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Jean Pascal and his team remain hopeful that current talks with unbeaten contender Joshua Buatsi will lead to a showdown later this fall.
The pair of light heavyweights are at the midway point of a negotiation period for their IBF-ordered title eliminator to determine the mandatory challenger for unified champion Artur Beterbiev (18-0, 18KOs). A deal must be reached by August 11 to avoid a purse bid hearing, though the order came at a time when Eddie Hearn, Buatsi’s promoter was exploring a fight with WBA light heavyweight titlist Dmitry Bivol (20-0, 11KOs) who himself is currently involved in talks for an assigned mandatory title defense versus Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (44-0, 30KOs).
Buatsi somehow jumping the line to first face Bivol would require the blessing of the WBA, though such a fight is hardly necessary to disrupt the two matchups already proposed by the sanctioning bodies.
“Exceptions should be reserved for making exceptional fights. Not destroying them,” Greg Leon, Pascal’s manager, told BoxingScene.com.
Quebec’s Pascal (36-6-1, 20KOs) clawed his way back into title contention following a twelve-round win over previously unbeaten Meng Fanlong this past May 20 in Plant City, Florida. Fanlong was the IBF number-one contender and with hopes of challenging Beterbiev, who at the time was four weeks out from his eventual second-round knockout of Joe Smith Jr. in their June 18 lineal/WBC/IBF/WBO unification bout in New York City.
Pascal ruined those plans, dropping Fanlong in the ninth-round of their ProBox TV main event en route to a competitive but unanimous decision in his first fight following a 28-month layoff. He hadn’t fought since a 12-round, split decision win over Badou Jack in December 2019.
A planned rematch with Jack fell through after Pascal tested positive for banned substances. It remains the lone stain on an otherwise stellar career while carving out a reputation for taking on all comers during and after his WBC and lineal light heavyweight championship reign more than a decade ago.
The proposed fight with Buatsi (16-0, 13KOs)—a 2016 Olympic Bronze medalist for Great Britain–represents a new look for the 39-year-old Pascal and his team. Hearn declared during a recent Instagram Live session that he expects Buatsi to return in November. He did not mention Pascal by name as a potential opponent, though it remains the most logical next step—and one that Pascal’s side plans to make as simple and as fair as possible in order to finalize.
“I’ve dealt with many promoters the world over, but have yet to work directly with Eddie Hearn,” pointed out Leon. “It’s something I look forward to, Matchroom is a top tier promoter and the shows they put on are always first class.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
