Comments Thread For: Kovalev: If Stevenson's A Real Fighter, He'll Fight Me

[sergey.smith]

I dislike when fighters and their cronies try to spin the truth to make themselves look better when behind the scenes Kovalev and his team are trying to get HBO to buy them fightin Fonfara, Grachev and other b/c level fighters. They say to the press they want Stevenson but they are perfectly fine fighting c level fighters and it's HBO's fault for buying that bs. Trying to bring up that old Hopkins stuff is ******, too. Kovalev signed for the Cleverly fight and afterwards kept trying to say Hopkins didn't want the fight. Kovalev wanted the easier fight with Cleverly, period.

[Citizen Koba]

I dislike when fighters and their cronies try to spin the truth to make themselves look better when behind the scenes Kovalev and his team are trying to get HBO to buy them fightin Fonfara, Grachev and other b/c level fighters. They say to the press they want Stevenson but they are perfectly fine fighting c level fighters and it's HBO's fault for buying that bs. Trying to bring up that old Hopkins stuff is ******, too. Kovalev signed for the Cleverly fight and afterwards kept trying to say Hopkins didn't want the fight. Kovalev wanted the easier fight with Cleverly, period.

Don't be silly - they're trying for Fonfara precisely because Stevenson (or rather GYM) has said they don't want the fight. There's no contradiction there. Fonfara is probably the best available contender for either, course it's the fight they both want if Stevenson won't fight Kovalev. What's Sergei supposed to do - sit twiddling his thumbs until Stevenson gets round to fighting him?

And the Hopkins thing has been gone over repeatedly - Espinoza saying he didn't want Hopkins - Kovalev effectively put an end to it. Again what was Kovalev supposed to do - wait around for a Hopkins fight which showed no signs of happening when the Cleverly fight was in fact all but signed?

[richardt]

This is why I respect Broner for taking the Maidana fight.

I don't see it that way. A) If he had fought an easier opponent, he would have been the butt of all jokes in the Boxing world and B) He considered Maidana "easy money" so he didn't think Maidana was a threat at all and called him a stepping stone to greatness.

[richardt]

Don't be silly - they're trying for Fonfara precisely because Stevenson (or rather GYM) has said they don't want the fight. There's no contradiction there. Fonfara is probably the best available contender for either, course it's the fight they both want if Stevenson won't fight Kovalev.

Exactly. It is obvious to anyone in Boxing, Team Kovalev would sign the contract asap to fight Stevenson. One problem....Team Stevenson is by fact ducking Kovalev.

[big_james10]

Stevenson is trying to milk his newfound fame as much as he can before his 15 minutes are up. He will fight the Bute-Pascal winner next because he knows he can beat either on of those guys easily and make more money than he would in any other fight. Neither he nor his team is convinced that he can beat Kovalev, and if he loses, his gravy train disappears.

[ddangerous]

War Kryptonite

[The Surgeon]

I wish boxing was run like the UFC, we've got the better product but they have the better formula

[Hougigo]

Then stay side by side. Don't let him fight in April and then you fight and you fight 2 months later.
Hopefully Kovalev can get decent fights while waiting

[ThatDude44]

I wish boxing was run like the UFC, we've got the better product but they have the better formula

The same issues happen in the UFC except boxers get paid a lot more.

[The Surgeon]

The same issues happen in the UFC except boxers get paid a lot more.

Not nearly as often as in boxing, the best fight the best and have no choice but too plus nobody seems to get written off after a loss. Im a Boxing man through and through its the greatest sport there is but it is so crooked and unfair