Three light heavyweight titles are on the line tonight in the rematch between Sergey Kovalev (28-0-1, 25 KOs) takes on Jean Pascal (30-3-1, 30 KOs) with the IBF, WBA and WBO lightweight belts on the table.
In the undercard, Dmitry Mikhaylenko (20-0, 9 KOs) takes on Karim Mayfield (19-2-1, 11 KOs) for the vacant USBA welterweight title.
There are a handful of other fights, but I don’t think they’ll be shown unless the first fight is crazy short.
Scroll on down for the live blog. Keep reading for the press release from HBO sports.
The following press release was issued on Friday by Main Events, the co-promoter of the Jan. 30 rematch between Sergey Kovalev and Jean Pascal, which will be televised on HBO (in the U.S.) from Montreal, Canada:
Main Events and InterBox are proud to offer boxing fans a quality card with a championship flair this January 30 at the Bell Centre. The event, which will feature the unified light heavyweight world championship grudge match between WBA, WBO and IBF title holder Sergey Kovalev and former world champion Jean Pascal, will also put two other titles on the line: Dmitry Mikhaylenko against Ray Robinson for the USBA welterweight belt as well as Renan St-Juste against Francis Lafrenière for the International IBF middleweight title.
“We asked our team to put together a balanced and diverse card that would showcase our up-and-coming talent,” said InterBox Vice President Pierre Duc.To kick the evening off, Quebec-based hard puncher Steven ‘Bang Bang’ Butler (13-0-1, 11 K.O.) will meet Angola’s Antonio Hoffmann (13-0, 9 K.O.). Just like Eye of the Tiger Management’s young local rookie, Hoffman is a fierce competitor who has a devastating punch and is quite gifted technically.
“I am presently in camp in the United States for my bout against Hoffman and I am in great shape,” said Butler. “I’m pumped for this fight and I look forward to it, as well as to all the challenges 2016 will bring me. I have lofty goals and I intend to impress the crowd at Bell Centre on January 30.”
After another impressive performance in front of his fans where he beat Quebec-based boxer Frank Cotroni in spectacular fashion, Sorel’s David Théroux (8-1, 5 K.O.) will be back in the Bell Centre ring on January 30 to face Mexican boxer Juan Armando Garcia (12-2-2, 5 K.O.) in a six-round middleweight bout.
Théroux said he is thrilled to fight on the undercard of the unified world championship grudge match between Sergey Kovalev and Jean Pascal: “Their first fight was a memorable night for me and a great number of boxing fans considering the quality of the fights that were scheduled that night and the electric atmosphere there was in the building! I am confident I will put on a good show on January 30 because my opponent, Juan Armando Garcia, is a tough fighter who does not shy away from challenges.”
For his part, Sébastien Bouchard (11-1, 4 K.O.) will be back in action to fight Poland’s Damian Mielewczky (9-1, 7 K.O.) at 160 pounds.
The fights are on HBO at 9:45 p.m. There are faces about to get caved in. Let’s watch it happen.
