Jean Pascal IBF Eliminator Fight Off Due To Covid 19

Former WBC light heavyweight champ Jean Pascal’s IBF 175 lb. eliminator bout in February with Michael Eifert was postponed Friday due to Pascal testing positive for Covid 19.

The announcement was made by Yvon Michel of GYM Promotions, who is co-promoting the bout, via social media Friday afternoon,

Jean Pascal est malheureusement atteint par la COVID, le gala est reporté en mars, plus d'informations est à venir. Nous souhaitons un prompt rétablissement à Jean Pascal.
Merci de votre compréhension.#GroupeYM #PascalEifert #DeBella pic.twitter.com/JzW09koarQ

— Yvon Michel (@yvonmichelGYM) January 6, 2023

Michel wrote in the release,

“Late last night, we were contacted by Jean Pascal, who got sick over New Year’s weekend. He informed us that, unfortunately, he has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

“His symptoms are too severe for him to continue training for his IBF title elimination fight against the German Michael Eifert, scheduled for Place Bell on February 9.

DBE President and co-promoter of the event Lou DiBella has contacted Benedikt Poelchau, President of Blanko sports, promoter of Eifert, as well as the IBF to inform them of the situation,” noted Michel. “It was agreed that the fight and the entire gala would be postponed to a later date to be determined in March.”

As our insider Dan Rafael wrote in late August last year, DiBella had originally won the purse bid for Pascal, 36-6-1, to fight unbeaten English contender Joshua Buatsi, 16-0, in the eliminator. However, Buatsi refused to sign the contract by the IBF’s deadline.

So, that allowed Pascal to make the deal with the German Eifert, who’s just 11-1 and the bout had been set for Canada’s Laval Bell Place for February 9th.

Veteran Pascal Has Been On Comeback Trail

The now 40 year old Pascal came off a near year and a half layoff back last May, when he decisioned the IBF’s previous mandatory challenger Fanlong Meng.

Pascal has won a total of three fights in a row after he had also defeated Marcus Browne, former titlist Badou Jack and then, Meng. This came on the heels of his one-sided decision loss challenging WBA titlist Dmitry Bivol in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in November 2018.

Pascal originally won the WBC light heavyweight belt in 2009 before losing it to hall of famer Bernard Hopkins two years later. He also infamously failed a VADA test for multiple substances in June of 2021 receiving a six month suspension.