I was going to post this in the fight thread but the post got too big for that. I think Kovalev's rise to prominence and fall from grace is a pretty interesting story and I think he's one of boxing's more interesting personalities, so I wanted to collect my thoughts on the way his career has gone in recent times.
Kovalev ruled the division by fear for a long time, he was the guy with the reputation of being a huge puncher as well as a bit of a psycho who enjoys hurting people and knocking them out, and showed no remorse after one of his early opponents died. If I had to pick a moment that I feel sums up Kovalev's old image as a LHW monster, I'd either think of him gloating and taunting Ismail Sillakh as he lay unconscious by the edge of the ring, or him stating that he carried Jean Pascal through rounds just so he could keep hurting him and beating him up.
However, and I know how corny and cliched this sounds by now, but Ward really did take something from him. Not so much his "soul" like I and many others have previously said, but his reputation for sure. After Ward beat him, despite how narrow and / or controversial those wins were, the image of the unbeatable juggernaut psycho Russian was more or less dispelled. He didn't help himself either, after the first loss he came across as a whiner and a sore loser, had a bit of a meltdown and lost the rapport he had with his trainer (very foolish, I always thought JDJ told him the right things in his corner.) As a result the allure of the dangerous psychopath banger just kind of unravelled into an image of someone who was just a guy with a lot of pretty serious defects in his personality (self-centred, bad temper, bully, racist etc.)
As soon as that allure was dispelled it was like the cloak dropped from around the weaknesses in his game too - having just seen his KO at the hands of Alvarez it just illustrates perfectly how dismal his defense is for a fighter at this level. The signs were there before, eg. the KD he took from Blake Caparello, but this fight really laid those flaws bare. I don't think he has a weak chin, in fact if his first fight against Pascal is anything to go by it's actually pretty strong. However, unless you have a Provodnikov level chin you just can't eat the kind of big bomb he took from Alvarez that led to the first KD and get away with it, and he just took it from a mile away with his left hand practically down by his waist. The other two KDs aren't much better - he has his hands up for the last one, but he was already too badly hurt and it's a weak guard that Alvarez just goes around to get the KO.
He's still a dangerous puncher, as he was punishing Alvarez just a couple of rounds earlier, and he even has a few special trademark tricks that amplify the danger his power poses, but with the flaws in his defense exposed he's significantly less dangerous than he was once perceived to be - and at this stage of his career he's not likely to rectify those flaws, especially as if JDJ is to be believed he doesn't like being told what to do by his trainers and is overall a difficult man to deal with. He used to be able to get away with it because his reputation inspired fear and his opponents largely ran away from him, allowing him to lead off without having to worry too much about what was coming back, but now that guys know they can step up and blast back and probably do some damage because of his poor defenses, that's not likely to be the case going forward.
I think Kovalev could be in danger of becoming the light-heavy version of late-stage Lucas Matthysse, ie. someone who's a hard puncher, but with an otherwise limited skillset and mental frailties. Kovalev has already accomplished significantly more than Matthysse, having been the division kingpin for a few years, but he just took a brutal defeat from a guy who, up until now, has really only existed on the fringes of the top level, and it seems like the only way for him is down now. I previously thought he would have whipped Adonis Stevenson, but now I'm not so sure because I think Stevenson's style would have been tailor-made to exploit his weaknesses.
Anyone else have any thoughts or opinions on Sergey Kovalev?
there was an interveiw before ward/kovalev 2....with ward in the gym...i cant remember specifics of what ward said exactly...but i remember watching it...and saying "wow ward seems like he knows he has this guy now"...i think it had alot to do with kovalev talking after the first fight and whining....and it seemed like ward knew he was a bit broken/soft after that fight
Kovalev is like 35 years old, not all fighters can compete with the best in the world at that age, he accomplished a lot and was a phenomenal fighter, beat all the contenders and straight up outboxed and outskilled the best P4P fighter in the world in Andre Ward in the first fight.
However I don't think Kovalev is the type of fighter that knows how to save energy and use certain tactics to take breathers and to frustrate and stall younger opponents, actually none of the eastern european fighters with the extensive amateur background can, they fight too honest, no tricks of the pro trade. Look at all the greats who fought well into their late 30s and into their 40s, they all knew certain tricks to take breathers and to be effective despite being physically at a disadvantage.
Hopefully Kivalev made enough money and smart investments to be able to just walk away now and start a new chapter away from performing in the ring.
Yep, Alvarez hit him low a few times and he looked at the ref...and in my mind i'm thinking *hIT HIM LOW BACK YA BIG DUMMY AND HE'LL STOP*
Exactly!!! Hit him back low period!
