Fans Must Have A United Hopkins vs Kovalev Opinion, Right?

Whether you think Kovalev knocks Hopkins out, think Hopkins schools Kovalev 12-0 or whether you think it doesn't matter because Adonis Stevenson will beat whoever wins... is there ANY boxing fan that is not completely surprised and impressed that not only is such a fight happening between a guy considered a power punching new-age destroyed and a literal 50 year old but the 50 year old is still good enough to garner a contingency of people believing he will win?

My personal opinion? I am... not sure, actually. My brain and my heart are at odds. My heart wants to say that a 50 year old is not going to have what it takes to withstand the measured yet relentless power punching assault of Kovalev. My brain, however, can not shake a certain couple of things loose in order to agree with my heart. That 50 year old is a hell of a boxer who specializes in taking aggressive fighters to school for one thing. Sure, that was against halfway garbage plodders in Tavoris Cloud and Beirut Shumenov but still he completely dominated and sandwiched between those wins a well fought battle against a game Karo Mir at who has better movement, speed and skills than either of those guys even if he is only a fringe contender that maybe is otherwise not on their level. Stylistically though, Murat made Hopkins have to think. The punches were not sloppy, predictable and came in combination. This is more of what the fight with Kovalev will look which, again, leads my heart to believe that Karo Murat with much better power and skills DOES beat Hopkins.

So what is still the hold up? I felt that Cedric Agnes exposed Kovalev for being not nearly as polished as we all were led to believe. Kovalev probably did not lose a round to Agnew before finally stopping him in around the seventh round. I make no mistake with that. I do feel, however, that we saw Agnew refuse to go down without a fight and that alone greatly blunted the pure physical force of Kovalev. He caught Kovalev with counter punches while Kovalev seemed to shut down slightly after a few rounds in order to process the idea that anybody could stay standing four rounds in against him. Kovalev stayed back for a bit and seemed to have trouble mentally being denied just wading in. Hopkins will assuredly not lay down in three rounds nor will he just allow Kovalev to wade in for free. My brain keeps picturing Bernard Hopkins getting or already having the respect of Kovalev early and with the space Kovalev leaves him Hopkins will land lead rights into clinches all night.

Brain or heart? Forced to choose... gotta go with Kovalev. Kovalev is just an excellent fighter and... still... is fighting a 50 year old opponent. I have to imagine the body punches will take a swift toll.