Sergei Kovalev vs. John L Sullivan

Based on the relatively little I know about Sullivan’s technique and style, I think Kovalev would probably dominate him with jabs, crosses, and footwork.

 

Based on how little Kovalev seems to enjoy return fire, I would go with Sullivan. (Prime Sullivan, that is. Not the version that lost to Corbett)

 

Please... I still remember when kovale was
Looked on this forum like a force in history,some poor guys matched him even with marciano... Kovalev showed the overrated joke that he was against ward. Sullivan was a hw strong like a bull and could fight. 2 complete championships fights of today in the same night? So i would say that the stamina is "slightly" in favour of john l?
It is close.... Sullivan kills him literally

 

Wait, were we supposed to compare peak Sullivan to the unmotivated, untrainable version of Kovalev from the Ward II fight? Probably doesn’t change the outcome much if at all though.

And I’d bet that most of today’s top level boxers could go 30 rounds if those rounds consisted of mostly holding with few punches thrown, and ended whenever a fighter took a knee or went down.

 

sully wins back then, kovalev now. its all about the rules, views, and training crews. Not sure SUlly would know what a PED was.

 

Boxing evolved considerably from Sullivan to Corbett, and by the time Jeffries was champion Sullivan himself said the game had become scientific, and if he fought Jeffries, Jeffries would have put it to him.

So you have to favor Kovalev. However, if Sullivan was born in Kovalev's time, then it's a different story.

 

Lmao seriously... Listen this absurd argument... Guys.. You are saying that kovalev wins because today the boxing is modern? Hahahaha are you kidding me? I could buy this bullshi7 if we compare 2 fighters of the same size and frame, but a bigger,stronger, by farrr more durable fighter against a smaller,weaker less durable fighter always was and always will be the same thing doesn't matter the stage of the time.sullivan overpowers him early.(don't forget to mention the height and reach to insinuate that sullivan was not bigger and stronger lmao)

 

Something that no one has mentioned that I think would end up dictating how the fight goes... who's reffing this?

 

Obviously you have to decide what Sullivan was, before you can even attempt to answer this question.

Sullivan was a natural 200 pounder, so for once the size disparity is firmly in favor of the old timer.

All that we can say about Sullivan with any certainty, is roughly how big he was, the stance that he fought from, and that by all accounts he was something of a phenomenon in terms of speed and power.

If he was anything like as good as the contemporary writers make him out to be, then he was probably too much for Kovalev.

 

Ill back old John L. Im sure Sullivan and the other old timers would have no problem picking up the pace if they knew they only had 12 rounds to do. Sullivan sounded like quite the whirlwind in the 4 round bouts he had. He could overwhelm Kovalev with power and aggression.

 

Well we know what kovalev can do, but we'll never really know what sullivan could have done, we got alot of first hand accounts stating he had one hitter quiter type power, could take a punch very well, and had incredible stamina, I'd be rooting for the mythical sullivan for sure but only god knows

 

The answer to this one would have been a lot different before the rematch with Ward occurred, I'll tell you that much. Talk about a hype level/bubble that won't be matched again. Not by Kovalev himself anyway.

 

There is no reason why they should have been.

The only, repeat only, argument that Kovalev has here, is the blind assumption that his era was superior!