Sergey Kovalev failed to drop Eleider Alvarez in 19 rounds? Evidence Kovalev has suspect power?

Nathan Cleverly

''Kovalev is a massive puncher; each punch is like being hit by a sledgehammer,'' Cleverly said. ''He sparked Ismayl Sillah clean out in the second round '' he was completely gone. He didn't do that to me, he shook me up and I was in no position to continue really, I was drunk from the punches and I have got a great chin, so he does hit hard and he's probably the most dangerous Light Heavyweight out there.''

Were you surprised by how hard he hit?

I suppose I wasn't surprised because with his record it was inevitable that he was a banger and every shot he threw was a thudding shot. It was like a hammer. He wasn't rapid fast, he had good timing, good distance and his punches were just so hard... His jab, his right hand. Just when he caught you on the shoulder he would have an impact and he was just clubbing me. He just clubs you with his heavy hands and he's the type to just club you into submission. That's his aim. To club you until he puts you down. I just kept it tight early but I knew, after taking a few of his punches, I knew I couldn't afford to be caught with a shot on the chin. I knew that. I remember thinking in the first round, if he catches me clean, I'm gone. I remember thinking that.

Yeah. I did think I would be able to take it but I knew, I knew and especially from the first round '' I knew if he caught me clean it was highly likely I would go. Even the shots on the gloves and the shoulder, the impact was really heavy. It was clear to me from the first couple of punches that when this guy landed I would be in trouble.

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''Kovalev is an animal of a puncher''

-- Nathan Cleverly

2:36

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Darnell Boone

'KOD: Who is the hardest puncher that you have fought?

Darnell Boone: The hardest puncher was [Sergey] Kovalev. He knows exactly how to use his height and leverage with punches. He keeps you on the outside, away from getting on the inside on him. He fights tall.

Cornelius White

''His power is unreal,'' White said of Kovalev. ''I've never felt that power before. I've fought heavyweights, cruiserweights and I've never felt that before. And they weren't bricks. It was steel.''

Interview with former Kovalev victim Lionell Thompson. Thompson has sparred against a who's who of the LHW and SMW divisions: Dawson, Bute, Froch, Pascal Troy Ross, David Lemieux and numerous others too. He said every shot he throws is heavy, even the ones on the arms and gloves hurt and that no one hits like Kovalev.

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''I ain't ever been hit that hard. When he hit me it felt like somebody lifted the soul out of my body.''

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Earl Newman

0:56-1:39

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Pascal on Kovalev, Beterbiev, and Bivol

'Pascal is very familiar with all three of the Russian boxers.

He suffered two defeats at the hands of Kovalev, he used Bivol as a sparring partner, and Beterbiev was his stablemate in the gym.

While he believes Beterbiev is the best fighter of the three, he says Kovalev is the hardest puncher of the three. 2018 will be interested year to watch, if all three Russian punchers will begin to face each other in unification bouts.

"Bivol was my training partner for my second fight against Kovalev. Who has the style that was more complicated for me, it was Kovalev. The best of the three? It's Beterbiev. On the other hand, the one that hits the hardest, it is Kovalev," Pascal told The Montreal Journal.

 

Alvarez was definitely feeling the weight of Kovalev's shots and Kovalev did hurt him a few times albeit not badly. If what Marc Ramsey (Alvarez's trainer) said about how heavy they were for the first fight is true (according to him Alvarez weighed 192 on fight night), then that means Alvarez is a very big LHW. And Kovalev said he only rehydrated 2kgs after the weigh in for the rematch, which means that was his career lightest weight and he was actually under 180lbs.

 

Yeah but the ref didn't count it

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No doubt, a good chin and a very tight defence. And he was reluctant to let his hands go for a reason and was very conscious of not getting caught clean with too many big shots, especially with counters during exchanges.