Sergey Kovalev - Fighting on the Outside

Like most boxing fans, I was surprised to see Kovalev stopped last Saturday. After seeing Sergey dispatch a few lower ranked opponents in his effort to rebuild after Ward II, it was easy to tune out and wait for the next big fight. With so much up and coming talent in the light heavyweight division it seemed inevitable that Kovalev would soon be mixing with the young guns and producing modern classics.

The surprise of his loss, however, was never shock. There was no eyes-wide-open moment of complete disbelief. Kovalev had weak points in and out of the ring that were no secret. This culminated in a knockout loss to an underdog while still at the seemingly passable age of 35. Though some faults Kovalev brought into the ring were intrinsic, it's important to remember how he arrived at what appears to be the unsatisfying end of his career.

Kovalev's issues with the establishment of boxing began as an amateur. While talented, he was decidedly not among the favorite sons of the Russian boxing program. Losing a platform to compete at prestigious tournaments left him with the less traveled path of turning professional. This was a long and difficult road to embark on with no remarkable amateur accolades. Kovalev is rumored to have made no money for his first 18 professional fights.

After a dubious technical decision draw against Grover Young, the terrible ring death of an opponent, and a slew of wins over low level gate keepers, Kovalev was finally ready for his big break. In many ways Nathan Cleverly is the antithesis of Kovalev; little punching power, middle class upbringing, financial backing and relatively powerful promotion. The four round destruction of the Welshman felt like real boxing justice. Talent emphatically ruled the day, and the prolific corruption of the sport was confined.

At this point Kovalev was a breath of fresh air for boxing. He was willing to fight anyone, anywhere, anytime, and he would come to knock them out with a dynamic offense that made him special. All that was missing was a marquee scalp which soon proved possible in Andre Ward. Kovalev put all of himself into winning the fight; and by the estimation of many, did. To Sergey it surely appeared to be the final battle between himself, standing alone but determined, and the shadowy forces of power and politics in a sport he would only ever master inside the ring.

Though a great fighter in his own right, it was not Andre Ward who slew the Krusher we once knew. Being an outsider for too long in the system he depended upon for his livelihood caught up to Kovalev. How many more champions would he have to chase into their home towns for short money? How many more fights could he enter feeling that every purportedly neutral entity was biased? The aftermath revealed why the battle outside the ring would not be won. Bad habits and loose ends were always going to catch up to Kovalev; though few thought it would be so soon.

Kovalev will never be regarded as one of the greats; his resume simply cannot hold up to such scrutiny. However, what he has done as a fighter is assuredly great. He has created, by the force of his own will, a path for others who lack clout and capacity in the politics of the boxing world to succeed. He is a remarkable story of punching your way out of a situation and I hope history remembers him as fondly as we do now.