Fansided

FanSided’s 2019 boxing awards and review of boxing’s best moments

By Jeremy Herriges

Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez (C), WBA Super title holder, celebrates winning his WBO light heavyweight title bout. (Photo by Valery SharifulinTASS via Getty Images)
Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez (C), WBA Super title holder, celebrates winning his WBO light heavyweight title bout. (Photo by Valery SharifulinTASS via Getty Images) /
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Jean Pascal vs. Marcus Browne
Jean Pascal knocks down Marcus Browne. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /

2019 Comeback Fighter of the Year: Jean Pascal (35-6-1, 20 KOs)

Light heavyweight Jean Pascal has lost a fight per year from 2015-2018. After falling to Dmitry Bivol in 2018, it looked like Pascal’s career was over. He is currently the WBA world champion.

On Dec. 28, in the last main event of 2019, Pascal successfully defended his title against Badou Jack. He won the title by defying the odds against Marcus Browne, who was undefeated at the time in August.

At 38 years old, Pascal is a survivor in a cruel sport. He could have given up in 2016 after suffering his second knockout loss to Sergey Kovalev. Instead, he continued even when the public’s faith in his abilities faded.

Pascal’s career after Kovalev was up and down, but he is a world champion again and is enjoying renewed success in the final stage of his boxing career. Since losing to Bivol, Pascal has strung two wins together for the first time since the start of 2018.

Pascal is the Comeback Fighter of the Year because of his uncanny ability to pull off a win when he shouldn’t be able to. His loss to Bivol looked like another good time to retire, but Pascal willed himself to two more victories and another stint as a world champion.

Pascal doesn’t stand much of a chance against the other light heavyweight titleholders, but he has proven that you can never count him out. He has a puncher’s chance and an incredible ability to make that chance count.

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