CARL FROCH W12 JEAN PASCAL

The mega event last Saturday was Manny Pacquiao slapping around Oscar De La Hoya in Las Vegas but the best fight by far was in Britain, where Nottingham local favourite Carl Froch pounded out a unanimous decision win over Montreal’s Jean Pascal to capture the vacant WBC super middleweight title.

This meeting of unbeaten fighters lived up to all expectations expectations. Froch was a worthy winner with scores of 118-110, 117-111 and 116-112, but Pascal was brave and durable. We knew going into the fight that Froch could take a terrific shot, but Pascal was considered a bit suspect in the chin department. Now we know better. Pascal took the sort of punches that would surely have finished off most 168-pounders but always came back fighting — and he did so to the bitter end.

At times it seemed they took turns to land big shots. “Phenomenal exchanges!” exclaimed British ITV network commentator John Rawling. “Absolutely breathtaking stuff,” was the opinion of ringside pundit Barry McGuigan.

The commentary might have been a bit over the top in comparing the first three rounds to Hagler-Hearns, but it was undeniably exciting stuff.

The fighters each threw wild and off-balance punches at times, and each showed a certain disregard for defence, but they were putting so much into their shots and fighting with such intensity that it seems like carping to criticise technical imperfections.

This was a real fight, a throwback type of contest, between gutsy professionals who gave their all. It was a shame it wasn’t shown on American TV: I was able to get hold of a tape of the Canadian Super Channel coverage.

Pascal showed that he isn’t some flashy Roy Jones wannabe but a real fighter. He was willing to go at Froch and take his chances, risking getting hit so that he could land his own punches. I thought it was anyone’s fight for five rounds, but then Froch pulled ahead. He steadied himself and showed a stylish left jab and good judgement of distance as he stepped away from Pascal’s attempted haymakers and caught the Haitian-born Montrealer with counters.

Froch’s punching, especially with the right hand, was powerful, but with his left hand dangling by his waist he was always in danger of getting caught by Pascal’s right hands, which kept the suspense at a high level.

Pascal blinked through a swollen and battered right eye and you could tell that he was feeling the weight of the British boxer’s punches, but although he seemed to wilt a few times he gathered himself and rallied. Froch was a bit savvier, a bit more mature, had the better jab and was the tougher man, but I thought that Pascal enhanced his reputation even though he lost and I think that he will have learned a great deal from this fight.

A lot of Canadians have fought in Britain over the years, with varying results. The 1950s light-heavyweight contender Yvon Durelle, who almost knocked out Archie Moore, couldn’t win a fight in the U.K. and he had four of them. He was disqualified twice — once against a New Yorker, Artie Towne — but his ruggedness and fighting spirit was much praised when he got knocked out by Trinidad’s Yolande Pompey, who also challenged Archie Moore. George Chuvalo won and lost in Britain. Earl Walls took part in what was considered one of the most exciting heavyweight fights seen in Britain in years when he lost to the Jamaican Lloyd Barnett in 1949, a contest that had six knockdowns and numerous swings of fortune. I was ringside at the Royal Albert Hall when a young welterweight from Montreal named Marshall Butler gave a classy boxing exhibition to outpoint an up-and-coming John H. Stracey, who went on to become world champion.

Now Pascal has given the sort of performance that will long be remembered by the British fans who saw it, and I think his name will rank with the very best in the long Canadian connection with British boxing. This was Froch’s night, though. He has waited a long time for a night like this, and he seized his chance, magnificently.