Was Kovalev always overrated?

Just as an addendum to the above;

Broadly speaking, though I realise that mental toughness is a faceted intangible, I don't think Krusher is mentally frail. If he was, he couldn't end a man's life and continue to be such a ruthless finisher (in the case of Kovalev and Simakov, it's the words Sergey doesn't say that reveal the emotional impact that incident had upon on him).

A deficiency in mental toughness wasn't his undoing against Ward, he just made the mistake of getting drawn into Ward's calculated version of a firefight and spending too much too soon (in addition to being punished to the body) - more a key point scored for Ward's guile than Kovalev being mentally frail. He was trying to survive when SOG was putting it on him and was still firing back right before the end. He was experiencing discomfort, and a couple of his reactions were momentarily poor, but, contrary to some of the comments made in the last five months, there was no quit in the man.

Think back to McKinney-Ncita I. His reaction to duress was momentarily poor, too. But because he was able to hang in there and get the spectacular KO against the tide, we don't question him.

 

Beat Andre Ward, was actually doing quite well until it was apparent that the fight was fixed for Ward in the 2nd fight.

 

The judges were the ones struggling to find 7 rounds for Ward. Let's face it. Kovalev won that fight.

 

You, nor anybody could had said this better.
This is spot on, and I mean spot on. To be even able to become (not a chance without it) a great fighter, you need mental fortitude to the Max.

Ward is very strong mentally, that's hide biggest attribute and what adv attribute to have. Ggg proved vs both Dj and canelo that he has mental fortitude endlessly.

These are that fighters that's so difficult to beat because they keep breaking you down, while their opponents are weakening they are getting stronger.

I handed kovalev (huge mistake, never again) the mental toughness of a great, backfired on me. I really believed he was cut from truer same clothe as ggg, whole different clothe, hell different fabric.

This is exactly the reason I rare spence ggg and Aj as three of the best we're going to see. It's more on their inner strength than any physical talent they prove they have in abundance.

Dw I believe has that true belief and that's why I've picked him against everyone. Yes, he's a rookie and can look goofie but too beat him you're going to go through hell which most fighters can't mentally get through.

 

He got robbed in the ward fight so if his overrated what does that say about ward

 

Given the uber-hype that some Kovalev nut-riders were giving him (beats Marciano, LOL) yeah, he was over-rated in that sense. But then anybody would be.

I think Kovalev is still probably the #1 boxer in terms of skills and workrate in LHW today. He won #1 against Ward and was on his way to winning #2. He's got a great jab, good overall punch selection and excellent power. His one hole is his gas tank, and if he can plug that there's no reason he can't take over 175 again.

 

Kovalev doesn't have the stamina and the cardio. He's plenty tough inside, but when your breath burns like blood in the back of your throat, when your arms feel like bloated sausages and breath comes hard, and your output slows ... that could be mistaken for mental weakness. In actual fact what Kova needs is a pair of running shoes.

 

Well in most eyes he beat Ward in their first fight...

His resume may not be the thing of legends we usually expect from a highly dominant, feared, pound-for-pound fighter but look at the last 10 years; to be elite means having to prove it less nowadays.

 

He probably was in a weak division. I think he will look good in a few weeks, but HBO always overrates.

 

I rate Andre Ward as one of the best ive seen since ive been alive and Kovalev was going back and forth with him more than holding his own, im a massive Ward fan and i can accept Kovalev winning that first fight by a round just as i accept Ward scraping it. Kovalev wasnt or isnt overrated he was beaten by a great fighter and champion thats the reality of it. I wouldnt be suprised if he takes out the rest of the LHWs out there and reign till the end of his career.

 

Either that or Ward was under rated because a lot of people thought he would destroy Ward. I think it's a bit of both tbh.

 

heck no man kovalev is a great athlete great boxer. he lost to the best in the business.

 

In most people's view he won the first fight and I had him winning the second until the end, so no I don't think so at all.

 

naaa he's a freking elite. I think you and others have forgotten that it wasnt him that was being compared to GGG, not at all, it was people attempting to compare GGG to a bona fide elite like Krusher.

Morever, Ward is a more established accepted elite than Canelo, and Krusher arguably edged him out first time, albeit by the narrowest of margins.

Its 3G who needs to play catchup with Kovalev, currently, even though hes 2 years older.

 

Kovelev wasn't over rated, more like unlucky with bad judges in the first Ward fight, and had issues facing a very in active Stevenson.

Not an ATG at 175 pounds, but I think a hall of fame candidate when he retires for sure if he does just a little bit more.