Kovalev was the most feared light heavyweight in decades but it is not Ward that took his soul, it was his own arrogance. On the biggest night of his life, he outboxed and out punched the supposed p4p no. 1, almost every press rower that scored that fight had Kovalev winning. HBO's treatment of that event was a disgrace. By the time the rematch rolled around, Kovalev was widely reported as not being in his best shape, fighting his trainer, drinking too much etc etc.
Since then, it does not seem like he has given up his bad habits or straightened out his training. Think about it, last night he out boxed and physically dominated one of the premier technicians in the division...yet by the 6th round he was already blowing. His lack of fitness took him, coupled with a great right hand.
Kovalev destroyed Kovalev.
Kovalev quitting against Ward was the start of his downfall, that was when I realised he was a coward. This beating shows that he's only a front runner and a bully. I hope he can go find a Russian coach now and **** off back into obscurity.
His aura of invincibility was exposed by ward in that rematch. I remember saying he would never be the same since that fight. I have never seen anything like it since Tyson was manhandled and stopped by Douglas. Kov was destroyed to the body, getting tagged by right hands and he was looking at the referee to save him. I thought any rival would be looking at that and think hmmm..
Yep, Alvarez hit him low a few times and he looked at the ref...and in my mind i'm thinking *hIT HIM LOW BACK YA BIG DUMMY AND HE'LL STOP*
His aura of invincibility was exposed by ward in that rematch. I remember saying he would never be the same since that fight. I have never seen anything like it since Tyson was manhandled and stopped by Douglas. Kov was destroyed to the body, getting tagged by right hands and he was looking at the referee to save him. I thought any rival would be looking at that and think hmmm..
Nothing happened to Kovalev.. Except he got KTFO.
thats all that happened.
He practically had the fight in the bag and was boxing beautiful up until that right hand from hell exploded on his temple and gave him noodle legs.
Ward took his aura. i agree with that. but that doesn't mean Kov was no longer dangerous. he was still seen as LHW kingpin in Ward's absence.
Tyson got his aura taken by Douglass but that didn't mean he was a cakewalk for future opponents.
what Ward did "expose" though is Kovalev's poor survival instincts. he doesnt even attempt to clinch when he's hurt. he doesnt think to take a knee and kill time. he just continues to get battered.
what this fight ultimately exposed to me is Adonis Stevenson is hands down the most coward b-tch made boxer of my lifetime. it's not even close. leaving Alvarez constantly waiting and ducking to keep his belt is some punk sh-t. and for Kovalev to give the man a shot when he didn't have to is worthy of respect.
All fighters fall from Grace. Some do faster than others. Kovalev was one of the lucky ones who reached the top.
Father time never loses. His love for alcohol probably sped up his decline. I noticed tonight even when he was winning, his refexes and timing we're not what they used to be. He is no longer crisp and quick.
Becoming a father has probably effected him too. He’s a family man now, it’s softens you up a little. He’s not the hungry, overlooked contender with something to prove any more, as he was several years ago.
Having the Hager to make it to the top and having the hunger to stay there are two different things.
All you're suggesting there is that because kovalev carried on boxing and didn't quit due to simakovs death , that means he showed no remorse and doesn't care?
You're stating that because of that tragedy ... Kovalev can't be angry or Insulted and as a result of arguments and rivalries with other boxers later in his career can't take the piss out of them or enjoy his wins and gloat even if it is somewhat lacking in common decency?
Kovalev mocking a KO'd opponent doesn't mean he shows no remorse for simakovs death at all. To blindly ignore his interviews to the contrary and his purse donation to his family isn't fair on the man imho.
Honestly I'm just calling it the way I see it. Other fighters who've been through similar situations tend to respond differently to that kind of tragedy happening. A recent example is Mike Perez who came into his fight with Magomed Abdusalamov running hot, but after Magomed became crippled as a result of that fight Perez became extremely dejected despite having won and hasn't looked the same since. The most famous example is Emile Griffith who cut way back on his aggression in his subsequent fights following the death of Benny Kid Paret as a result of their third fight. I think Kovalev's gusto for scoring brutal knockouts and inflicting pain honestly goes above and beyond what's appropriate even in normal circumstances for a boxing match, let alone for someone with that same kind of tragedy previously in their career - it definitely doesn't paint a picture of someone suffering from guilt and remorse from it.
That said, when I said that I wasn't really trying to be unfair to him or paint him as a bad person because of it (I don't think he is a good person, but not only for this reason) but rather to point out how it built the aura of fear that he had that made him such an attraction and an intimidating prospect for opponents. The kind of person who could cause someone's death and continue to relish causing other people harm with his fists to such a degree is the kind of person most people are going to be afraid of, and that fear was a potent weapon for him before it was by and large nullified following his losses to Ward - that was the point I was trying to make.
In the short term I'm sure it did effect him, but since he became prominent on the world stage he's also made comments to the effect that it just happens and it wasn't going to let it stall his career looking back on it. I don't think you can argue that it left any major, long-lasting psychological impact on him, because it clearly didn't diminish his gusto for badly hurting people, mocking his unconscious victims, openly disrespecting opponents after he just KOed them, etc.
