Jean Pascal bows out and announces his retirement at Place Bell

By William Dumoulin
Photo credit: New Era Promotions / Gabriel Cinjau

On Saturday night at Place Bell, Jean Pascal (37-8-1, 21 KOs) had one more chance to prove himself against world-class opposition, facing off against Michal Cieslak (28-2, 22 KOs) in a 12-round bout for the WBC interim light heavyweight title.

Right from the opening round, Cieslak’s size advantage was evident. Standing 6-foot-3, he used his long reach and lead hand to great effect, repeatedly finding the mark with his jab and left hook. Pascal, true to his style, looked to counter and try to steal rounds.

The third round proved to be a turning point. Pascal was knocked down by a powerful straight right from Cieslak. In the fourth, after several precise combinations from Cieslak, Pascal’s corner made the wise decision to stop the fight to protect their fighter.

Following the defeat, Jean Pascal took the microphone to address his supporters, officially announcing his retirement. Visibly emotional, he thanked the crowd for their unwavering support throughout the years.

Patrice Volny Back in the Win Column

In the evening’s co-main event, Patrice Volny (20-2, 13 KOs) returned to action after his loss to Austin Williams this past March. He faced fellow Canadian Mponda Kalunga (11-3, 3 KOs), known for his upset win over Clovis Drolet in 2020.

Kalunga relied on his mobility throughout the fight, while Volny worked to cut off the ring and stuck to his trademark high guard. The Montreal native’s accuracy made the difference, earning him a unanimous decision victory (80-72 x 2, 79-73).

Other results from the night:

• Mitch Louis-Charles (8-4-2, 4 KOs) defeated Jan Michael Poulin (10-2-3, 2 KOs) by unanimous decision (57-56 x 3).

• Hubert Poulin (4-1-1, 1 KO) stopped Dany Mallette (2-1, 2 KOs) with a first-round knockout.

• Guillaume Gosselin (2-0-1, 1 KO) knocked out Carl Demontigny (1-2) in the third round.

• Brandon Poulard (2-0, 2 KOs) scored a first-round TKO over David Canuel (1-2).

• Francy Ntetu (19-6, 4 KOs) defeated Yan Pellerin (13-3, 5 KOs) by split decision (75-77, 77-75, 77-75).

• Stéphane Barthélemy (1-0-1) surprised Jacob Blais (0-1) with a majority decision win (38-38, 40-36, 39-37).

• John Mahoro (1-0, 1 KO) made a strong pro debut with a second-round TKO over Simon Risler (1-2-1, 0 KOs).

• Facson Perrine (1-0, 1 KO) knocked out Timur Bekmurzaev (0-1, 0 KOs) in the opening round.