Was Canelo vs Kovalev fixed?

Edited; my comments in bold:

Thanks for actually responding this time (@lufcrazy) I'm sorry dude but no, Kovalev committed to none of his shots, clearly wasn't fully extending hs punches from round 1 through 11 as well as pulling punches and not putting intent on any of his punches. There may have been the odd instance where he was fully extending but these weren't punches thrown with full intent or dangerous heavy punches I slightly disagree but we actually are not too far off here. Kov fought very defensively indeed.

I've countered this previously -
"He was slowly pitty pattying Canelo who had a high guard pretty much the entire fight. Pretty much never throwing a hard committed shot. There are countless instances where Kovalev had clear openings to throw hard fast straights yet just slowly pitty pattied Canelo's guard for which much of the time Canelo wasn't even reacting to - hence Kovalev would have easily been able to land with faster commited straights, and something which would have been made all the more easier given the clear on display height and reach advantage. I don't think Kov could take advantage of the openings he had, nor did he want to risk getting hit. That's the definition of a timid, shot fighter. Reflexes gone, timing gone and especially due to a short camp, plus punch resistance gone.

Kovalev showed much more hesitation to Yardes punches (and literally all other opponents before that) than Canelo's yet throughout his fight with Yarde he was committing to pretty much all his punches, stepping in, fully extending and not pulling punches. This is something he did not do against Canelo who was there to be hit and did not demonstrate excellent defence that night as he was just simply plodding forward and not moving his head. Canelo was moving his head at first, until he realized he didn't need to waste the effort because Kovalev was not throwing with any power. This is where the gameplan failed. Kov needed to throw at least the occasional hard shot, but he rarely attempted to do so and as a result Canelo walked him down. This was a Canelo moving up two weight classes, and was no KO artist at 154 (with his notable knockouts being a 140lber chinny Khan and nobody past it Kirkland)... But Kovalev was scared of Canelo's counters? argument that just fails on every level here" Considering that Canelo had Kovalev out on his feet with one left hook, I find this argument very very strange. I mean the one thing we know for certain is that Canelo could hurt him, right?


No he demonstrated brilliant jab and straight shots in all fights including the Yarde and Eleider 2 fights. I don't think he fought especially well against these two. Having said that, here's where I think the short camp hurt him. If you want to argue that with more time and a better camp that Kov could have replicated an Eleidier 2 performance, I can buy that. Would it have been enough? Maybe, albeit we know that beating Canelo *officially* on the scorecards is extremely difficult. Some of the decline in performance I attribute to the short camp, some to continued aging/shotness, and some out of respect for Canelo. For whatever reason McGirt made it clear that's how he wanted Kov to fight him, tho. The 2015 Kov would not be told to "get the **** out of dodge" against a bloated WW.

I was using exhausted as an example. The only case someone would not extend punches or throw with intent throughout the entirety of a fight is if they have ****ed their elbow or shoulder up (and in that instance they can still throw and fully extend - see 130lber Loma against huge Lopez in the second half of the fight). Okay. Covered above.

Even defense inclined Herol Graham was extending his arms fully and putting intent on punches against the arguably p4p hardest hitter and murderous scary puncher Julian Jackson. Not sure how this helps your argument. For on thing Graham was not a shot fighter. Second, by putting intent on his punches he got KTFO. He'd have been better served to fight more defensively as Jackson was injured at the time.

 

Could you please edit this so I can respond to it? @Lesion of Doom

 

What I said about Kovalev not extending and pulling punches remains true, because that is what he was doing throughout from round 1 to 11. And he did not fight defensively at all. None of his defensive attributes were shown vs Canelo as he has done historically and in fights prior to Canelo - such as in and out and lateral footwork, hesitation to punches, minimal use of feints which he demonstrated against Eleider. He didn't fight offensively or defensively.

Read what i wrote again, it goes completely against that and has reasoning inthere - Canelo plodding, minimal head movement > Kovalev slowly pitty pattying his head whilst frequently getting no counter response > therefore Kovalev could have easily landed with faster heavier shots than the pitty pat non extension punches he got no response, which would have been easier with the height and reach advantage.

First underlined point answeeed above. Regarding your second point, how is this even an argument? Canelo was a 154lber who had a poor track record at KOing opponents, and it was his first time moving up two weight classes to fight, yet Kovalev was scared of Canelo's punches/counters?

Regarding the underlined part.. That's not the point, you said or heavily suggested in your post Kovalevs jab and straights were no longer accurate/elite due to being shot. I argued otherwise considering he dominated a heavy hittknh counterpuncher in Yarde with the Jab alone. His straight shots were also effective in his fight against Eleider. But yes there is a visible decline in Kovalevs fight against Eledier.

Was it?

What? That's a good way of spinning it? How did you work that out? Herol Graham is a smaller defensively minded fighter, yet he was able to extend and put intent on his punches vs a bigger huge KO puncher against Jackson. Yet a much bigger Kovalev height and reach, known for having an elite p4p jab and straight shots, couldn't extend or commit to any of his punches from round 1 onwards against a smaller guy coming up two weight classes with no history of KOs at 154lbs(and Canelo has good static defence, he is not good at moving and defending at the same time)

 

Soft fix - Ridiculous rehydration clause on Kovalev that gave him no chance of winning the fight, as he says. The judges somehow had Canelo winning the fight as well, which is impossible unless you count his ball and hip punches, which should have been penalised.
Canelo wouldn't have been drug tested, Kovalev would've been. Can anyone believe Saul Alvarez isn't on PEDs?

 

I agree boxing should be like that, same day weigh-ins with hydration levels monitored to remove weight cutting. However, weight cutting exists right now and Canelo hasn't had to deal with any rehydration clauses himself. Canelo has used them to gain advantages over opponents as shown with Kovalev and Jacobs.

Majority of world level fighters are typically on PEDs. At british or euro level hardly any of them will be on PEDs because they don't generate the same money to pay off authorities. Looking at some recent fights as examples, Conor Benn is most likely on PEDs. Van Heerden? You doubt it. Look at one like Lemos vs Selby and it's likely neither were on something.

 

Oh yes I totally remember you making the same arguments a few months go. You got caught with your pants down and couldn't muster a response to my reply. For your reference:

 

No and if you think it was fixed you need to stop licking windows you mongs

 

No, just a mountain of A side bull****.

 

Sums it up for me. Kovalev was a shell of serious threat when he stepped in the ring with a cherry-picking, glory-seeking Canelo.

 

Kovalev had the opportunity to fight Canelo months before. He chose not too.

Everything that lead up to his fight with Canelo was his decisions not Canelo's.

 

Anyone who says Kovalev never threw a punch with force dksab. He tried several times, and he paid for doing so just about every single time.

 

I don't believe that for even one second. Even if you can provide some link to some article, there will be circumstances and context omitted that will make it clear that Canelo dictated the terms.