Sergey Alexandrovich Kovalev vs. Igor Gennadyevich Mikhalkin & Dmitry Bivol vs. Sullivan Barrera RBR

Bivol is of course the easiest fight to make for Kovalev, but Bivol might badly outbox him. I'd love to see Kovalev-Beterbiev next. Kovalev should be favoured as the outside boxer, but they'd both be lining up missiles on each other however it plays out.

 

Man, HBO really hasn't had a voice of boxing that was head and shoulders above the others in terms of enduring quality commentary in some time now. Kellermen hasn't improved dramatically as he's aged, Roy is solid but the same commentator he's been for 15+ years...

 

Chilemba is probably better than Mikhalkin, but Igor did well to hang tough with Kovalev. We're not looking at the same Kovalev that was peaking around 2014, but this iteration of Kovalev is still pretty damned good.

Think I favor Bivol over him right now, though.

 

I mean, okay I guess (don't entirely agree that boxing lives or dies by heavyweight, actually kinda think it gets overblown to mythical proportions) but Wilder & Ortiz combined don't make 5% as good a fighter as Bivol p4p. I'd rather watch him in a mismatch over either of them in even a 50-50 heavyweight title fight any day of the week.

 

Anyone with a brain knew this was going to be a mid round stoppage for Kovalev without any fireworks or special effects yet the cuck squad has to show up and micro manage Kovalev. Anyone who takes something negative away form this performance was just looking for something to complain about. Same goes for all the prisoners of the moment who are convinced Bivol beats him easy.

 

Eh, I'll cue up my DVR and check it out. Unless my gf is still awake in the other room, then I've got bigger fish to fry.

 

They need to bring back George.
He always gave fair opinion while not pulling punches or jumping on the hype wagon.

Roy needs to start stifling Max and Jim when they let hype cloud what is happening in the ring

 

How about those who've been tracking Bivol's progress since before his pro debut and long trumpeted him as the future of the division?

 

Agree with all of that.

 

Like you did with Kovalev?

Bivol looks special but he is not dominating Kovalev that fight has intrigue and I have no clue how anyone can claim with certainty who would win?

 

If the US audience can get interested in HW's again, it's certainly good for the overall health of boxing. Wilder just needs to avoid blowing it with hamfisted, clueless social justice statements.

That's where we differ. I appreciate the tape of Floyd-Canelo for what it is, but I was never excited in advance of that fight because I knew what it was going to be. I'll appreciate the tape of Bivol-Barrera, too, but seeing Wilder-Ortiz live left me hyped and adrenalized, as if I'd fought myself, and that feeling doesn't come around much with this sport anymore.

 

Lol! Pretty much the same ones saying Bivol beats Sergey, Beterbiev and Gvozdyk are the same ones saying Gassiev beats Usyk. Although they’ll get behind Bivol much more than they will Gassiev and we already know why

I say it will come down to a Sergey and Beterbiev unification. That one will be wicked.