A few months ago, the former light heavyweight titleholder Jean Pascal told some reporters that he would be getting back to the boxing ring against a former mandatory challenger Fanlong Meng on Friday, May 20, 2022. The Fanlong Meng vs. Jean Pascal match will occur in the ProBox Events Center in Plant City, Florida. Many fans thought that Meng was going to go against Sergey Kovalev in the main event of Triller Fight Club. But Dan Rafael now says that the match between the two boxers is not going to take place, and the Fanlong Meng vs. Jean Pascal match will go forward as planned. The match will be for the top spot in the 175 lbs division. In the co-feature for the night, the tough Mexican boxer Brandon Benitez will go against former titleholder Xu Can, who is making his comeback. The boxing night will be shown live on ProBox TV from their Events Center. Some fans think that Meng is going to win this one. They believe that Pascal is not in his prime anymore, and his boxing abilities have lost the spark.
The fans feel that Meng is a very tough individual. He is very dangerous to fight on the street. There are stories about him biting a person's nose off in a fight on the street and continuing another fight in a bar after he had been maced multiple times. But boxing is very different from some random street fights. There are many rules and techniques that have to be implemented by professional boxers. But if the event were about MMA and street fights, Meng would be among the top favorites of many fans. Some who believe in fortune-telling think that Pascal can win the event because it will be held on a Friday. Let us find out more about the Fanlong Meng vs. Jean Pascal match.
Fanlong Meng vs. Jean Pascal: Pascal Has Not Fought for a Long Time
Jean Pascal has not been involved in any professional boxing match since going past Badou Jack nearly three years ago. There was a rematch planned between the two boxers. But it was put off after the boxer tested positive for a drug test. He says that he never took those drugs and is innocent. He still maintains this stance in front of the press. There are press reports that go into some details about the levels shown in the test and the hair test that followed after that. But the writer of the report is also a little skeptical. The boxer is usually seen as one of nearly two decades' best light heavyweight boxers. Nearly thirteen years ago, he won against Adrian Diaconu to get the WBC Light Heavyweight Championship. He successfully defended it a couple of times before getting the IBO Light Heavyweight World Championship. He took the belt in a unification match against Chad Dawson.
The boxer finally lost the titles in a rematch held a few years later against the Hall of Fame boxer Bernard Hopkins. But he had world title chances during the following years against Dmitry Bivol and Sergey Kovalev. He will now need to win against his rival in the Fanlong Meng vs. Jean Pascal match to be a major boxer in the division. His age is also a big factor. He will have to start using his strength and power early on to stop the younger boxer. Jean Pascal was going to go against Badou Jack in a rematch of the undercard match between Logan Paul and Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the previous year. But he tested positive for many drugs, and that fight was canceled.
Pascal said, "It's been a long time coming. I'm back with a lot to prove and a fire under my ass. This fight with Meng is a great opportunity for me to get right back where I belong, at the top of the division. He's a good fighter. He's undefeated for a reason, but he's never been in with anybody like me. After this fight, he and Ahmed Elbiali will have something in common, losses to me in Florida in fights his people should have never made."
Fanlong Meng vs. Jean Pascal: Meng Has Been Unlucky
Meng can consider himself to be a little unlucky. His title shot a few years ago against the unified champ Artur Beterbiev was one of the first matches to be canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. There were also issues with rescheduling that led to Adam Deines replacing him in the match. It caused a layoff of a couple of years for the boxer. He ended that period with a decision victory against Israel Duffus half a year ago. Meng has been a boxer searching for a meaningful boxing match for some time now. He made his professional debut nearly seven years ago after a celebrated amateur boxing career. He represented his nation in the Olympic Games. After that, he got the IBF Intercontinental Light Heavyweight championship belts, the WBO Oriental Light Heavyweight belt, and a couple of regional titles. The boxer is now looking forward to stepping up in terms of the quality of his rivals to get himself in line for a shot at a world championship belt. The Fanlong Meng vs. Jean Pascal match is going to be a great one.
Meng said, "I'm so excited to get back in the ring and face former world champion Jean Pascal, on May 20. This fight is so unique for a lot of different reasons. It's my first time as the main event fighter. It's the first time I have faced a former world champion, and it's the first time we will live stream in China so that 1.5 billion people can support us. It's also my first time fighting on ProBox, my home turf. I've been training very hard here in Florida. Camp has been great. I can't wait to put on a good show."
Fanlong Meng vs. Jean Pascal: Co-Feature Can is a Former Champ
Xu Can is a former titleholder famous for his fast-paced action and volume punching. Three years ago, the boxer got the WBA Featherweight championship belt with a unanimous decision win against Jesus Rojas. He made successful title defenses against Manny Robles III and Shun Kubo before conceding the belt against Leigh Wood the last year. The boxer will now look to get back in a tough match against Benitez. The latter is from Mexico. He has only lost against undefeated boxers. He has won more than three consecutive matches in a row.
Can said, "I'm excited to return to the ring in this tough fight against Brandon Benitez. Fans know my style. They know that I like to throw lots of punches. So, when it's a fight between a Mexican warrior and me like Benitez, you know it will be a war. I am ready and excited for this opportunity to face a former world champion. This is the opportunity I've been fighting for all my life. I know it will be a difficult fight where there'll be a lot of punches thrown, but I will be in great shape to throw more than my opponent and win convincingly."
Fanlong Meng vs. Jean Pascal 12 Round Light Heavyweight Match Statistics
|
Fanlong Meng |
Jean Pascal |
|
|
Country |
China |
Canada |
|
Age |
34 years |
39 years |
|
Pro |
7 years |
17 years |
|
Height |
6′ 2″ (188 cm) |
5′ 10½″ (179 cm) |
|
Reach |
75½″ (192 cm) |
72″ (183 cm) |
|
Division |
light heavyweight |
light heavyweight |
|
Stance |
southpaw |
orthodox |
|
Titles |
- |
- |
|
Record |
17 - 0 - 0 |
35 - 6 - 1 |
|
KOs |
58% |
57% |
|
Inactive |
203 days |
874 days |
Fanlong Meng vs. Jean Pascal 12 Round Light Heavyweight Match Fight Card
|
Division |
Fighter #1 |
Fighter #2 |
|
light heavyweight (175 lbs) |
Fanlong Meng |
Jean Pascal |
|
featherweight (126 lbs) |
Can Xu |
Brandon Leon Benitez |