Jean Pascal and his coach Stephan Larouche have parted ways.
The news comes nearly eight weeks since Pascal was removed from his light-heavyweight rematch against Badou Jack having tested positive for three steroids: Drostanolone, Drostanolone Metabolite and Epitrenbolone.
Pascal, 38, protested his innocence claiming he “would never voluntarily take illegal substances” and he was “willing to do whatever it takes to prove it”.
Several days on from the news Dan Rafael revealed that the Haitian-born Canadian had tested positive for a fourth substance and had failed a voluntary test for Erythropoietin (EPO). The World Boxing Association have since removed Pascal as their ‘regular’ champion and banned him for six months.
Last night Pascal revealed the news that he and Larouche would no longer be working together.
“After winning a world title and becoming 2x world champion. Stephan Larouche and I both agreed that it would be best to end our association on a high note after a successful defense of the world title…”
However, Larouche had a less straightforward statement when he contacted Montreal’s digital newspaper La Presse yesterday to give his side as to why he will no longer train Pascal.
“In 40 years of experience, I thought I had seen it all. But in the end, no. To see this athlete fail an anti-doping test is a big surprise and therefore a terrible disappointment. For these reasons, I decided to break off my working relationship with Jean Pascal.”
Larouche, who worked with Pascal for seven fights, went on to say he had never witnessed his fighter take any illegal substances.
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