I’m trying to figure out why many fans think Hopkins will win

It's cause he's black, obviously.

 

Pavlik was fighting at 160 and wasn't as crafted as Kovalev who have a deep amateur background. He fights 15 pounds heavier than Pavlik. He will push and manhandle Hopkins in the inside. Kovalev will punch Hopkins everywhere, the shoulder, the arms, will be targeted, not only the head and body. Hopkins will suffer pain and will quit.

 

Hopkins is too proud to quit. He might fake an injury like he did against Dawson.

 

You would think this is the route Kovalev would take to victory, however alot of us boxing fans make the mistake an assume Kovalev will punch at a moving target and know what to do when smothered with the antics Hopkins knows all to well to do.

Fighters with the style of Kovalev are who Hopkins even at his advance age has proven he can difuse.
Will fathertime finally catch up to Hopkins?
Maybe so, but at the odds of as much to 6-1 which I believe currently stand, if I were a betting man I'd put a little bit of money on Hopkins.

 

He's been impressive. I just don't like his attitude
Everyone kisses his arse because they are afraid of retribution
But Kovalev better be ready for something different- Pavlik caved
because he lacked confidence. Let's see what Kovalev brings

 

I completely DISAGREE. He's not elite level talent but has elite level power, he can be out boxed. After watching the Agnew fight, I wouldn't be surprised if Hopkins takes him the distance and pulls out a decision.

 

Yeah but it has to end at some point where no amount of trickery or fouling will help him win. Kovalev is better than all the opponents you mentioned. He isn't going to cut 45 pounds in 4 months like the weight drained Tarver, better than Cloud, not a blown up WW and LMW like Tito and Pavlik. Despite his enormous punching power, Kovalev isn't a wild hatchet man and is not slow. The guy can box and he can hit fast not just hard. I can't see how Hopkins is going to stink n run past this guy like many of you guys think he will.

 

This. Stylistically, Hopkins should dominate.

 

...and Allen, RJJ, Calzaghe etc. This guy has no shame and I can definitely see him trying to pull off some bull**** when he's in trouble.

 

Add Antonio Tarver to that list too.

 

you crossed the line :-(

 

I don't think Kovalev is the crude slugger some people think he is. He actually has good foot speed, as shown in the Sillakh fight.

Also in the Sillakh fight, he showed he can adjust.

 

Kovalev the Russian Marciano power punching anywhere he can hit him til the old dog can take no more

 

Tarver was weight dranied, Tito and Pavlik were blown up, and Cloud was a bum. If he beats Kovalev people will come up with some excuse for why he won this fight despite being a huge underdog aswell. This is all revisionism, this is without a doubt the toughest ask out of all those fights but its not like Hopkins has defied the odds once or twice, he's made a career of it. if Hopkins wins by making Kovalev look stupid like Cloud and Shumenov, let's see how quickly peoples opinions of him drop

it will be

Tarver was weight drained

Tito and Pavlik were blown up

and Cloud, Shumenov and Kovalev were one dimensional punchers

 

I've watched Kovalev fights and I noticed a couple of things: a) He lunges and gets off balance when he throws his punches when his opponents use movement and b) he needs to plant his feet in order for him to throw his punches. These are things that Hopkins will exploit and I wont be surprised if this fight becomes eerily similar to Hopkins-Pavlik all over again