This is my translation of the recent Kovalev's interview. Translation is shitty but still understandable, i think.. ________________________________________________ - Joe Calzaghe was perhaps the last boxer who beat Hopkins without any questions. And it was six and a half years ago. Have you watched this fight to discover some holes in Bernard Hopkins game and find the keys to victory? Generally, have you watched tapes with his fights? S.K:There were times I watched some of his fights. The ones where he was young, and those where he was a little older. I have also watched his last fights. But just to sit and study him and to think - what kind of punch should i throw in order to hit him - no. I already know what to expect from him. But then again, I have no strategy. Every fight for me it's like a street fight, you go out and you dont know, what opponent has prepared for you. Maybe he boxed with somebody in one way and with you he would fight in a completely different way. And if you had a plan, and your plan is not working, you wont know what to do. I used to improvise and not only in the ring. For example, I was planning to eat fried chicken, and then I saw a beautifully fried fish, I'll eat this fish. I can change everything on the fly. So also in the training process. For example, I want to play soccer, and now it began to rain, and you have to train in the gym. I am always guided by the present situation. Your opponent is throwing right hand - you need to evade this blow, though you thought he was going to punch you with his left hand. I'm getting ready for everything, for every kind of defence and offence . All situations which can happen in the fight I have included in the preparation process. You will see the result of my training camp on November 8. Everybody is saying that Hopkins is old, but if he felt old himself, would he still fighting against dangerous opponents? Against me, for example? Or Cloud? He took the belt from Shumenov and from Cloud. Now he has decided to take the belt from me, but I will not give him the belt. I'll be standing at any cost till the end. This is boxing, and of course everything can happen, but I will do everything that depends on me. - Sultan Ibragimov boxed in Moscow against Evander Holyfield, and after the fight he told me that he had a chance to knock Holyfield, and those who watched the fight agree with him. But Sultan said that he was too respectful to the opponent, because Holyfield - a living legend of boxing, and therefore he didnt want to knock him out. On November 8 you will fight against a living boxing legend too. Are you feeling some kind of psychological pressure on you? S.K: This moment on contrary stimulates me and gives me a boost in motivation to win this fight, win against the legend. To become a legend, you have to beat the legend. I want to go down in history not only as a professional boxer, but as a boxer who became a legend by beating the legendary boxer. Then to make proud my son, my family and friends. I want to inspire young fighters... I had respect for Hopkins once. But the way he behaves, what he says and his dirty boxing, provocative actions on the weigh in... we gonna see how Hopkins will behave at the weigh-in. I think there are will be provocations on the weigh in, and some of them I would have to answer. I'll try to keep myself in the bounds of decency. Maybe I'll react, maybe - not. Let's see how it all will be, but I think he will do everything possible to get me out of balance. This is a kind of person Hopkins is. The battle has already begun. The battle is psychological. The war is already underway. The war is cold yet, but on November 8th it will be a real war. Source: http://allboxing.ru/news/20141027-08...geem-kovalevym
Dawson beat Hopkins in the rematch more convincingly than Calzaghe did. This interviewer is either bailey(the nutcase from this forum), a drunken British man or a straight up clueless idiot.
Dawson might've beaten Bhop way better than Calzaghe, but that is as good as it gets for Chad. Calzaghe would've slapped him to death.
He could have, should have, would have, but didnt. The fight was there for Calzaghe to take, he wanted none of it and retired. Unlike Hopkins whos' nearly 50 and now facing a young dangerous contender. The closest thing to a young contender that Calzaghe fought was Peter 'nose like an arse' Manfredo
Haha so you think Calzaghe would've ducked Dawson? Calzaghe had nothing to prove after he beat Hopkins. Lets all talk about how good dawson is when he has 4 loses . 1 to a complete bum, 1 he got knocked the **** out, where he was the favorite, 1 weight drained who got schooled, 1 he got beaten by a guy, who everybody expected Dawson would walkover.
Yes he actually did ! And the version of Dawson who beat Hopkins was ten times better than the one you see now ..And he was knocked out by the best SMW on the planet and the current LHW champ .. You act like before his decline he lost to scrubs ..
No, Dawson was undefeated at the time when Calzaghe could have fought him. Calzaghe wanted none of it. He DID duck Dawson. If you want, i can rip through Calzaghes two best wins Lacy and Kessler in just the same way cant i?
I don't think he ducked Dawson. He was 37 years old (or something like that) and wanted to retire. He had already proven what he wanted to prove. Not everybody is like Hopkins, fighting into their fifties.
Calzaghe had more than enough left in the tank. Did he slow down?, were his reflexes gone? No. He just thought he may as well run for cover quickly before someone exposes him. Froch fought Groves Lewis fought Vitali Hopkins fights Kovalev Calzaghe was in no way any more deterioated as any of these guys when he could have fought Dawson.
I don't like the fact that Kovalev doesn't seem to have a strategy to beat Hopkins. Same with his trainer Jackson. On the 24/7 episode he just seemed to think Kovalev needs to impose his power and Hopkins won't know what hit him. I hope this is a bluff and they do have a strategy to control the fight otherwise we could see a big upset.
I felt that as well, cant remember when, but in one interview they asked Kovalev if he studies Hopkins fights to which he said no hes boring. Either Kovalev and team have got some great master plan or Hopkins UD.
