an entertaining slugfest as some anticipated prior to their first fight, it would not shock me if the rematch like its predecessor goes the distance. Both fighters are known for their punching power and ability to end fights quickly. It is important to remember however, that for both fighters a shot at a world Heavyweight championship is what awaits the winner. The stakes are indeed high and if one fighter approaches this fight looking to score a quick knockout and is not prepared to go the distance it will play into the opponent’s hands.

With much dislike and “Bad Blood” between the fighters and much anticipation for the rematch it will be interesting to see who emerges victorious. The stage is set for the rematch on Saturday night.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison