How did Mosley, Cotto, and GGG withstand Canelo’s punches better than Kovalev?

Just something that I find interesting. Cotto and GGG weren’t close to getting stopped, let alone hurt when they fought Canelo. Cotto was also the much smaller fighter who started out at 140. Yet you have a guy that’s 2 divisions bigger than those 2 but he ends up getting stopped in brutal fashion. I’m curious to know why that is. I know Kovalev wasn’t the same fighter that he was years ago but he couldn’t be THAT shot.

 

Neither did Jacobs or Amir khan until the last punch.

This is steroids. Common sense.

 

or a fixed fight...

 

Alcohol, age, and loss of confidence. Plus even prime Kovalev had significant weaknesses but most fighters were not good enough to exploit them.

 

Age and father time? guy is really on his last legs.

 

cotto 5'6 former 140lb fighter took those shots like nothing, obvious dive job from kovalev

 

Obviously Kovalev is shot. And I also think that GGG and Cotto are more skilled.

 

They didn't eat the same left hook?

 

cotto wasn't shot? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

I didn't say that.

 

Easy canelo has grown more comfortable with better power at higher weights.

 

Cotto and GGG have better defensive instincts than Kovalev and rarely get hit square and are very good at rolling with punches. Kovalev on the other hand even in his prime has always had sloppy defensive habits, but his superior athleticism and power allowed him to get away with it. However, now that he's an older fighter with diminished athletic ability and his power long gone it was only a matter of time. I thought Canelo would've had this version of Kovalev knocked out by the 8th or 9th, but I was a few rounds off.

 

- GGG = divine-level chin. One of the best chins ever.

- Cotto? Not sure. Maybe he was younger and still had his punch resistance?

Cotto's a tough guy, and had excellent reflexes.

Kovalev has never had the greatest chin. And he's at a point in his career where he knew both his chin and his conditioning could hurt him. Which is why he had to fight more reserved against Canelo.

 

Kovalev is slow and besides his short hooks, mostly throws straight punches. He can't throw an uppercut to save his life, esp against a shorter person(midget) in Alvarez. Alvarez used the peakaboo style and most of his punches were blocked by Canelo. Canelo, like he did vs Khan, figured Kovalev's rhythm with a perfectly planned shot then finished him off. Canelo also put on a significant amount of muscle to bulk up to 175, thus giving him more power on his shots.

Why was Pac able to withstand Marquez power at featherweight but got knocked out at Welter? Same reasons above... Once you have your opponent figured out it's all she wrote.

 

As I said to a poster before the fight(I think It was @Chuck Norris), both GGG and Cotto have better conditioning than Kov, and both are much more fundamentally sound, especially on the defensive end.

Rolling with a punch matters, and It’s a lot easier to take one when you see it coming.