All you're suggesting there is that because kovalev carried on boxing and didn't quit due to simakovs death , that means he showed no remorse and doesn't care?
You're stating that because of that tragedy ... Kovalev can't be angry or Insulted and as a result of arguments and rivalries with other boxers later in his career can't take the piss out of them or enjoy his wins and gloat even if it is somewhat lacking in common decency?
Kovalev mocking a KO'd opponent doesn't mean he shows no remorse for simakovs death at all. To blindly ignore his interviews to the contrary and his purse donation to his family isn't fair on the man imho.
I was going to post this in the fight thread but the post got too big for that. I think Kovalev's rise to prominence and fall from grace is a pretty interesting story and I think he's one of boxing's more interesting personalities, so I wanted to collect my thoughts on the way his career has gone in recent times.
Kovalev ruled the division by fear for a long time, he was the guy with the reputation of being a huge puncher as well as a bit of a psycho who enjoys hurting people and knocking them out, and showed no remorse after one of his early opponents died. If I had to pick a moment that I feel sums up Kovalev's old image as a LHW monster, I'd either think of him gloating and taunting Ismail Sillakh as he lay unconscious by the edge of the ring, or him stating that he carried Jean Pascal through rounds just so he could keep hurting him and beating him up.
However, and I know how corny and cliched this sounds by now, but Ward really did take something from him. Not so much his "soul" like I and many others have previously said, but his reputation for sure. After Ward beat him, despite how narrow and / or controversial those wins were, the image of the unbeatable juggernaut psycho Russian was more or less dispelled. He didn't help himself either, after the first loss he came across as a whiner and a sore loser, had a bit of a meltdown and lost the rapport he had with his trainer (very foolish, I always thought JDJ told him the right things in his corner.) As a result the allure of the dangerous psychopath banger just kind of unravelled into an image of someone who was just a guy with a lot of pretty serious defects in his personality (self-centred, bad temper, bully, racist etc.)
As soon as that allure was dispelled it was like the cloak dropped from around the weaknesses in his game too - having just seen his KO at the hands of Alvarez it just illustrates perfectly how dismal his defense is for a fighter at this level. The signs were there before, eg. the KD he took from Blake Caparello, but this fight really laid those flaws bare. I don't think he has a weak chin, in fact if his first fight against Pascal is anything to go by it's actually pretty strong. However, unless you have a Provodnikov level chin you just can't eat the kind of big bomb he took from Alvarez that led to the first KD and get away with it, and he just took it from a mile away with his left hand practically down by his waist. The other two KDs aren't much better - he has his hands up for the last one, but he was already too badly hurt and it's a weak guard that Alvarez just goes around to get the KO.
He's still a dangerous puncher, as he was punishing Alvarez just a couple of rounds earlier, and he even has a few special trademark tricks that amplify the danger his power poses, but with the flaws in his defense exposed he's significantly less dangerous than he was once perceived to be - and at this stage of his career he's not likely to rectify those flaws, especially as if JDJ is to be believed he doesn't like being told what to do by his trainers and is overall a difficult man to deal with. He used to be able to get away with it because his reputation inspired fear and his opponents largely ran away from him, allowing him to lead off without having to worry too much about what was coming back, but now that guys know they can step up and blast back and probably do some damage because of his poor defenses, that's not likely to be the case going forward.
I think Kovalev could be in danger of becoming the light-heavy version of late-stage Lucas Matthysse, ie. someone who's a hard puncher, but with an otherwise limited skillset and mental frailties. Kovalev has already accomplished significantly more than Matthysse, having been the division kingpin for a few years, but he just took a brutal defeat from a guy who, up until now, has really only existed on the fringes of the top level, and it seems like the only way for him is down now. I previously thought he would have whipped Adonis Stevenson, but now I'm not so sure because I think Stevenson's style would have been tailor-made to exploit his weaknesses.
Anyone else have any thoughts or opinions on Sergey Kovalev?
One word that is the reason for Kovalev being shot now...
WARD
The **** you talking about showed no remorse when his opponent died? He literally did an interview stating it proper ****ed him up and he gave money to the family of the guy..
In the short term I'm sure it did effect him, but since he became prominent on the world stage he's also made comments to the effect that it just happens and it wasn't going to let it stall his career looking back on it. I don't think you can argue that it left any major, long-lasting psychological impact on him, because it clearly didn't diminish his gusto for badly hurting people, mocking his unconscious victims, openly disrespecting opponents after he just KOed them, etc.
The **** you talking about showed no remorse when his opponent died? He literally did an interview stating it proper ****ed him up and he gave money to the family of the guy..
7y ago
Thoughts on the rise and fall of Sergey Kovalev | BoxingScene Community
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