How Kovalev needs to fight Hopkins

He can do all he wants.

He is facing maybe the greatest boxer that ever lived who still has plenty in the tank.

 

Dawson still spanked that ass tho

 

Kovalev needs to set the pace of the fight which is easier said than done with Hopkins movement and spoiling. He can't fall for Hopkins tricks or get discouraged if he struggles early on.

Kovalev will struggle at times to pin down BHop but when he does he has to get off first because if BHop gets off first he'll fall in after his shot and clinch to prevent any return shots. When in a clinch he needs to still be active, be rough, manhandle Hopkins, make him work not rest on the inside.

Hopkins will very likely take away Kovalev's jab, he's very effective at doing that. So Kovalev needs to not rely on his jab to gauge range. He needs to be willing to sometimes abandon his text book style and be awkward and unpredictable.

 

Dawson and Kovalev are polar opposites. Literally.

Kovavlev needs to do what Pascal did in the first fight. Use similar tactics but with more finesse.
And focus on that body.

I believe Kovalev will hurt Hopkins a few times but loose his cool and the decision. Kinda like Pascal did in the rematch,

 

He needs to force Hopkins to look his age by being in his face and constantly throwing nonstop. It doesn't matter where he throws(body, shoulders, head, chest...etc) as long as he stays active effectively. To force Hopkins to look his age he would need serious stamina and a serious desire to be in there all the way. If he decides to pause and allow Hopkins to feel comfortable and eventually develop, figure out and adapt to a rhythm suitable for Kovalev then he's roasted for the night unless he lands something crazy out of the blue. Even though Hopkins doesn't perform as he did three or four years ago, he's still not an easy target and Kovalev must come fully prepared and force his will by taking full advantage of his youth. That's the only way he can beat Hopkins and it will still be close. Of course a lucky punch can always be added to the scenario and should never be overlooked even if Hopkins is the target.

 

kovalev punches alot harder than pavlik and pascal so if he does land cleanly its curtians.

 

No you're right. I think Hopkins will win too. I just don't like this insinuation that B hop is unbeatable when that obviously isn't true.

 

I never said he shouldn't use his jab.

I said if Hopkins takes his jab away which is likely, he can't rely on it to find range. When Hopkins took away Pavlik's jab he didn't know what to do to find range and so didn't throw anything else and just kept trying to establish his jab which he was never able to do.

Kovalev tends to rely heavily on his jab to gauge range. If Hopkins takes it away he needs to not fall into the trap of trying to establish it before throwing his other shots, otherwise he'll just spend to whole fight throwing jabs that don't land and nothing else behind it. Mix it up, throw lead rights and left hooks if the jab is not working. Of course if the jab does work then stick with it, but I can't see Kovalev dominating Hopkins with his jab.

 

The body attack and workrate are critical.

If his output is too low and he stands there in awe of Hopkins like some of these younger fighters do, it's curtains- he'll be spoiled out of scoring enough points to win before he realizes it. Attack the body with jabs and hooks early, and stick with it. He's got to accept it mentally that he's going to eat some counters and not let that smother his workrate when it happens.

 

He needs to be the constant aggressor, never giving Hopkins space to work. Hopkins has always had a low work rate so if you pressure him, he will tire just like against Calzaghe. Next most important thing to do is go for the body. Hopkins still has an elusive head so trying to headhunt will not be so effective.

Kovalev is a smart fighter and I expect he will employ the right strategy against Hopkins.