By Yuri Tarantin
IBF featherweight champion Evgeny Gradovich is backing his good friend, WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev, to power past WBA/IBF champion Bernard Hopkins in their November 8th unification from the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Gradovich and Kovalev, although under different promotional firms, share the same manager in Egis Klimas.
"I bow to the fact that Sergey will become the undisputed world champion. He has everything needed for this. And for Hopkins it is time to retire. In boxing, anything can be expected, but I have no doubt that Kovalev win. [Whether Sergey can knock Hopkins out] is an subject of interest to everyone, including me. Maybe Sergey will pause at the beginning to adjust. Hopkins is awkward boxer who always finds a loophole to get away from one another strike, and has a large supply of dirty tricks. But I think that if the fight goes to the middle rounds, then Kovalev adapt to him and do his work," Gradovich said.
Yuri Tarantin covers boxing for Allboxing.ru
