People forget that important fact. He's been able to land cleanly against everyone he's been in the ring with and he does it very quickly. That has to do a lot with his ability to cover distance quickly and place his punches with accuracy. He's fought boxers and movers. Caparello was a boxer who schooled Allen Green, but couldn't get away. Sillakh couldn't last 2 rounds before getting KTFO. Campillo was a good boxer and he got ran over. Boone gave everyone problems and he too got KTFO quickly. Kovalev knows how to land his shots and that has a lot to do with his distance control, his underrated handspeed and his feints. He faked Agnew and Caparello and landed 2 nasty bodyshots that broke them. His footwork overwhelmed Campillo from the opening bell and he couldn't get away. Kovalev is a complete offensive fighter unlike anyone Hopkins has faced in the past. Today, a star will be born and Hopkins will announce his retirement plans.
I also add to this great post that Hopkins could be hurt even if he partly blocks the shots. Basically he is deep trouble.
watch for Kovs lead right hand to be a big factor tonight. Hops will take his jab away, but not the right.
He's going to attack Hopkins from every direction. Hopkins will take away the jab from the head, but the jab to the body will land.
How does people rate Kovalev's speed now? He's not Judah fast, but he's far from the slow fighter people make him out to be. And that jab to the body completely neutralized Hopkins. What a weapon. Young boxers need to take note of sound fundamentals.
I dont rate Kovalev's speed particularly fast, I think he's average at best. What did impress me about Kovalev was his ability to judge and adapt to distance and the fact that he did'nt become a head hunter like most power punching fighters usually do. Imo the key that led to Hopkins being dominated and the reason that Kovalev was able to find Hopkins consistently was that when Kovalev was coming foward looking to land, he was'nt putting everything into his punches. He was doing what I call changing speeds and varying the mustard behind his shots. The great Alexis Arguello who was'nt particularly fast was a master of such tactics and watching Kovalev hunt down Hopkins reminded me some of Alexis. Alexis Arguello was one of my favorites, I just loved the tactics he used to build up to find a fighter. He'd take significant amount of power away from his shots in order to be able to find and land, it was his way to guage not only distance but figure out what and how he could land. Arguello would then lower the boom when the moment and openings were right. Loved Kovalev's tactics and performance last night, it was Arguelloeusque, absolutely brilliant!!!
