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.

An expert opinion

Ahead of the Kell Brook vs. Shawn Porter clash, I spoke to former British Welterweight Champion, Ross “The Boss” Minter.

Ross retired from the sport at age 30 sporting an impressive record of 17 wins, one draw and just four defeats. The son of the highly acclaimed former world middleweight champion, Alan Minter, claimed Southern Area and English Welterweight titles and was once lined up as a potential opponent for Sheffield’s Kell Brook.

1OTR: “Ross, thank you for taking the time to talk to us. You’re very familiar with the welterweight division – just how special is Kell Brook?”

Ross: “Six years ago when coming to the end of my professional career, I was offered to box Kell Brook for the British title, but even then he was the young up and coming prospect to avoid, so we stepped that one. Since then he has just kept on progressing.”

1OTR: “Why do the bookies have Porter as the firm favourite?”

Ross: “I think the bookies can’t overlook Brook’s power and accuracy, but I feel they may be assuming that with Brook boxing away from home and him trying to deal with Porter’s pace that the fight will be much more in Porter’s favour.”

1OTR: “How do you see the fight going on Saturday?”

Ross: “I have two views on this. If Brook gets too involved and Porter is allowed to open up on the inside (which I hope does not happen) then we could see a Porter stoppage within seven rounds. If Brook keeps it at range and boxes the right fight, picking Porter off with his fantastic punch variety, we could see a Brook win edged on points. Though I will also say that Brook’s power cannot be overlooked. (Ross laughs) This is what you call sitting on the fence, I suppose. One thing I know is this will be a fantastic fight to watch.”

1OTR: “Ross, thank you for your take on this one and we look forward to speaking to you again soon.”

Ross: “No problem, Richard.”

The Weigh In

Under the bright afternoon sun, the headline act took to the scales completing the last of the pre-fight formalities. Brook was first to step onto the scales and weighed in comfortably inside the welterweight limit at 146.5 pounds. Brook looked in fantastic shape, and when the pair squared off the bigger of the two men. Next up was Porter, who took his time to soak up the atmosphere and crowd before stepping onto the scales in front a white towel. Porter, at 146.75, was just inside the 147-pound limit.

The contrast in their demeanours was clear. Porter sported a big smile on his face while Brook’s face was a picture of eagerness and steadfast focus. I’m not sure we can read too much into today’s weigh in. Porter seemed the more relaxed of the two; supremely confident in his ability rather than complacent would be my take. He is the champion after all. Meanwhile, Brook wore a look of a man who is anxious to get in the ring with his forehead beaded with sweat. Could the occasion be getting to Brook, or does he wear the look of a man who has he made the weight with greater ease and simply can’t wait to get in the ring?

In the post-weigh-in interviews, Brook was clear how he saw the fight going. “He’s getting knocked out,” proclaimed the English fighter. Porter wasn’t so bold but guaranteed excitement. “Our number one goal is to win the fight, our number two goal is to be exciting.”

One thing is for sure, tomorrow’s fight is going to be exciting for as long as it lasts.

Opportunity Knocks

The wait is nearly over for Kell Brook as his imminent showdown with unbeaten American IBF welterweight champion Shawn Porter rapidly approaches. This Saturday night at the StubHub Center in Carson, California, the pair headline an exciting card in a matchup between undefeated fighters. Brook (unbeaten in 32 outings) is set on dethroning his American opponent to become world champion. This is Brook’s big moment; can he bring the title back to Britain?

If Brook were to win his stock would soar, setting up big-money fights in the talent-heavy welterweight division. Victory for Brook will be no easy task. At 24-0, with wins over former world champions Devon Alexander and Paulie Malignaggi, Porter presents his toughest challenge yet.

Up until fight week animosity between the camps had been minimal; however, as the pair arrived for their media workouts tension was evident. Come fight night when the pair lock eyes across the ring the time for talking will be over and our questions will be answered.

On paper this fight looks to be a fairly even matchup, so why is Brook the underdog with the bookmakers? Both come into the fight sporting unblemished records and both have beaten former world champions to get to this point. Despite sporting fewer victories on his resume, Porter will be carrying the belt into the ring on August 16th after taking the crown from former IBF world champion Devon Alexander.

Brook, although popular in the United Kingdom, has largely avoided the star treatment that has blessed Britain’s Amir Khan. However if Brook were to pull off the victory in front of an American audience, he would undoubtedly receive the recognition he’s lusted after. Brook´s beaten every opponent that they’ve put in front of him. However, none has been on Porter’s level. In his first outing with Carson Jones, Brook survived a torrid second-half that revealed worrying chinks in his armour. For the rematch, Brook addressed his diet and fitness regime (which he blames for his performance in their first fight) forcing an eighth round stoppage of his American opponent. Brook continued to build his stock in front of partisan crowds before dispatching of Hector Saldivia, which made him IBF mandatory for Devon Alexander. However, successive injury setbacks would mean a title shot against Alexander wasn´t Brook´s destiny. It would be “Showtime” Shawn Porter that would go on to challenge Alexander for the belt in a fight many thought Alexander would win. Porter’s victory over Alexander showed how his aggressive style could be used to great effect against a tricky top-notch opponent. Meanwhile, Brook staved off inactivity by avenging the loss of fellow countrymen Ricky Hatton to Vyacheslav Senchenko by stopping the former world champion in an impressive fourth-round knockout.

So what sort of a battle can we expect on Saturday night? Those who appreciate the sweet science should acknowledge Kell Brook. His technical game, while not on the same level as boxing’s pound-for-pound best Floyd Mayweather, is fundamentally very sound. He possesses a terrific left jab (which he’ll need to throw often and with intent against Porter) and when he puts his punches together shows glimpses of the attributes that belie his nickname. He has a pretty slick defence too; aided by quick reactions and a high held guard. Could Brook’s pace (which is a little flat at times) be an issue against the aggressive, crowd-pleasing style of Porter?

Porter has power in both hands and a smothering style that can give anyone trouble. If Brook is to have his hand raised at the end of the night, he`ll have to show those extra gears he believes his opponent will force him to reveal.

Porter can’t afford to rest on his laurels against Brook either. Yes, he looked impressive against the durable albeit ageing Paulie Malignaggi, but if he comes out swinging against Brook he might find himself on the receiving end of a well-timed counter. Porter has been able to bully opponents in previous outings, but what if those tactics don’t work against Brook? Can Porter win a fight with Brook from the outside?

Is there a danger he might overlook Brook too? During the build-up to this battle, Porter had been vocal in his desire to enter the Mayweather sweepstakes before the self-proclaimed best exits the sport. Brook presents a high risk/low reward challenge for the Ohio native. The British fighter isn’t that well known in the United States and comes into the fight having not tasted defeat in 32 fights. He may be unproven yet at the top level, however, should Porter have taken Brook lightly he could be in for a rude awakening come Saturday night. Somebody’s 0 has to go.