Jean Pascal wants to continue writing his legend. Terry Osias wants to put an end to it. You couldn’t find a story that writes itself more by itself.
Pascal (36-7-1, 20 KOs), a three-association light heavyweight world champion, will face Osias (13-0, 6 KOs), whose road to the top was undermined by the pandemic and lymphoma, in a fight at 200 pounds, or light heavyweight, on September 21 at the Colisée de Laval.
“My motivation is not money, but to leave my mark, to make history,” Pascal said during Tuesday’s public workout at The Corner club in Montreal. “I want to be considered the greatest of all time in Canada.”
The veteran on the comeback against the young wolf: a story in which Pascal has already played, but in the opposite role.
Some 14 years ago, Pascal faced veteran Bernard Hopkins, then 45 and 18 years his senior. After a draw, Hopkins won the World Boxing Council (WBC) and International Boxing Organization belts in the second clash between the two men.
Osias now wants to prove that the student can beat the master.
“It’s a new chapter for me. It’s a stepping stone to a world championship. And it’s a passing of the torch,” he said. […] It’s business. I have a lot of respect for Jean, but now it’s my turn.”
“I never thought I’d say this, but I find myself in Bernard Hopkins’ shoes, not Roy Jones Jr.,” said Pascal, now 41. “I’m an aging boxer who’s staying in shape. I’m going to use my experience to become, perhaps, the Bernard Hopkins of Quebec.”
“I have a huge amount of experience: I am the most experienced in Quebec in professional boxing, that will help me win this fight. I know what I’m getting into, but I’m not sure Terry knows what he’s getting himself into.”
Osias, Pascal’s former training partner, knows his opponent’s tricks and was not impressed.
“I hope he thinks he’s going to win,” he said. “I know I’m going to win this fight. I beat cancer, I’ve come a long way. Then there’s my skills. I’m smarter in the ring, I have the best team behind me. I’m bigger, I’m bigger, I’m faster. For all those reasons, I’m going to win.”
“I’ve been visualizing this moment since I started as an amateur. When I say it’s my turn, I know where I’m going.”
Adaptation
Pascal is aiming to become world champion for the third time in a second weight division. He admits that this return to the ring after 18 months has not been without its bumps.
“Certainly the coordination, the rhythm, the cardio were outdated. It took a little while to come back, but I’m getting all that back. I’ll be ready for September 21st.”
Eight years after his loss to Hopkins, Pascal defeated Marcus Browne to become the interim World Boxing Association light heavyweight champion. A title confirmed after his victory over Badou Jack in his next fight. Six months later, a positive drug test knocked him out and stripped him of his title.
“The past is the past. What happened happened,” he insisted. “For my part, I did tests again with hair that proved the opposite. My loved ones and I know that I am innocent. We move on.”
Another thing is the quest for a light-heavyweight title. Jack is the WBC champion: Pascal believes that it is still within his reach, he who will be 42 in October. A minor WBO title should also be at stake in two weeks.
But above all, he wants to make people forget his last outing, a performance below expectations against the German Michael Eifert in an IBF light heavyweight elimination fight on March 16, 2023.
“At the time, I thought I had done enough to win, but to tell the truth, it was a bad evening at the office, which is much more damaging for a boxer than for a journalist,” Pascal said, his eye teasing.
“New Era gives me a chance to deliver something new, to prove to people that last March was just a bad day at the office.”