This isn't a troll thread. he might not be all the way gone but he's probbaly 65% of what he used to be. He would have easily EASILY destroyed yarde 2-3 years ago. Kovalev still has a jab I'm not even convinced of his right anymore but he has somewhat of it, his jab is fully there. I honestly would favour about 4-5 LHW to beat him at this point. anyone else agree he should take the canelo fight and see how he does?
I think Gvosdyk, Bivol, Callum Johnson, Beterbiev all beat Kovalev at this point. hardcore kovalev fans dont take offense. Kovalev is probably 70% there at the very most.
I dont agree with the right hand stuff. I think that the right hand was there, but that yarde's only goal in life was to avoid it. That's the only thing yarde did for at least 9 rounds in the fight, to care only about kovalev's right hand. Imho if the jab is still there, the right hand is there too. What's not there is kovalev, as you said this guy is like 60% the old kovalev. Imho he should retire, his time is way past.
The right hand requires explosively rotating the whole body into the punch, which takes a lot of athleticism. Kovalev was just throwing arm punch uncommitted right hands. He's no longer the same athletically.
he was not commiting in his right hand for a good reason. yarde was willing to eat the jab as long as he could shoulder roll the right hand.There was no point in commiting in the right hand, kovalev understood it and stop doing that in 3 rounds or so. It doesnt prove that the right has was not there, it proves that kovalev's smarter than I thought, he chose wisely.
Kovalev ate like 4 check left hooks it was crazy. he won today but i feel is yarde had one fight between vs someone like a chilemba that he could have won. Kovalev showed that he had a lot of heart left.
Props to both men, good fight and plenty of heart by both. Kovalev will no longer survive for 12 rounds, he was as gassed as Yarde and out on his feet. Canelo will stop him via TKO somewhere between 8-10 rounds and possibly sooner being that Canelo will go to the body.
