American fight fans will see the biggest bout in Canadian boxing history when the action-packed doubleheader Jean Pascal vs. Lucian Bute and Mike Perez vs. Carlos Takam, presented Saturday, January 18 at 10:15 p.m.from the Bell Centre in Montreal, exclusively on HBO.
In the historic main event, the country’s top rivals, Jean Pascal (28-2-1, 17 KOs) and Lucian Bute (31-1-0, 24 KOs), meet in a 12-round, 175-pound spectacle originally slated for May 2013. The 31-year-old Pascal has never backed down from a challenge, confronting American stars Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson with supreme confidence. Bute, 33, has displayed flashes of brilliance as a super middleweight, and will now test his power in the light heavyweight division.
Pascal vs. Bute has been touted as the biggest fight in Canadian boxing history, and most would be hard-pressed to disagree. It’s an extremely important fight for the careers of each man, both of whom have stalled in recent years.
The evening opens with a battle of highly touted heavyweights, as Mike Perez (20-0, 12 KOs) of Cork, Ireland, takes on Carlos Takam (29-1, 23 KOs) of Noisy-le-Grand, Seine-Saint-Denis, France in a scheduled ten-round bout. Coming off a November win, Perez, 28, seeks to preserve his undefeated record and power-punch his way to a shot at a heavyweight crown. Boasting an impressive 11-fight win streak, including eight by knockout, Takam is making his HBO and Canadian debuts. He is sharp having scored a third round KO win over Jakov Gospic on Dec. 20.
Definitely a good lineup of action this weekend on HBO, and Pascal vs. Bute is one we’ve been waiting on for about a year!
