I think Kovalev is going to end up a top 10 Atg in a head to head sense at light heavyweight and he might be the hardest hitter Rocky ever faced. On fight night Kovalev is about 185 pounds so the weights here are pretty close to even. Rocky had the edge on power and durability. Kovalev has the edge on length and skills. This could be a war like Marciano vs Charles 1 but in the end I think Rocky's durability and stamina would show in the later rounds. Kovalev has a chance to upset.
What about Adonis Stevenson ? Do you think he'll end up a top 10 ATG as well? But you meant only in a H2H sense, right? I don't believe there's such a thing as H2H greats lists. There's only the all time great lists. Resume is the basis and grounds which prove a fighters worth in a H2H sense. Quality of opposition beat is literally all you have to judge a fighter. Kovalev has beaten absolutely nobody. Hopkins - his best win - a career long MW - was considered shot 6 years earlier when he lost to Calzaghe. He isn't able to prove he can beat the top LHWs around today , let alone a savage like Marciano. Nothing going for him here.
I don't either. However, some opponents make me think more than others. Kovalev is not only extremely heavy-handed but an outstanding boxer as well. Rocky would have to pay the price to get his shots in.
No I don't think Stevenson is an ATG. Kovalev's career is far from over. He has big fights ahead of him. Since the fighters are separated by 70 years or more you have to go one what you see on film. On film Kovalev has showed me a ton. His power is among the best in the history of the division. His skills are very good and I think his ability to time his shots are rare. That has been proven. I don't think his quality of opposition has been awful and he has completely dominated those put in front of him like an Atg would.
He doesn't even have a win from the top 10 outside 50 year old Hopkins. Stevenson arguably has a better record than him. The guys beaten by Kovalev would be brutalized by Rocky Marciano in such a manner that nobody would ever step into the ring against him in this era of boxing. Talk about Kovalevs power all you like , but his streak would make Rocky look inhuman. Anybody not willing to fight Stevenson has no business being labeled as a potential ATG.
Kovalev is fighting Ward next. It's a rare prime vs prime match of undefeated pound for pound champions in their prime. Who says Kovalev won't fight Stevenson? Prove that. The bald truth is Rocky struggled at times vs guys like Simmons, and Lowry, who would be easy wins for Kovalev. Most of Rocky's first 30 or so fights would have little business in the Ring with Kovalev too. The only guy who could have been ranked that Marciano fought in his first 30 fights was LaStarza, and many felt Lastarza won it. And I'd pick Kovalev to beat Lastarza, and he would need to foul to turn the tides either as Rocky did. PS: You are a new poster here, but it didn't take you long to blast GGG, Kovalev, and Klitschko. I'm beginning to wonder if you're just a hater type using a different poster name.
Kovelev withdrew from the Stevenson purse bids. Thats all the proof one could ask for. Who the hell cares about Rockys first fights. Whats that got to do with anything? He won them all. Walcott and Charles easily beat Sergey. Moore most likely . And La Starza looked better than anybody on his record. Kovalev hasn't proved his worth amongst the best LHW of his own era , let alone against ATG LHWs .Forget about ATG HWs.
Does Oleksandr Gvozdyk beat Rocky too? Cos he creamed Nadjib Mohammedi quicker and in greater fashion than Krusher.
Lets be honest here. Moore and Walcott knocked down Rocky with a single shot. Two ex light heavyweights, basically as big as Kovalev is (he rehydrates to cruiserweight or just below) and they both absorbed rocky's power for a while. I think Rocky wins here, but Kovalev would give rocky fits and could possibly get a flash knockdown. His power and unorthdox combos would keep Rocky honest but eventually Marciano would KO him. Very competitive fight tho. A war. I find it hard to compare the eras to be honest because the light heavys/cruisers of today would easily be as big as OR BIGGER than ths HWs of the 50s. Ppl that say that rocky just blows him out are underestimatin Kovalev IMO...