Stevenson: Bring Me Kovalev

What happens? HBO needs a couple of millions more to make the fight happen. Is this an issue? Don't know. :conf

I don't think Hershman thinks Cloud can 'rebuild'... he's on his way out as far as HBO exposure is concerned, not like he's a Golovkin type. The Kovalev fight would just serve to put him away for good. QC PPV revenues saves Hershman a couple mills in paying the fighters (mainly Adonis), in comparison to a no PPV, 2-3K attendance in Florida or AC.

If Kovalev doesn't fight Cloud like you're saying, I really don't know who he could fight. Fonfara is an easy pick for Duva, but it looks like they might give him to Stevenson. Who else is there that's remotely credible? Tough fukkin luck for Kovalev, he's got no fanbase outside of Russia - as opposed to a Golovkin type who's been successful making a name for himself in NYC.

 

"Fonfara est donc l’un des candidats pour affronter l’athlète de Longueuil en avril. Stevenson pourrait ensuite affronter Sergey Kovalev, à la fin de l’été, si tout va bien pour les deux pugilistes."

-Stevenson vs Kovalev planned for end of summer 2014 // tvasports.ca

Fonfara is an option. Not a done deal.

 

Good. Let's hope it happens. I can deal with 1 interim fight and then Kovalev-Stevenson.

Cloud's career is his own. He'll do what's best for him. But at this stage of his career, unless they were paying him big, big bucks, I don't see why he'd doom himself like that. In all likelihood, dominated 3 in a row. He can still fight the non-elite, be a contender, get a title shot, etc. So, why wouldn't he? You think the money is gonna be there? For an "opponent"?
Again, why should Cloud oblige Main Event and Kovalev so as to build up Kovalev's Quebec resume solely for the benefit that the fans there will recognize him and may come out in force and fill seats? All in hopes their guy decides to take the fight down the road?

 

Have the balls to call out Bhop already.

 

Quite simply, yes. ESPN interviewed Ken Hershman a couple days ago and I see this as one of those "return on investment" instances.

 

I don't want to see Stevenson against ANYONE but Kovalev next. Don't let this cake burn in the oven.

 

You think HBO is going to pay him retirement-type money?

 

Doesn't have to be a huge amount. What's his leverage like? What does he bring to the table? He's near finished, and HBO's got enough of Stevenson, Kovalev, Pascal/Bute, Alvarez/Tommy, Beterbiev as LHWs. Not like Cloud will go rebuild his career on ESPN or NBC either.

 

So why would he take the fight??

To get his azz kicked and really put his career on the skids. He may want to continue to fight. He's only lost to Hopkins and Stevenson. Plenty of guys keep on trucking thru far worse losses than that.

Fight on espn and NBC? If he wants to keep fighting he will. Why not? He's not a star.

 

Holy ****! Des and Drozzy are in more thorough discussions than Kovalev and Stevenson's respective teams and networks combined.:admin

 

Nah. This is a good old fashioned gentleman's conversation.

 

Ain't sure if it has any bearing, but Dudchenko just inked with Main Events - seemingly as a LHW -he ain't really done anything to show he's special but he is a respectable journeyman level fighter who's also picked up a coupla minor trinkets (NABA USA, and IBF Inter-Continental) at 175.

I'd be disappointed if that's the best that can be done with Kovalev, but the timing might be more than just coincidence.

 

Meh, I think you're putting a bit more hope in Cloud than even Don King himself would. :blood

You could argue he's lost to Campillo. Who Kovalev destroyed. But back to my QC/Stevenson fanbase point, these guys (the casuals) don't know that. They need to see something they can relate to...

We'll see if Cloud "rebuilds" on HBO. A few bucks says he won't. Being taken out by Kovalev is a nice goodbye paycheck.

 

What is Kessler been up to? Aside from the fact he would get his **** pushed in, I see no reason why he could not fight Kovalev. This is probably wishful thinking because Kessler avoided Bute like the plague.

 

Huh? Who's saying he'd rebuild on hbo. I'm saying his days on hbo are over.
I'm not putting any hope in Cloud whatsoever. IMO he is done at the top level. Maybe he goes and keeps fighting, gets a win or 3 and puts himself into position for a title shot down the road against the Shumenov's and Braehmer types. And he did lose to Campillo, that was a horrific robbery. Cloud would offer very little resistance to Kovalev.

As for Kovalev, why in hell would he give, or hbo give their blessing, for a title shot to a guy
coming off 2 consecutive losses? Would they alienate the rest of the boxing world merely for the sake of the Quebecers?

Wait, don't tell me.....

Yes.