Roy Jones jnr vs Sergey Kvalev @ 175

I don't doubt Roy could hurt Kovalev if he caught him right, but Kovalev wouldn't even have to catch Roy right to hurt him, IMO, and if he did Roy would be out cold because Kovalev has horrible power in both hands. One of his best punches is that straight left jab type punch he throws. I've seen him hurt quite a lot of his opponents with that shot and he hurt Pascal badly with it a couple of times last night too, both times of which Pascal was either sent reeling back or his legs dipped.

Here's what some of Kovalev's opponents had to say about his power.


Nathan Cleverly

“Kovalev is a massive puncher; each punch is like being hit by a sledgehammer,” Cleverly said. “He sparked Ismayl Sillah clean out in the second round – he was completely gone. He didn’t do that to me, he shook me up and I was in no position to continue really, I was drunk from the punches and I have got a great chin, so he does hit hard and he’s probably the most dangerous Light Heavyweight out there.”

Were you surprised by how hard he hit?

I suppose I wasn't surprised because with his record it was inevitable that he was a banger and every shot he threw was a thudding shot. It was like a hammer. He wasn't rapid fast, he had good timing, good distance and his punches were just so hard... His jab, his right hand. Just when he caught you on the shoulder he would have an impact and he was just clubbing me. He just clubs you with his heavy hands and he's the type to just club you into submission. That's his aim. To club you until he puts you down. I just kept it tight early but I knew, after taking a few of his punches, I knew I couldn't afford to be caught with a shot on the chin. I knew that. I remember thinking in the first round, if he catches me clean, I'm gone. I remember thinking that.

Yeah. I did think I would be able to take it but I knew, I knew – and especially from the first round – I knew if he caught me clean it was highly likely I would go. Even the shots on the gloves and the shoulder, the impact was really heavy. It was clear to me from the first couple of punches that when this guy landed I would be in trouble.

Lionell Thompson

''No one hits like Kovalev''

Darnell Boone

'KOD: Who is the hardest puncher that you have fought?

Darnell Boone: The hardest puncher was [Sergey] Kovalev. He knows exactly how to use his height and leverage with punches. He keeps you on the outside, away from getting on the inside on him. He fights tall.

Cornelius White

“His power is unreal,” White said of Kovalev. “I've never felt that power before. I've fought heavyweights, cruiserweights and I've never felt that before. And they weren't bricks. It was steel.”

Good interview with his former opponent Lionell Thompson where he talks about some of Kovalev's strengths and how he's a little different to fight than what he looks on tape.

Thompson has sparred aginst a who's who of the LHW and SMW divisions: Dawson, Bute, Froch and numerous others too.

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The first time I heard of Kovalev was when he was scheduled to fight Sillakh the first time, which was almost a year and a half earlier than when they actually fought. I'd known about Sillakh and liked him since the amateurs (he was a really good one 302-16) but I'd never heard of Kovalev before. Anyway I downloaded some of his fights to see if he was any good and I liked what I saw after watching them. I knew he was the real deal after watching this fight though. The punch that he dropped Thompson with at the 6:02 mark and the way he cooly finished him off at the start of the following round is what convinced me. Listen to the sound of it. Brutal!

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I didn't mention it on here at the time but I had a very strong feeling he was going to blast Campillo whom I rated highly out of there early after watching that.