What next for Kovalev??

[the ollie reed fan club]

(08-05-2018 02:14 PM)Warlord Wrote:  I posted a year or so ago about GGG wrecking Kov in sparring. He doesn't like getting it to the body. I hate to pile on when a guy is down, but the bully label is somewhat appropriate. He's a great front runner, but not to be trusted in a firefight.

Great assessment, put a vodka soaked fork in him, he's done. The phenomenon of a bully falling off a cliff after taking their first lost is something that never ceases to amaze me. (Maybe it is something in their subconscious, a hidden inferiority that causes them to be a bully in the first place?)

[Method]

(08-05-2018 01:15 AM)JONdaCON Wrote:  It was a good fight.. i had Alvarez ahead going into the 7th, 4-2. Kov had a big round 4 were he came out busy, he seemed gassed after.

Alvarez showed a good chin and some good power, couple that with his boxing ability and Kov seemed mentally out of it quicc.

He's(Kov) probably done at the Championship level... he may even retire.

It's fucking ridic that Harold had Kov up 5-1 at stoppage.

...and listening to Max at the end of the fight give his take had me wondering what he was watching.

Alvarez didn't get lucky. It wasn't a lucky punch. Alvarez was physically formidable enough to stand there and take Kovalev's best. He had a physical size advantage. Not landslide, but he had size the Ward didn't. Not as skilled a boxer as ward but what bit he lacked in skill his physique was able to absorb.

Kovalev would lose by KO again if they fought because he doesn't have the stamina to compete with this guy.

I dont think Kov is done. He can still beat ppl. Just needs to be selective about his big money fights.

[the ollie reed fan club]

(08-05-2018 08:57 PM)Method Wrote:  It's fucking ridic that Harols had Kov up 5-1 at stoppage.

...and listening to Max at the end of the fight give his take had me wondering what he was watching.

Alvarez didnt get lucky. It wasnt a lucky punch. Alvarez was physically formidable enough to stand there and take Kovalev's best. He had a physical size advantage. Not landslide, but he had size the Ward didnt. Not as skilled a boxer as ward but what bit he lacked in skill his physique was able to absorb.

Kovalev would lose by KO again if they fought because he doesn't have the stamina to compete with this guy.

I dont think Kov is done. He can still beat ppl. Just needs to be selective about his big money fights.

Sure he can beat people but the elite guys in the division? As you say he probably loses the rematch on this guy alone. I'm not sure Kov has the heart to come back from these string of losses the way Hopkins did during his career.

[Method]

Yeah but Ex didnt have that kind of loss until the very last fight of his career.

Previous losses were close, competitive contests (or robberies), save for his loss to Kov.

[the ollie reed fan club]

(08-05-2018 09:02 PM)Method Wrote:  Yeah but Ex didnt have that kind of loss until the very last fight of his career.

Previous losses were close, competitive contests (or robberies), save for his loss to Kov.

Even had he taken a hard KO type loss earlier I back Nard with the type of mindset he has to come back rom it. Kov on the other hand something about him strikes me as mentally weak. Look at the way he cried to the ref when Ward was fouling him. as War pointed out, I just don't see him as the type of guy you'd back in a firefight.

[ViperSniper]

(08-05-2018 01:03 PM)JONdaCON Wrote:  Kov was a monster in his prime but looking bacc, did we gas him up to be some monster he wasnt?

He best wins are 50yr old Hopkins and a Chinny Pascal.. his resume isnt that impressive in hindsight...

I think his best win was probably vs a prime Cleverly where he showboated while getting the KO..

I think Kov should hang em up.. he has noone to blame but himself now, sure cant blame his coach or Ward... but Ward def ruined him.

I don't think so. Segey Kovalev was a monster & don't agree that his resume isn't impressive either, because despite his time and circumstances, it is! Cleverly, Sillah, Hopkins, Pascalx2, Wardx2 is a good resume for a guy that was getting financially robbed most his career & didn't make it onto the scene until late. That's 3 fights against guys in the top 3 in the world, one of them being a legend! Not even some current p4p fighters have ever beaten an all time great, let alone another p4p fighter!

I don't think Hopkins being 49-50 years old should be in anyway an asterisks or something to take away from Kovalev as Hopkins was not only a champion at the time but also p4p one of the very best in the world too! Hopkins didn't lose due to age, he lost due to getting caught with a heavy shot early from a much stronger, powerful fighter who at that point had never been pushed back and kept Hopkins on his toes.
The bigger younger bully beat the smaller older bully who had run the blocks for decades. Unfortunately the younger bully wasn't as skilled or savy & already got mugged & beat up!

Andre Ward was p4p #1 in the world..along with Kovalev himself and both managed to give eachother their toughest fights of their careers!

Kovalev pre-Ward was a monster but now it is more clear than ever than Ward somewhat ruined Kovalev. Kovalev still hasn't gotten over losing either times to Ward as he was visibly and vocally bitter about it. He didn't like Ward before the fight & really didn't like the fact Ward got up & got the W. It also hurt his ego like Foreman after Ali, no longer felt like this big bad wolf anymore & almost lost their identity. I feel Kovalev in the Alvarez fight is still physically the same fighter but his psyche has changed.

Although it was a low blow Ward landed in the 2nd fight, Kovalev striked me as someone that wasn't willing to do what was needed to save the fight. He was also looking frustrated and complaining prior (in the Alvarez fight too) as he has lost his mean streak & confidence.


Also it's a damn shame we didn't see Stevenson-Kovalev now! Although it's a much closer fight to call now as I'm not so sure on a Kovalev win as I once was! If I were Kov I'd be going for this fight still, apposed to an Alvarez rematch which would most likely be another disappointing loss!

[JONdaCON]

I think Stevenson wins it now... i never gave him much more then a punchers chance before.

[Method]

Dude, the Hopkins that fought Kov was old. Gimme a break no asterisk. I mean, he could still fight, but come on. Asterisk, star, italics...Hopkins legitimately lost that fight, but goddamn right his age played a factor. His legs were long gone, and he was physically smaller too.

Kovalev was able to be competitive w Ward because Ward boxed/moved a lot more due to the size/power disparity. Alvarez was physically bigger, and able to stand there in the pocket and fight Kovalev. He boxed a bit sure, but it was more stationary (IMO). He basically just took Kovalev's best, which prob wore on Kov's psyche, and then just flipped the script.

And you're right, it is a shame we never got to see a prime Kov/Stevenson. Oh well.

I ran into some ppl that know Kov personally, and they were claiming to me the same thing that John David Jackson had said), that Kov didn't want to listen to anyone in camp and wanted to train the way he wanted to train. Also heard he was partying too much (drinking) and his wife had become a materialistic snob. Who knows. All of this before JDJ said anything, mind you.

Its a real shame if he didnt make any money w Duva. He is/was an exciting fighter.

[JD]

The Hopkins fight puts a nice name on the resume, but it means very little. That fight was about Kovalev’s ability to stop Hopkins - not his ability to beat him.

[blackbelt2003]

Would the Hops that beat up Tarver have beaten Kovalev?



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