Comments Thread For: Photos: Hopkins, Kovalev Go Face To Face at Presser!

[Clint650]

4 rounds at best before Hopkins waves the white flag.

[bojangles1987]

I wonder if Larry is still under the impression that Kovalev hasn't fought anyone.

[LA_2_Vegas]

cant remember the last time I saw hops in an exciting fight tho. I think hes going to smother kovalev all night and make it a boring ugly fight but I hope Im wrong

Not exactly a compelling opponent, but the recent Murat fight was pretty entertaining did you see that. It got a little ugly but the action was more fluid for a Hopkins fight, big bombs were being exchanged. I hope that is the attitude he shows up with and we see a fight like that

[beez721]

I wonder if Larry is still under the impression that Kovalev hasn't fought anyone.

I wonder if him and the other hop fans will give kovalev any credit if he wins

[Dr Rumack]

Still can't believe this fight is actually happening. I hope it lives up to the hype.

[MDPopescu]

Still can't believe this fight is actually happening. I hope it lives up to the hype.

I'd rather see a nice goodbye exhibition match like this one:

[MASTER1454]

Nard is a unique individual and has been impressive over a long period of time. He's a hard worker and dedicated to his craft. He does not get sidetracked with problems out of the ring. That is his greatest attribute. I also think he has done a tremendous job in managing his own career. He's been an amazing match maker for himself.

That said, I do see him as a bit of a conman. Many shady defenses at 160 (against weak & small opponents), feigning pain at low blows and rabbit punches a la Calzaghe and Jones 2. The Robert Allen 1 fiasco where he seemed in jeopardy of a loss and feigned the ankle injury. And the Dawson 1 shoulder caper. So I see Nard as competent, smart with some elements of being a "ConMan" all thrown in together.

His match making skills have proved mostly excellent but I think he made a mistake with Kovalev. I think Nard has a bias against white punchers and white fighters in general. He thinks they are soft, ****** and inferior. He doesn't see Kovalev as anything special. But I strongly believe BHOP has made a terrible miscalculation on this one. Kovalev IS special and he is the ultimate destroyer and will be the 1st to stop Hopkins.

I know Hopkins won't take Kovalev lightly. But I don't think he really respects him although I do know NARD is super smart and will get as well prepared as possible. He is not a fool. Nard's reign in a nutshell - a shot John David jackson, journeyman Bo James, small and faded Simon Brown and Andrew Council. He ducked Brian Barboza after he beat Robert Allen. Morrad Hakkar, Steve Frank et al. He even forced poor Syd Vanderpool to weigh in on the DAY of the fight so he wouldn't blow up too much. That was a ConMan move. The day before weigh in was already well established.

I have to give respect to him for his challenge of Kovalev. But I think he really put himself in a spot this time. Hopkins' CON will finally come tumbling down on Nov 8 - brutally.

Uhh, he actually BROKE his ankle in the 1st Robert Allen, courtesy of Mills Lane pushing him out the ring......and that was not a good example to bring up because he beat the brakes off Allen in the 2nd fight....

[budfr]

Waaar kovalev please win. Hopkins needs to retire.

[berzerk]

WAR Sergey Kovalev

[theface07]

Check out the ********* t-shirt Kovalev is wearing! That **** is hilarious!
I'm amazed that people are bashing this match up already. This isn't the golden age of boxing people, when the top ranked fought the top ranked regularly. I think we're lucky a fight like this is even happening given the nature of cherry picking that occurs with the top fighters in many divisions. The business of ducking and cherry picking (or Al Haymon) has taken command of a lot of "champions" who when they get a title hang onto it with the jaws of life by arranging match ups with boxers they are generally guaranteed to beat. Hopkins should be given a lot of credit for taking on Kovalev, especially given his age. That single decision exposes a lot of other fighters and supposed undisputed champions who are much younger than himself, who would rather play it safe. Stuporman Superpimp has egg all over his face right now. I was fan of his up until he sheepishly jumped ship from HBO to Showtime and showed no genuine interest of fighting Kovalev, Hopkins and now it seems even Pascal. With the announcement that Hopkins would face Kovalev instead of Stuporman, Adonis has cashed in his bad karma.
As far as the fight is concerned, unless this is the fight where Hopkins' age starts to really play a factor, I don't see any way Kovalev is winning a decision. That's Bernard's territory. Taking the fight the distance is undoubtedly BHops plan as he would have the advantage of being more of a pure boxer while Kovalev is obviously the puncher/fighter. I would think the real factors in determining a winner in this bout will be whether Kovalev can land his big body shots on Hopkins in the earlier rounds and if BHop can avoid taking Kovalev's power shots long enough to take him into deeper waters where he is much less experienced and if the fight goes the distance, how much Kovalev will tire and leave himself open for counters and should I say Pop-shots. Kovalev by KO or Hopkins by decision. I don't think there's really any other way it can go. If Hopkins KOs Kovalev I think it would come as a surprise to the bulk of the viewing public as well as those involved in the fight.