Cloud

IBF light-heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud has accused Jean Pascal of ducking him after the Canadian pulled out their scheduled August 11 meeting.

Pascal, the former WBC belt-holder at 175lbs, has withdraw from the contest after sustaining a hand injury in training.

Cloud, however, believes Pascal has faked the injury to avoid being beaten.

He said: "I don't believe he has a hand injury. We believe he was unprepared for the fight on August 11 so he had to use politics and try to manoeuvre himself out of an ass whipping.

"I'll wait for him. It gives me more confidence because I know I got the edge on him and I'm not gonna give up the edge. I'm gonna keep the pressure on him."

Cloud's trainer Al Bonanni was also not convinced by the reasons given for the fight's cancellation.

"I think he has known for some time that he was not fit to fight for whatever reason. He hasn't fought for (more than a year)," he told ESPN.

"We would have just destroyed him. We would have gone through him like (expletive) through a goose. Whether it's his hand, or his weight, or he has no (expletive), is of no consequence to us.

"It's just typical in the life of Tavoris Cloud. We're always ready and then something comes up.

"We want to reschedule the fight. If he needs 30 days or whatever, we'll give him the time."

25/07/2012 09:47:51