In appreciation of Sergey Kovalev: a few thoughts

Glad I read that post and everyone knows you could have gone on and on with the true prime years topic which is an excellent topic. Hope I am wrong but I think you will see the exact same thing play out in Canelo-GGG 2. Seeing a points win by Canelo because of speed and quickness is not difficult at all. He learned from the Floyd fight. Canelo will win this, watch. But anyways great post.
Thanks Again

 

Kovalev was an unstoppable force of nature for a number of years and truly an atg. Nothing can take that away. Whether you were a fan or a foe, it’s humbling when that which cannot be stopped, is. It’s unsettling to all who observed and evokes a sense of our own mortality. Our collective sense of security is best served by re-evaluating the unstoppable force as anything but…

But Kovalev was, and we were all fortunate enough to bare witness.

Thank you for your excellent post.

 

No, nothing serious physically. But mentally he's literally "krushed", I'm more than sure...

 

I think it's the other way around like 80/20 which means, were he to get his mind right and recommit he could still be something of a player. To be fair, I haven't yet seen the fight and am going on past performance and descriptions I've seen here.

 

Dont be silly with that unstoppable force stuff. Kovalev was a dominant champ, he showed a willingness to fight everyone. Unfortunately for us as fans he was around when the LHW division was weak. I wish he was prime now, when we have a good number of young/hungry fighters and champs.

 

Absolutely. I hesitate to say it but he may not be totally done yet. There is a possibility he may exercise his rematch clause.. If he was somehow (though i doubt it because his stamina & punch resistance seems to get worse & worse) able to gain revenge then you would have the following resume:

-1-1 Alvarez
-1-1 Ward (in most peoples eyes)
-Pascal x2
-Bhop
-Cleverly
-Chilemba
-Campillo

Etc..

That is a great roster. Be interesting to see what he does.. I'm not confident he's got it anymore though. Respect either way though champ..

 

I don't buy that Kovalev is suddenly old and past it, he looked good up until the KO. Alvarez who's also in his mid thirties would've been his best win and he came up short. As a fan favourite Kovalev was overhyped for years when his best scalps were old man Hopkins and an over the hill Pascal. Kovalevs chin and stamina were always suspect, it just took better fighters than his previous opposition to expose it. Duva has kept him well away from punchers since he fought Darnell Boone.

 

Kovalev should have changed the way he fights a while ago. Boxers I think in their later years have to transition into 12 round fighters. I believe he punched himself out in this fight.

 

Well Kovalev has taken punishment in the ring. Also its rumored hes a heavy drinker. Plus hes 35.

So its expected to see him decline. But I must say it was still unexpected to see him stopped by Alvarez regardless.

 

I agree that a fighters prime is shorter than most think. But it can be prolonged and the decline less abrupt if you avoid too much punishment and start winning titles young.

Kovalev won his first title at 30 years old. Which pretty much meant he had only a few years in him before losing it.

A guy like Pacquiao won his first title at 19 and 11 years later looked better than ever against Cotto.

There is the ring age factor as well as the biological age factor.

Not all 30 is equal, but 30 is still a young fighter regardless of punishment taken. And that has to count for something.