Former light-heavyweight king Jean Pascal returns to big-fight relevance on 28 June, when he shares Laval’s Place Bell ring with hard-punching Pole Michal Cieślak for the vacant WBC interim cruiserweight title. The Montreal favourite may be 42 and newly re-inserted at No. 10 in the WBC rankings, yet his September knockout of unbeaten Terry Osias convinced local promoter GYM that one more run was viable - and the sanctioning body agreed, elevating Pascal into position opposite its fifth-ranked contender.
Cieślak (27-2, 21 KOs) was first slated to face Yamil Peralta for the belt before negotiations collapsed. The 36-year-old two-time world-title challenger now crosses the Atlantic aiming to add Pascal’s name to a résumé that already includes competitive efforts against Ilunga Makabu and Lawrence Okolie. With 21 knockouts in 29 bouts, he’ll look to pressure early and test the veteran’s reflexes above 200 lbs.
Pascal (37-7-1, 21 KOs) tasted cruiserweight once back in 2018 before settling again at 175, where he edged Badou Jack in a 2019 thriller. His move north is as much about opportunity as comfort: WBC full champion Jack - now 41 - is tied up, and victory here could set up either a lucrative rematch or a shot at the division’s other belt-holders later this year.
Beyond the silverware, June’s clash feels like a crossroads. For Pascal, a win at home extends a storied career into one final title chapter; defeat likely ends it. For Cieślak, conquering Laval means a long-awaited breakthrough on foreign soil and first major hardware. Expect a raucous Quebec crowd, two ageing punchers with reputations to protect, and 12 rounds that could tilt on whichever fighter has most left in the tank.
Fight card:
▪️Jean Pascal vs. Michal Cieslak, 12 rounds, for the vacant WBC interim cruiserweight title
▪️Marcus Browne vs. Olanrewaju Durodola, 10 rounds, for the WBC International cruiserweight title
▪️Patrice Volny vs. Mponda Kalunga, 8 rounds, middleweight
▪️Yan Pellerin vs. Francy Ntetu, 8 rounds, light heavyweight
▪️Jan Michael Poulin vs. Mitch Louis-Charles, 6 rounds, super welterweight
▪️Hubert Poulin vs. Dany Mallette, 4 rounds, light heavyweight
▪️Guillaume Gosselin vs. Carl Demontigny, 4 rounds, welterweight
▪️Brandon Poulard vs. David Canuel, 4 rounds, super welterweight
▪️Simon Risler vs. John Ndurowomahoro, 4 rounds, super lightweight
▪️Jacob Blais vs. Stephane Barthelemy, 4 rounds, welterweight
▪️Timur Bekmurzaev vs. Facson Perrine, 4 rounds, light heavyweight
