By Yuri Tarantin
Later tonight, WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev (25-0-1, 23KOs) will go up against the most experienced opponent of his entire career. The feared puncher will face WBA/IBF champion Bernard Hopkins in a major unification from the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
The 49-year-old veteran, despite his age, is being favored by many experts to defeat the younger Russian slugger.
However, newly crowned WBC cruiserweight champion Grigory Drozd is selecting his countryman to become the first man to stop Hopkins.
"No doubt that will be a very interesting fight. In the ring, you have two fighters with two completely different styles, two totally different eras of boxing. Hopkins is extremely skilled, dangerous and tricky, but I think Kovalev will handle him. Sergey is really a good boxer, very hard-hitting and comes from an excellent school of boxing. He moves well on his feet and has impressive timing. I am confident that he will win with a vivid and spectacular victory. Most likely, a knockout [victory] by the eighth round or by the refusal [of] Hopkins [to continue]," Drozd said.
Yuri Tarantin covers boxing for Allboxing.ru
