Is Kovalev finished as an elite fighter?

Massive fan of Kovalev but regardless of Alvarez I don't think for 1 second he beats the new blood in Gvozdyk, Bivol or Beterbiev.....I think they are the top tier along with Alvarez.

Kovalev and the rest are a rung below.

 

Alvarez looked good in there
heavy hands and not giving an inch soon as he dropped kov he piled on the pressure
liked what I seen from him
Thats what training in the rough Colombian slums does for you
Kov just got khanned
Meet his Prescott

 

Yes

 

Agree with this.....when you work your whole life to achieve a goal only to have it taken away by corruption it would be very disillusioning. He's also getting on in age and with the psychological impact of Ward 1 and 2 it may have been too much.

Then again, maybe we are just taking away credit from Alvarez.

Maybe Chicken Man will fight him now. If it's a decent payday SK deserves it.

 

If I was Kov, I would take 1 more "Do or Die" fight against one of the top guys... Gvozdyk or Beterbiev for example... if he had a perfect camp, no drinking vodka, clears his mind of his past demons, he can have a good chance I think. Tonight, the only reason he lost is because he was absolutely gassed, and couldn't hold his hands up, and was very slow in the ring... thats the only reason Alvarez connected!!! Alvarez is not a puncher, either is Ward. Kovalev beat himself by neglecting his cardio/stamina training!! thats what he gets!!!!

 

He doesnt live the life. And has bitterness woven into his fabric. His peak is gone and he wont get it back.

 

The only way a boxer can extend his peak into his 30s is to 'live the life'. I'm not sure Kovalev ever did. Was an amazing boxer/puncher but ill-discipline between fights caught up with him. The second Ward fight should have served as a warning but seems he ignored it. No way back from here...

 

Those Ward defeats have ruined his confidence.

 

its way too early to tell. he might just have been unlucky enough to have faced another elite.

 

We've been led to think lately that boxers have little problem keeping up their primes well into their mid or late 30s. It's just an illusion that's been perpetuated with mismatches, inactivity, hype, and yeah PEDs. Athletes wear down in their 30s, and boxers even more so.

 

I actually wouldn't advise him to rematch Alvarez. Best case scenario is he catches Alvarez and wins the rematch, which would only keep him in line for more fights and more punishment, against Bivol, Gvozdyk, Beterbiev. A 35 year old doesn't come back after this kind of loss. Hang 'em up. Focus on his family, maybe train or manage boxers, pursue the spiritual epiphany he talked about when he went to a monastery.

 

Yh. Factor in age & 2 stoppage losses.. He's been a fun fighter to follow, much respect but it's over to the new fellas. Alvarez, Bivol, Gvozdyk etc

 

Yes, it seems like Kovalev has 60 days to decide now.

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Honestly, don't want to offend anyone because i know Kovalev has a lot of weird fans who take negative comments about him way too serious but i always thought he is one of the most overrated fighters of this decade.

His fans wanted me to believe he is some kind of god and when i watched his fights i saw a rather one dimensional
guy fighting mostly overmatched opponents, never understood what's the fuss about him, just the way i see it.

 

So I guess all those stiff jabs and straight rights Alvarez was easily hitting him with had nothing to do with it right??