Not exactly a fair time to bump this. It's still probably the most winnable fight against a 175 ATG for Kovalev. I'm not sure if he'd pull it off though.
If Sergey Kovolov cannot take Canelo Alvarez's blows, Bob Foster would send him to dreamland in round 4, old age for Sergey is an excuse. Excuses are like what everyone sits on, everyone has one. Bob Foster is a Hall Of Famer, retired as World Light Heavyweight Champion. It does not matter who you fought. You can only fight the competition of your era , not opponents of the future or past. Foster was champion from 1968-1974, his losses were to heavyweights, Hall of Famers. Kovolov was stopped 3 times to Light Heavyweights. Foster taller, carries dynamite in his dukes, especially the left one, that sent D. Tiger, into la la land in round 4, on May 24 1968. He hits a lot harder than blown up junior middleweight, Canelo Alvarez, also Bob had a better defense.
Not even going to even read the above responses... I don't even recognize the Kova of Saturday night that guy has fallen so far and is so passed it. Ask this question 5+ years ago when he was in his prime.
Just saying, Foster never beat anyone as big and good as Kovalev but did lose to several of them. Kovalev never beat anyone as big and good as Foster, but at least almost beat Ward.
I tend to think Kovalev would get broken down and battered by the likes of Marvin Johnson or Yaqui Lopez. No faith in him when it comes to a true back-and-forth war. So needless to say, I don't really rate his chances against the biggest LHW puncher I've ever seen.
I feel the same way when others talk a lot about comparing post prime Muhammad Ali vs the modern fighters of today, an example Lewis or Tyson, instead of Ali of 1964-1967. Why don't they ask about that Ali? Same thing.
I was making on opinion on the question, Bob Foster vs Sergey Kovolov, all sorts of excuses surrounding the fight on Saturday night, Holyfield could have taken Toney's punches, he took Tyson's.
To be fair, Foster vs Kovalev was presented as a matchup in Kovalev's prime. I said even then Foster smokes him.
This is true. But I still believe peak Bob stops any version of Sergey and I rate Sergey as he was an offensive beast. Bob is arguably the greatest 175 pounder ever. Even had Sergey's career ended before Ward, I don't believe anyone would have claimed Sergey was.