1) I'd never pick Kovalev, or any LHW slugger/stalker, over Rocky. Even if some people give him too much credit in fantasy matchups vs skilled super heavies, Rocky is murder vs lighter fighters who get hit. None of them have more firepower, conditioning, and durability than Rocky. Foster is a better version of Kovalev and perhaps the best stalker the division ever saw, and I think Rocky would've destroyed him, too. 2) that said, all of Kovalev's losses took place when he was older than Rocky was when the Rock retired. A 35 year old fighter with 14 title fights getting knocked out isn't particularly indicative of a guy who was an overrated bum all along, but a very good fighter who hit the end of the line. Nothing that happened yesterday (or the last couple of years) has any weight on how Kovalev would've fared vs Rocky. If he had knocked out Alvarez (and Ward, for that matter), Rocky would still be an abysmal styles matchup for him.
I still rate Kovalev as an excellent boxer, but cracks are starting to appear in the facade now. I was 80% sure that Rocky would beat him; now I'm about 95% sure. No way Kovalev has the stamina to keep up with the assault, sooner or later he slows and gets stomped. If his chin might be suspect at 175, then a 185lb atg slugger will be all she wrote.
Twice now right hands have gotten Kov, even when you consider the iffy low blows from Ward that had him in trouble in the final round leading up to the KO and Marciano`s straight right was his money punch, he also had a sharp counter right after leaning over to one side making his opponents overcommitt by punching down at him ,then he would throw the straight right down the pipe.
Kovalev better hope Marciano shows up in the ring in a playful mood if he wants to last very long. Marciano is all wrong for him and would wreck him.
McVey vs Choklab?? Both in their primes. Does McVeys swarming and aggressive style overwhelm Choklab or does Choklabs superb footwork cause him to befuddle McVey, keep him on the end of his long jab and outbox McVey???