I have never said that about any fighter. This is the first time. Scientifically speaking i cant know it for 100% if it was a fix, but lets take a look at facts: 1. His whole demeanor was strange from press conference up to the fight. He was too relaxed and too respectful of Canelo, after some small fouls he was bowing to Canelo like slave bows to his master. I was pretty sure he gonna win, but before the fight i wrote that i have some doubts if Kovalev got bribed. 2. He threw only pitty pat. Where was his famous power jab, you dont risk getting countered when you use jab as other punches. He didnt even try to throw a ****ing SINGLE power punch and he could, definitely could. No way you can be so shot that you didnt even throw a one power punch against smaller fighter with a worst work rate in boxing. In some round he landed 2 piece combo on Canelo's body, Alvarez was there to be hit. When Canelo was on ropes, he didnt do ****, like are you really scared of former 154 lbs fighter with mediocre power? 3. Throughout the fight Sergey didnt take much punishment, workrate wise it was probably worst Canelo's fight, he didnt land many body shots as most people believed. 4. When did you see the last time Kovalev getting KO'ed from one punch and when did you see Canelo KO'ing somebody unconsciousness with a single punch? Yeah thats right, Kovalev never been KO'ed like that and Canelo scored a devastating KO in 2016 against a ****ing ATG glass jaw 140 lbs Khan. I rewatched that punch by 0.25 Speed. Canelo hit him in the neck near the ear. It wasnt spot on hit on chin, temple or ear. Strange... I am not a huge fan of Kovalev, i am just pissed, fights with magnitude like that are very rare, and its the first time in like 3 years that i got up so early to watch a fight live and it was a complete **** show, even more than i was prepared too. Both fought like ****.
Do you follow boxing? In his last fight Kovalev was almost knocked out by D+ level fighter Anthony Yarde. He's finished and has been finished. You had your expectations set too high.
Dude, Kovalev is 36, over the hill, can hardly make weight yet only had 6 weeks to train and was slapped with a rehydration clause. What did you expect. He was paid to lose, not only he was offered life changing money but also 2 fights on DAZN if he loses. Alverez's team bought his title, point blank.
Yarde landed much more punches ( like 4-5 punches flush) and he is MUCH more powerful than Canelo. Kovalev didnt even hit the deck and took it good
No he didn't. He didn't dive it just wasn't his night and he was facing a prime ATG it happens. He does not need kicking while he's down
Kovalev was almost knocked out. Again, you set your expectations too high. The writing was on the wall.
I think Kovalev was at peace with himself about this fight. He prepared as best he could and had a game plan. He knew he was making a ton of money and I'm sure he's not going to fight anymore. He made a reasonable effort but the old search and destroy Krusher doesn't exist anymore and Kovalev doesn't have the technical abilities (or chin or durability) to be a Bernard Hopkins. He's finished and I think he knew it going in to this fight which I think explains his attitude.
Dive or not, Kovalev didnt care much. His constant smiling before the biggest fight of his life pissed me off.
He was taking that same punch the entire fight, yet all of a sudden just before the fight is about to go to the scorecards, goes down with a whimper Watch very carefully before Kovalev goes down, there is a sequence of punches which connect which weren't hurtful and he almost prepares to fall down, but hesitates until the next sequence follows and decides it looks realistic enough to go down from. SK deserves the retirement money plus the bonus for the dramatics but I would have expected a man of such pride to turn down the brown envelopes
Y, and i find it hilarious that every Canelo's meaningful fight has a big controversy to it, it never stops, lol.
He said in the post-fight interview that it was a good experience for him and he hopes to unify titles in the future. For his sake, I hope he has a change of heart. He's finished.
This. Considering his age and how much his ability has diminished over the last 2-3 years I think Kovalev did very well.
