IBF light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud (24-0, 19 KO’s) will venture into hostile territory on August 11th when he faces former WBC light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal (26-2-1, 16 KO’s) at Montreal’s Bell Centre. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Hailing from Tallahassee, Florida, the 30 year old “Thunder” Cloud remains undefeated and last saw action in a February split decision victory over Gabriel Campillo in Texas.
Hailing from Haiti, the 29 year old Canadian transplant Pascal has been out of action since dropping the WBC and IBO titles to Bernard Hopkins back in May of 2011. A true warrior and, he is eager to get back into the ring and claim back a major title.
The two stars met up in Montreal this past week at Restaurant 9-4-10 in the Bell Centre to hype the fight. Cloud, flanked by his promoter, the legendary Don King, stated:
"I’m coming away with my title still intact…… Pascal could think he is the gatekeeper to bigger and better things for me, but I just come in and fight my fight.”
Pascal, flanked by Canadian promoter Yvon Michel, added:
“I am the former world champion. He is the current world champion but unfortunately for him on Aug. 11, he is going to leave as the former world champion and I am going to be a two-time world champion.”
As to why King and Cloud would agree to venture into the deep waters of Montreal, King responded:
“How did we get to Montreal? Because it’s one of the fairest cities in the world. We were looking for a neutral site and we picked Montreal.” He added, “Cloud, he didn’t come up here to leave that belt. Pascal is going to have to take it. And to take it, that means he is going to have to go up against the thunder the lighting and the rain.”
Yvon Michel had his own take on the significance of the night:
“Tavoris Cloud and Jean Pascal have amazing power. Adonis Stevenson is the purest puncher I’ve ever seen. To have three guys with steel hands competing on Aug. 11, I think we’ll see two fantastic fights.”
As an added bonus for the night Canada’s Adonis “Superman” Stevenson, (18-1, 15 KO’s) is set to battle a yet-to-be-named opponent to add to the festivities. Now trained by the great.Emmanuel Steward, Stevenson is on a roll and hopes to take his heavy punch all the way to the top of the super middleweight rankings.
Check back with 8CN often for Cloud vs.Pascal fight card updates as they materialize….
Leave a Reply