(Atlantic City, NJ) – Dmitry Bivol of Russia (14-0, 11 KOs) defends his WBA Light Heavyweight World Title against former Olympian and former WBC, IBO, and Ring Magazine champion Jean Pascal of Canada (33-5-1, 20 KOs) on Saturday, November 24, 2018 as HBO World Championship Boxing returns to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s Etess Arena in Atlantic City.
Bivol fights in his first main event in the U.S., and Pascal fights for the first time ever in Atlantic City. This will be the second boxing event at the recently opened Hard Rock Atlantic City. Below is the scouting report for this fight.
| Category | Dmitry Bivol | Jean Pascal |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 27 | 36 |
| Record | 14-0-0 (11 KOs) | 33-5-1 (20 KOs) |
| Strength | The champion is a strong and skilled boxer/puncher. He possesses power in both hands and is quick on his feet. He's proved in his recent bouts his endurance is becoming one of his most notable strengths. | The challenger is an experienced and tough veteran who has taken on the best fighters in the world for over a decade. His chin has always been extremely durable and he has legitimate knockout power in both hands. |
| Weakness | Bivol has not been in the ring with an opponent quite like Pascal. This is a major step-up for the champion, and he will need to be on his A-game for anything the former champion may bring. | Pascal has an entertaining tendency to turn a boxing match into a slugfest. This may backfire considering the power and elusiveness of his opponent. |
| Experience | Although he has accomplished great things in his short career thus far, Bivol has not faced someone with the experience and achievements as his opponent. | Pascal is the most experienced of the active light heavyweight contenders. He has fought numerous champions throughout his career, including Bernard Hopkins, Lucian Bute, and Sergey Kovalev. |
| Power | Bivol has rigorous power in both hands. His power was on full display earlier this year when he became the first and only fighter to stop the durable Sullivan Barrera. | Pascal's power has been one of his most prominent strengths throughout his career. He has a strong left hook and an overhand right he delivers with authority. |
| Speed | Bivol's hands are fast and he throws devastating combinations. He moves around the ring very well and is extremely elusive. | When Pascal finds himself in a position to finish a fight, his speed is put on full display, as he doesn't hesitate to release everything in his arsenal. |
| Endurance | In 2018, Bivol proved he can dig deep in the championship rounds when he needs to. In August he earned a 12-round unanimous decision over former title contender Isaac Chilemba. | Pascal will have the advantage in grit and determination. He has proven time-and-time again his heart is as big as anybody in the sport. He has gone 12-rounds in ten career fights. |
| Accuracy | Bivol's aggressive and in-your-face style allows him to be an accurate puncher. He likes to close in on his opponents, leaving them with little room at all to run. | Pascal will be at a slight disadvantage. His accuracy becomes more pinpoint once he engages his opponents into the slugfest that he looks for. |
| Defense | Bivol is not the easiest fighter to hit. He is constantly on his toes and can answer your shots with more devastating shots of his own, which is always on the minds of his opponents | Pascal has always been a more offensive minded fighter. He takes shots to give them, and luckily has had a granite chin throughout his career. |
| Chin | Bivol's chin proved to be durable in his bout with Sullivan Barrera. He took some major shots and weathered the storm to earn a TKO win. Jean Pascal will be the hardest hitter Bivol has ever faced. | Pascal's chin may be one of his most prominent strengths as a fighter. He has only been stopped once in his long and accomplished boxing career. |
| Style | Bivol is a physical, in-your-face fighter. His jab is his favorite punch. He uses it effectively and throws vicious combinations behind it. The champion likes to apply pressure on his opponents and not leave results to the judges. | Pascal is an aggressive and confident fighter who likes to stand and trade with his opponents if given the opportunity. He is a fierce competitor in the ring and lays it all out on the line every time. |
| Intangibles | Bivol was put on a fast track to a title, one few have been able to finish successfully. This fight is no different. It will be his most difficult test in his young career. He faces a fighter who has only tasted defeat against current or former world titleholders. If the champion comes out with his hand raised, then he would join an accomplished list of fighters: Sergey Kovalev, Eleider Alvarez, Carl Froch, and Bernard Hopkins. | Throughout his career, former titleholder Pascal has never backed down from a challenge. He has run the gauntlet in the light heavyweight division, with no plans of stopping. In what was supposed to be a retirement party against undefeated prospect Ahmed Elbiali, Pascal turned the tide on the youngster and scored a sixth round TKO. He feels this fight will be no different, except that a victory will make him a world champion once again. |
| Crowd Support | Bivol has an exciting fighting style. In his second consecutive bout in Atlantic City, New Jersey, it is expected Bivol will have solid crowd support for this bout. | Similar to his opponent, Pascal should expect to have significant crowd support. The Canadian boxing fans are loyal and are expected to make the trip to Atlantic City to watch their fighter attempt to regain the title. |
| The Match-Up | 1. Will Pascal be able to handle Bivol power in both hands? 2 Will Bivol be able to keep his composure if Pascal turns the fight into a slugfest? 3. Will Pascai be able to cut the ring off and handle the speed of Bivol? 4. Will Bivol be able to handle Pascal's power? |
“Trying to get someone to agree to fight Dmitry Bivol is never an easy task, believe me I know,” said Main Events matchmaker Jolene Mizzone. “When Pascal got the call, he didn’t even have to think twice about it and accepted within 10 minutes. Pascal sees an opportunity and is going to try and capitalize.
“Bivol to his credit is willing to fight any veteran, champion or boxer coming up, it doesn’t matter who it is. These are two boxers that are refreshing to match and what boxing is all about, taking risks and challenging yourself.”
