It would be interesting, Bivol hasn't faced anyone like Kovalev, but you have to wonder where Kovalev's mindset is after the Ward fights.
I don't think Kovalev has faced anybody like Bivol yet. I'd stay up till 4am to watch it, for damn sure. Kov seemed about pissed off about the Ward deal, i think he was more pissed of with JDJ speaking to team Ward behind his back. Now he's got rid of that backstabbing, and hearsay he can get back down to business.
I think after the first fight Kovalev wanted to add a fitness trainer to his team, and JDJ thought he was being pushed out so made overtures to team Ward to join them. Kovalev and JDJ decided to continue together but that leak come out about the messaging back and forth between team Ward and JDJ... can **** with your mind, make you paranoid, make you question your coaches methods. Not a good environment to be training in for the biggest fight of your career. Glad JDJ ****ed off, and that old ******* who left shortly afterwards saying Kovalev was only a puncher. Disgraceful *******s, unprofessional and unworthy of being an athletes mentor.
He better do his Abdominal and Core work, because his opponents are gonna attack his body like Chávez attack the body when he was Champion and in his prime. Body shots, Body shots, power punches and pressure to that Body, then to the Head, until they ware Kovalev out and down. Let's see if he learnd from the Ward fights and work on those Abs and Core.
^This. And it took a truly great fighter to beat him, after they'd fought on even terms for nineteen rounds. Now, you don't fight on even terms with Ward for darn near sixty minutes if you aren't a badass. There's no way you do that. People on both sides look at those fights entirely the wrong way. Both mens' stature went up, or should've went up if people weren't so crazily partisan all the time. Hopefully, Kovalev still has a genuine desire to prove a point after sharing 20 rounds with the best fighter he'll ever face, and we can see another run from him. It's not any man who can break Kovalev the way SOG did if his heart's in the game.
I don't know what happened, but was disappointed by Don Turner's remarks, and so soon after the fight. Angelo Dundee would never have acted that way, I can tell you that.
I hope kovalev gets all his belt that got stolen off him by ward and can get him back in the ring and get revenge ward will be back his a dive that needs the attention
he needs to work on his defense, he left his groin area wide open against ward. ward had great success going to the crotch
After being robbed in the first match with Ward, and low blowed out in the second, its clear Kovalev doesn't have the same fire and does not take a body shot well. He might still be good, but his best days I think are gone.
From his shadow boxing it looks like he’s transitioning some of his bullying style into a smart boxing style. Perhaps these Ward losses were bad tasting medicine that he needed. I think he’s going to make a big statement with his upcoming fight.