Watch Kovalev vs. Pascal: Fight Time, Preview and TV Info

By Brian Mazique

WBA, WBO and IBF light heavyweight champion Sergey "Krusher" Kovalev (26-0-1, 23 KO) wants one man in the ring most of all, and that's WBC champion Adonis Stevenson. On Saturday, he will have to settle for former WBC titleholder Jean Pascal (29-2-1, 17 KO).

Stevenson and Kovalev are still separated by networks, but recent agreements between Kovalev and Bernard Hopkins as well as Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao gives boxing fans hope that Krusher and Stevenson will one day share a ring.

Per Joseph Santoliquito of Sherdog, Kovalev said this of a potential fight with Stevenson:

I don’t know if Stevenson is afraid or me or not. I really don’t think that much about him. But I would like to fight him and unify the titles. Every fighter wants to add more titles, and that’s what I want to do. That’s my goal. I know beating Pascal is the next step toward a unification fight with [Stevenson].

Some believe Stevenson fled his HBO deal for an agreement with Showtime and Al Haymon to avoid facing Kovalev. In any case, it seems clear Kovalev wants to be known as the only champion at 175 pounds.

While most are enamored with the thought of a Stevenson-Kovalev bout, Pascal hopes to catch his opponent looking past him. Here is the viewing information.

When: Saturday, March 14 at 9:45 p.m. ET

Where: Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

TV: HBO

Kovalev is taking the show on the road to his opponent's hometown. Will the hostile crowd drive the champion or inspire the challenger?

The 31-year-old champion is in a precarious position. He's dominated everyone placed in front of him, but he has yet to receive the type of attention and respect one might expect from such a dominating champion.

In Kovalev's last fight, he easily defeated Bernard Hopkins and took the WBA and IBF titles from the ageless wonder. However, Kovalev didn't earn a stoppage against the rugged and elusive Hopkins. As is always the case with anyone who has fought Hopkins in the last 10 years, Kovalev was in a no-win situation.

If he blew through Hopkins and stopped him, critics would have said it was expected. Meanwhile, winning by decision wasn't quite as impressive. Just imagine what would have happened if Kovalev had lost.

Pascal is a much more cut-and-dry opponent. In fact, it wouldn't be a surprise if Kovalev felt less pressure in this fight than he did against Hopkins. It's easy to see how this could be a trap fight for Kovalev. The question is can Pascal take advantage of Kovalev if the champion is indeed overlooking him?

Hopefully this fight will end more decisively than Pascal's last bout. His match with Roberto Feliciano Bolonti ended in a no-contest. Pascal fouled Bolonti when he landed an illegal punch on the referee's break. Usually something like that results in a more severe punishment, but Pascal escaped with the no-contest.

The Haitian-born Canadian resident Pascal has faced the best the light heavyweight division has to offer. He fought Hopkins twice, losing once and drawing with the future Hall of Famer in the other bout. Pascal also won a decision over Chad Dawson back when that accomplishment actually meant something.

This fight with Kovalev represents a huge opportunity. Obviously, Pascal wants to be a world champion again, but he also needs to show the world he can still compete with the elite fighters in the weight class. A strong showing could plant the seeds for other exciting bouts in the future.

Prediction

Pascal is going to be the most naturally athletic opponent Kovalev has faced. The challenger is also a bit awkward. In some ways he's like a larger version of Shawn "Showtime" Porter, only he doesn't punch as hard as Porter proportionately.

Pascal's awkwardness could present an issue for Kovalev early, but by the fourth or fifth round, the champion's power, jab and pursuit will begin to cause Pascal to cave.

Kovalev is too strong and skilled for Pascal. Look for the champion to retain his title by fifth-round TKO.

Article Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2394041-sergey-kovalev-vs-jean-pascal-fight-time-date-preview-and-tv-info