Kovalev defeats Hopkins

Last night Sergey Kovalev proved he is the man to beat in the light heavyweight division by dominating a defiant but overmatched Bernard Hopkins.

From the start, Kovalev showed why he was the bookmaker’s favourite by flooring his older opponent with an overhand right. Kovalev looked the bully throughout, forcing his older opponent to use constantly his legs to avoid his heavy punches. We’ve seen Hopkins fight this way before. However, Kovalev never presented openings for Hopkins to capitalise on. Hopkins seemed wary of throwing his trademark lead right hands, and the few times he did let his hands go he never really troubled his opponent.

Hopkins wasn’t able to outwit his opponent either. Kovalev’s offence remained controlled throughout; displaying his brains and brawn in front of a sold out Atlantic City crowd. When Hopkins did rally he had the crowd on their feet, but his success was short-lived as Kovalev came back with his own more hurtful shots. Ultimately Hopkins was unable to assert himself at any point during the fight, coming up short against a bigger, stronger and better man on the night.

Kovalev’s dominant victory proved he’s the real article. How he advances from here is unclear; is anyone going to want a piece of the 31-year-old following that performance? And what about Hopkins? Should Hopkins decide to draw the curtains on his fantastic career, then he leaves with his pride, fully intact. Yes, he was hurt, but in withstanding the onslaught of Kovalev and a climactic 12^th round reinforced his legendary status. A new star has arrived in the light-heavyweight division.

Hopkins-Kovalev Preview

 A blockbuster November kicks off tonight from Atlantic City, USA when Bernard ‘The Alien’ Hopkins takes on the undefeated Sergey ‘Krusher’ Kovalev.

Hopkins’s story is fascinating. He earned his tough-guy reputation on the mean streets of Philadelphia, but one too many brushes with the law were to land him in the state penitentiary facing a lengthy sentence. Inside jail Hopkins developed the discipline that has allowed him to dominate fighters in their mid-twenties. Few fighters eat, sleep and breathe the game like he does. He is in no doubt a different breed to most. Alien, perhaps not.

But longevity is just one of the remarkable things about Bernard Hopkins. His professional career spans 26 years and 65 fights and is sprinkled with victories over future Hall of Famers. De Le Hoya, Trinidad, Tarver; the list goes on. Hopkins’s experience, style and mental toughness make him elite in one of the world’s toughest professions. But the threat posed by Sergey Kovalev is deemed to be very real.

Kovalev brings to the table 26 victories (23 coming inside the distance). He’s operated under the radar for most of his career, but the way he’s steamrolled through the division has made him one of the most avoided and feared fighters in the sport. The way he tore through undefeated Welshman Nathan Cleverly sent a clear message to everyone in the light-heavyweight division. Much is made of Kovalev’s power, but his boxing brain and timing are underrated. Come tonight, Hopkins will need all the ring smarts he knows to keep the relenting Kovalev at bay.

It’s an intriguing matchup; one in which age doesn’t play a big factor. Hopkins has looked fired up and is utterly convinced of his ability to win this fight. Why else would he take it? He’s far too smart to take a fight he thought he couldn’t win. I don’t believe it’s the money either; this is for his legacy. A victory over the younger, harder hitting Russian would put another layer of polish to his career. So what are Kovalev’s chances? He’s the bookies favourite; I also believe he has the tools to get the job done. Much is made of Kovalev’s power, but he’s not reckless either. What is unknown is how he will react if he can’t get to Hopkins. What happens when the older man makes him miss and stings him with counters?

Hopkins can take the life out of fights. I believe this fight will be one for the purists. I predict we see a smart, mobile and aggressive counter-punching Hopkins surprising Kovalev. Though Kovalev will have his moments, I can’t see him putting Hopkins into retirement. Hopkins to pull off a career defining victory and unify the division.