Is it safe to assume Kovalev cannot box off his backfoot?

Here we go again... It's called plain old movement. "Shifting" is not a thing! You don't have to go anywhere... Of course shifting isn't a "think" -- it's a movement Americans nearly forgot about... Just google "shifting boxing"... https://www.google.ro/search?q=Nicholas+Walters+fight+night+weight&hl=en&biw=1437&bih=908&site=webhp&source=lnms&sa=X&ei=-P8LVZqlNJb1ar2BgZAF&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAA&dpr=1#hl=en&q=shifting+boxing ... About 705,000 results (0.50 seconds)

As these guys are professional (and good) boxers, I'm pretty sure he can. Of course he relies heavily on the style that works for him.

Kovalev and Golovkin are fighting on their backfoot and move laterally, but only for few moments until they resume attacking -- usually by shifting (which clearly confuses their opponents). Here we go again... It's called plain old movement. "Shifting" is not a thing!

They aren't used to fighting on back foot because what they are doing has worked for them Tell me which fighters will push them back Pascal pushed kovalev back plenty of times and all he did was cover up. He's very uncomfortable going back and GGG is very much like that, although he's not east European lol. But it's true there aren't many fighters at my or lhw that can push those two back. It's why Froch v GGG is so interesting and why the pascal fight was fun barring the stoppage.

Stevenson is going to do better than alot of people realize. This fight was always 50/50 but Stevensons reluctance to fight clouded the minds of many people into thinking Kovalev easily dispatches him and thats not the case at all. With all that said Kovalev is still the best Light heavyweight in the world. A year ago I would have slightly favoured Stevenson but now I'm of the opinion that Stevenson's shot is via 1-punch in the fist four rounds (before he gasses) as long as he doesn't get caught cold in the first 1:30, or otherwise caught. It could still go either way, but I'm leaning more Kovalev now. What's up with my fellow Canuks gassing? Stevenson (he's oldish and late to the sport though). David Lemieux has had issues. Pascal faded badly (from the look of him). Hrmph.

When has someone standing their ground and throwing with Provodnikov ever gone well for anyone? He loves that. Even the guys who outboxed him learned a nasty lesson when they tried to step to him. Against Kov you'd probably die like the last guy who tried (no disrespect intended, but it's true). Simakov did go toe to toe for 6 rounds, I didn't watch the last round. It's not a good idea to go toe to toe with the likes of Provo, Kova or GGG. Does anyone ever start threads about how some fighter cannot fight off the front foot? No idea, but plenty can't.

Kovalev is the ONLY person i've seen who can hit that hard and box off the back foot. I swear to fking god I really want to know why OP is so delusional. He makes a thread about the only person who hits like a mule and can box off the back foot saying that he cannot box off the back foot like other power punchers. This is ironically borderline retardation. Kovalev is the closest thing to a boxer puncher ( and i mean real puncher ) as its going to get.

He's shown the capability to do so at times. That's not his game but he still has it in his locker.

The thread could be actual right before Kov-Beterbiev fight. The moment with Hop KD is pretty valid. It's exactly what the one would find trying to pressure Kov. So it depends on does he can stand the punch or not. If not it will be the same as with Hop - going into defense after that. If he can, than it will be a hell of a fight..

Its safe to say that these Russian white boys beat n#(#$z asses! lol

Why assume when he's shown he can clearly do it? It's not his optimal means of attack but he's pretty good at it when pressed. Pascal ran into some big counters trying to press. Lol @ the idea that "if Pascal had power it'd be a different outcome". If Pascal could box better than Kovalev it would've, but he can't.

The better question is who will require it!

Mayweather wouldn't even be world class if he tried to be a pressure fighter. He's not a pressure fighter though so what does it matter and good luck forcing Kovalev to turn into Lara and backpeddle the entire fight. Stupid thread. This " Oh he can't fight off his back foot " staement is so stupid. Every fighter will have there own preferred style. Kovalev is not going to be the monster he is if he fought like rigondeaux and vice versa. But why on earth would kovalev fight like that? Who's going to be brave/dumb/good enough to try and bully him?

yes kovalev does have the feet to be fleet-footed

Kovalev taking a step back and shooting a cross to knock down Hopkins isn't fighting off of the back foot; he had control of center ring and had B-Hop cornered at the time of the KD. Kovalev would still be proficient boxing off of his back foot, but he wouldn't be the elite fighter he is, if he ceded center ring to his opponents. The problem is that ring generalship is part of his boxing ability and he's going to have to be coerced into fighting on the back foot. Ouma was able to push GGG backward and stand his ground, but he wasn't good enough defensively to be able to withstand GGG's offense and win. Mayweather wouldn't even be world class if he tried to be a pressure fighter. He's not a pressure fighter though so what does it matter and good luck forcing Kovalev to turn into Lara and backpeddle the entire fight. Stupid thread.

Does anyone ever start threads about how some fighter cannot fight off the front foot? Lol awesome..how true...

Why do people assume that fighting off the back foot, you have to be running backwards like cottos when he's hurt

Kovalev taking a step back and shooting a cross to knock down Hopkins isn't fighting off of the back foot; he had control of center ring and had B-Hop cornered at the time of the KD. Kovalev would still be proficient boxing off of his back foot, but he wouldn't be the elite fighter he is, if he ceded center ring to his opponents. The problem is that ring generalship is part of his boxing ability and he's going to have to be coerced into fighting on the back foot. Ouma was able to push GGG backward and stand his ground, but he wasn't good enough defensively to be able to withstand GGG's offense and win.

Don't forget, GGG cannot go 12 either.

Stevenson is going to do better than alot of people realize. This fight was always 50/50 but Stevensons reluctance to fight clouded the minds of many people into thinking Kovalev easily dispatches him and thats not the case at all. With all that said Kovalev is still the best Light heavyweight in the world.