Boxing Preview: Jean Pascal – Kingsley Ikeke

It’s a big crossroads fight for the super middleweight division tonight at the Pierre Charbonneau Centre in Montreal, Canada as undefeated local hero and NABF/NABA/NABO titlist Jean Pascal looks to hold off the challenge of former world middleweight title challenger Kingsley “King Sharp Knuckle” Ikeke.

Born in Port Au Prince, Haiti, Pascal, 17-0 (13), has rampaged through a collection of fellow prospects and journeymen since turning pro just two and a half years ago, picking up a variety of regional titles along the way.

But if the 24 year old resident of Montreal is to keep his drive for a world title opportunity going, he must successfully make a jump up in class tonight as he faces a more experienced opponent in the form of Kingsley Ikeke.

A native of Nigeria, Ikeke, 23-2 (13), is moving up from the middleweight division but at 6 foot 4, may actually be stronger and have better stamina at the higher weight.

In 2005, Ikeke stopped hard nosed journeyman spoiler Marcos Primera and former two weight division world title challenger Antwun Echols to force his way into a December clash with Arthur Abraham in Germany for the vacant IBF 160 lb title.

But things went badly for Ikeke as Abraham negated a big height disadvantage to get inside the long reach of the visitor and knocked out Ikeke in the fifth.

This will be Ikeke’s first fight back since that time and Pascal will be looking to expose any holes that may remain in the Toronto based African’s confidence following the beating applied by Abraham.

Ikeke will have to shake off any ring rust accrued during his long time away and keep the shorter Pascal at the end of the jab if he is to walk out of Montreal with the local man’s regional belts and any semblance of a career at super middle.