Not criticizing him, but he took a dive. He was pulling punches and retreating to a small Canelo. Then Canelo vacates the LHW titles because he can't actually hang in that division. Props to Kovalev for the payday though. After all, its business.
The ko punch was legit.
Kovalev's weak performance from the opening bell, where he couldn't throw a single sharp jab, was the sad part.
Kovalev is soft to the body and everyone said if Canelo knocks him out it will be to the body. Kovalev and his team knew this as well so he fought scared worried of being stopped to the body. They wanted to make it a technical boxing match and try to survive 12 rounds by jabbing and moving from canelo. If he sits down and throws stiff jabs he get's countered. If he throws his big right hand Canelo counters with a left hook to the body. The few times Kovalev let the right go Canelo was timing it and countering that's why he kept that right glued to his ribs.
If he fought canelo how you guys wanted with stiff jabs coming forward and firing rights to try and KO Canelo he risked getting himself KO'd inside the first 6 rounds. Ironically he fought not to get stopped to the body but that contributed to him getting knocked out late upstairs to the head anyway because Canelo is that good. But there was no dive. Fans starting are embarrass themselves get too emotional rooting for one guy or rooting against another to lose so bad and when it doesn't happen can't accept losses. Now every big fight the fans of the loser scream that wasn't a ko he was acting, robbery, the costume was to heavy, the gloves were floppy, phantom injured shoulder. We are creating an era of butt sore cry baby fans that can't just say other guy was better after a loss.
Fact is guys look like aggressive killers until they fight Canelo and his defense and counterpunching skill force them to become scared jabbers like Kovalev, GGG, and Jacobs. All 3 saw a huge spike in jabs setting career highs in jabs thrown and more importantly jabs missed when fighting Canelo and all 3 were backed up by the smaller Canelo.
They will just ignore your post. They've ran out of logical arguments and have gone off the deep end claiming the fight was fixed.
Some people just can't admit their guy lost. Their guy was knocked the fck out by the #1 p4p fighter, who is in his prime, who has been improving after every fight. It's time to move on.
Canelo has ruined the lives of two fanbases, GGG's and now Kovalev's.
Canelo made Kovalev a known killer who throws big shots and looks for the KO fight cautious backing up throwing pitty pat jabs scared to commit to bigger shots. So if Kovalev took a dive then I guess GGG took a dive and so did Jacobs. lol
GGG, Jacobs and Kovalev all huge punchers for their weight and everyone of them didn't look like the same fighters we saw against other opponents. GGG literally ran from a Mexican Style fight that he begged for and in 2 fights was scared to death to throw any body shots and went crazy throwing range finding jabs. GGG didn't look Mexican Style or fight aggressive like he did his whole career against guys like Rolls, Vanes, Monroe lol Jacobs paid Canelo millions to rehydrate to cruiserweight only to fight scared throw a million in jabs that were jabs missing. He didn't look like the aggressive killer against Quillen or 30 of 35 wins he had by Knockout before fighting Canelo.
Fact is guys look like aggressive killers until they fight Canelo and his defense and counterpunching skill force them to become scared jabbers like Kovalev, GGG, and Jacobs. All 3 saw a huge spike in jabs setting career highs in jabs thrown and more importantly jabs missed when fighting Canelo and all 3 were backed up by the smaller Canelo.
Yup, sad it's no longer the same Kovalev that fought Hopkins and Pascal.
I tend to think that the first Ward fight gave Kovalev an idea of false security, in that he entered the rematch convinced of knocking Ward out without too many problems.
When the opposite happened, Kovalev's fragile psyche was definitively destroyed. The rest is history.
He fought our generations most gifted defensive fighter in ward and just walked him down but against a 154, 5’7 canelo he’s cautious? Kovalev fought bigger strongers guys with heavier punches than canelo who couldn’t ko anyone significant at lighter weights but now that he’s at 168 and 175 he’s ko’ing guys? It’s fixed.
I doubt Canelo is as physically strong as Anthony Yarde 'It was a very strange fight'.
It could all just be perception, so I will make no claims.
The ko punch was legit.
Kovalev's weak performance from the opening bell, where he couldn't throw a single sharp jab, was the sad part.
To be honest, sharp jabs or not I believe that Kovalev was winning the fight.
Of course, had he not been knocked out, the judges would have given the win to Canelo...
Anyhow, as I posted above, I think Krusher has been sliding down since he lost to Ward in the first fight.
The fight looked phony as hell. He was the Crusher who was famous for his power and heavy jab. He was coming off KOing a guy with a single jab. But against Canelo his jab was just a tap and he never threw any hard punches with bad intentions. If he did throw anything hard at Canelo I missed it. Crusher Kovalev became tapper Kovalev. The KO was real. Canelo really blasted him with two bombs. But Kovalev never looked like he was trying to win or hurt Canelo.
He fought our generations most gifted defensive fighter in ward and just walked him down but against a 154, 5’7 canelo he’s cautious? Kovalev fought bigger strongers guys with heavier punches than canelo who couldn’t ko anyone significant at lighter weights but now that he’s at 168 and 175 he’s ko’ing guys? It’s fixed.After further review, I was wrong and you guys were right. I tend to agree with you all. That fight was rigged. He just didn't give a fuck anymore and just laid down and tapped out for the money against Canelo. Sure his skills have diminished and now he is shopworn but not to that certain degree or extent.
I was a massive fan of Krusher until this fight. Money talks unfortunately
I, too, was fond of watching Kovalev fight at his best.
But let's be honest: he started spiralling down after the first Ward fight (which, in spite of my Krusher predilection, I scored against him).
Alcohol, beating women, switching trainers, losing interest... we have seen all of this before. The conclusion is always the same: potential greatness thrown into the trash can.
Yeah he was fighting not to hurt Canelo. It was a BS fight and a BS victory for Canelo.
It’s all about the $$$.
I was a massive fan of Krusher until this fight. Money talks unfortunately
He is finished. He should just go ahead and retire. He doesn't have it anymore. According to his fans, Andre Ward's low blows must have really broken and ruined him. :lol1:
He fought our generations most gifted defensive fighter in ward and just walked him down but against a 154, 5’7 canelo he’s cautious? Kovalev fought bigger strongers guys with heavier punches than canelo who couldn’t ko anyone significant at lighter weights but now that he’s at 168 and 175 he’s ko’ing guys? It’s fixed.
He is finished. He should just go ahead and retire. He doesn't have it anymore. According to his fans, Andre Ward's low blows must have really broken and ruined him. :lol1: