Jean Pascal: Did His Head-Butt Hurt Chad Dawson's Chances Of an Upset?

Saturday's fight between Jean Pascal and "Bad" Chad Dawson for the WBC, IBO, and Ring Magazine lightweight titles was up for grabs in Montreal.

Pascal was ahead on all scorecards heading into the 11th round.

Dawson was gaining momentum, needing a knockout to win the fight.

There wasn't much activity from Pascal in the second half of the fight because he was trying to hold on.

Then Pascal butted heads with Dawson, which opened up a big cut in Dawson's right eye.

The ring doctor stopped the fight, and Dawson's corner was very upset.

With so much at stake, Dawson wanted to continue fighting.

How did Pascal win by unanimous technical decision if the fight was stopped?

My guess is that the ring doctor didn't want to assume any risks once he saw the blood gushing from Dawson.

"I thought I was doing my job," Dawson said on HBO after the fight. "I had him hurt before the fight got stopped. I had him hurt. He was head-butting me all night. He was holding. I did not complain not one time."

The fact that both fighters singed a rematch clause works in Dawson's favor.

Pascal will give him a rematch.

According to the clause, he can take another fight before meeting Dawson again.

He wants to fight Lucian Bute, who's unbeaten at 168 pounds and was sitting at ringside.

Gary Shaw wants the first crack at Bute, though.

Shaw is Dawson's promoter.

It looks like that deal won't happen since Pascal also put his claim in the Bute sweepstakes.

Before Larry Merchant interviewed Pascal, someone from his camp yelled, "Number one, pound-for-pound!"

Someone better tell that guy who the top PFP boxer is.

And after that, there's a long line waiting to get that crown.

Pascal, who has a belt, took Dawson's two belts from him.

He claimed that he was faster, clever, and had better footwork than Dawson.

Pascal slowed down in the latter rounds just to play it safe.

So, is Pascal ready for Bute?

"Listen," he said to Merchant. "I'm the best in town. Right now, I'm one of the best in the world. If Lucian Bute wants to fight me, he has to challenge me."

Both fighters call Montreal home.