A prime 175 sized version of Kessler vs current Kovalev

These "pound for pound" discussions are annoying because everyone just assumes the smaller fighter would retain his speed while gaining power if he were naturally bigger. The truth is we'll never know but if we're talking about actual Kessler moving up and facing Kovalev he would be beaten up badly.

 

Kovalev by decision or late stoppage with Kessler making it surprisingly competetive for the first half of the fight

 

Exactly. that's kind of like people saying Wlad never had a potent left hook. just watch him dominate and destroy Austin with nothing but the LH.

It wasn't that he never had one; it was that it was a vastly underutilized 'secret weapon' in his arsenal.

 

Kessler and Kovalev are not far off from being the same exact size.


Kovalev is a fairly large but not gigantic LHW.

Kessler was a very large SMW.