In front of a large, enthusiastic crowd
at the “Bell Center” arena in Montreal, Canada, Haiti’s Jean Pascal (22-1
with 15 KOs) won the “WBC” Light Heavyweight title with an impressive and
convincing unanimous decision over defending champion Adrian Diaconu of
Romania.
Pascal, who had failed in his attempt to
win the vacant “WBC” Super Middleweight title against Carl Froch in December
2008, used his superior speed, youth and height advantage to outbox the
champion. The previously undefeated Diaconu (26-0 with 15 KOs), now residing
in Montreal, Canada, could not match the quicker challenger’s speed and
combination punching.
From the opening stanza, Diaconu tried to
make Pascal fight at close quarters by pressing the action, only to have the
challenger use his excellent jab and side-to-side movement to keep the
champion in the more convenient middle of the ring. The fighters exchanged
furious exchanges in the early rounds, with each one having success in landing
their combinations. The highly enthusiastic crowd showered both fighters with
approving ovations during and after each round.
The fight turned in Pascal’s favor midway
through the 5th round, as his short left hook to Diaconu’s jaw
dropped the champion on his back. Now forcing the action in an attempt to
finish his hurt opponent, Pascal in turn was hit with a powerful combination
that had him wobbled and holding on until the bell ended the round. The crowd
responded with a raucous ovation at round’s end.
The action followed the same pattern in
the middle rounds, as Pascal used his superior speed and movement to avoid any
serious damage, with Diaconu unsuccessful in trying to fight at close range to
minimize the challenger’s superior speed.
Censing he was behind in the fight, a
desperate champion pick up his punch output in the 11th round,
and several hard combinations stunned Pascal twice in the round. The
challenger bravely answered with terrific combinations of his own to Diaconu’s
body and was able to survive the round on somewhat unsteady legs. A standing
ovation once again greeted the fighters at round’s end.
The appreciative crowd showered both
fighters with another well deserved ovation at the start of the 12th
and final round. In probably the most action packed round of the entire
fight, both fighters put a final exclamation to the terrific match by
exchanging furious combinations at a frantic pace that had the crowd on its
feet and cheering the entire round. The crowd’s ovation at the conclusion
of the round reached a state of pandemonium, as they had witnessed a
tremendous performance by both champion and challenger.
Waiting for the score cards to be
tallied, the reaction of the fighters and their corner men seemed to reflect
the fight’s outcome. The challenger, Pascal, happily acknowledged the crowd’s
cheers, while the champion appeared somewhat solemn and dejected, apparently
resigned to having lost his title before his adopted hometown fans.
They were both correct, as the judges’
score cards of 116-112, 116-111 and 115-112, all in favor of Jean Pascal,
acknowledged him as the new WBO Light Heavyweight champion of the world!
For Diaconu, his first loss drops his
record to 26-1 with 15 KOs in a short lived title reign. He displayed a
workman like performance against a younger, faster and taller challenger, and
would prove to be a viable opponent for those who stand in front of him with
minimal movement. His lack of mobility keeps him from being a serious
challenger to the division’s top fighters.
The new champion from Port-au-Prince,
Haiti, now 23-1 with 15 KOs, was very impressive in displaying all-around
boxing skills, with his excellent jab and overall speed, side-to-side movement
and combination punching being too much for the slower Diaconu to
overcome. Pascal’s excellent title winning performance elevates him to
prime time status and stamps him as a legitimate threat to any of the
division’s top names, such as Chad Dawson, Glen Johnson, Bernard Hopkins,
Clinton Woods and Roy Jones Jr.
All 175-pounders beware of the new
Haitian sensation!
