Tavoris Cloud doubts Jean Pascal's injury excuse for canceled fight

Tavoris Cloud was set to defend his IBF light heavyweight title on August 4 against former world champion Jean Pascal, but the fight was canceled in late July when Pascal pulled out with a reported hand injury.

Cloud, though, is speaking up now and says he doesn't buy it -- that rather, Pascal simply wasn't prepared to fight.

"He went to a training camp up in New York and the people at the camp said he was training and his hand wasn't hurt. He left that camp and went down to Miami and he was buying out the bar, partying and shit like that. He just ain't focused. He's not trying to be a fighter right now, so it was in his best interest not to face me right now."

Cloud is now looking at a likely fight with mandatory challenger Karo Murat, which seems unlikely to attract major TV interest in the States. Pascal is also supposedly going to fight in December, but given that he hasn't fought at all since May 2011, that's a "believe it when we see it" story, as far as I'm concerned.

It's also what makes Cloud's story easy to buy, but you know boxing. People talk. Take it for whatever you wish.