Comments Thread For: Kovalev's Trainer: I Warned Hopkins Years Ago To Avoid

[PunchyPotorff]

Yeah this won't be the pushover opponent some fans think it will be. BHop won't be given Divine Intervention to slay this foe with ease. And any of you who think this is going to be an easy UD for him are just not doing your research on his opponent. Like I've said elsewhere, and a few others have mentioned, Kov isn't just a one-dimensional puncher.

Can't wait for this one.

[jaded]

I gotta say this...in a sport where champions protect their titles by avoiding threatening opponents...I can't believe someone weeks away from 50 years old is not only still fighting but stepping up to fight the most dangerous fighter in the division. Whatever the outcome...Hopkins is a true champion and has more cahoonas than anyone else in boxing and professional sports period.

[////]

going to be a lot of pissed off people making excuses Saturday night...smh

There will be regardless of the result. If Kovalev wins Hopkins will just go back to "old man" and all of the people picking him to dominate and saying he's an immortal will act like they knew all along.

[jas]

There will be regardless of the result. If Kovalev wins Hopkins will just go back to "old man" and all of the people picking him to dominate and saying he's an immortal will act like they knew all along.

is 49 years of age old for boxing?

who are you picking to win and why?

[////]

is 49 years of age old for boxing?

who are you picking to win and why?

Yes he's over the hill but people should take that into consideration before the fight not suddenly remember it afterwards when they picked him to win... The people who believe he's going to dominate clearly (as of right now) don't think his age is a problem.

Too close for me to pick. I guess I'm leaning 60% towards Kovalev so mark me down for him.

Whoever wins I will not dismiss Kovalev as a hypejob or Hopkins as an old man. It's a very good victory for either fighter.

[jas]

Yes he's over the hill but people should take that into consideration before the fight not suddenly remember it afterwards when they picked him to win... The people who believe he's going to dominate clearly (as of right now) don't think his age is a problem.

Too close for me to pick. I guess I'm leaning 60% towards Kovalev so mark me down for him.

kova by ko?

[////]

If I have a gun to my head... Kova KO rd 7.

If it goes the distance then Hopkins likely found something that frustrates Kovalev and grinds out a UD.

Either way both have beaten back other would-be champions in this division and don't deserve to have a great win dismissed as old man/soviet bum (which will happen anyway).

[turnedup]

This fight is only happening because Stevenson avoided both, leaving Hopkins with no other option. Hbo sweetened the pot, this will be Dawson 2.0, bigger, stronger guy, who is leaps beyond Murat and the others.

[Citizen Koba]

I gotta say this...in a sport where champions protect their titles by avoiding threatening opponents...I can't believe someone weeks away from 50 years old is not only still fighting but stepping up to fight the most dangerous fighter in the division. Whatever the outcome...Hopkins is a true champion and has more cahoonas than anyone else in boxing and professional sports period.

Everyone is rightly giving props to Hopkins (as do I), but I don't overlook Kovalev in this equation either - sure, he's just doing what he 'should' be doing in chasing BHops' belts (though how many fighters don't do what they 'should'), but Hopkins style also has the potential to not just beat him, but make him look ordinary. In many ways Kovalev has far more to lose than Hopkins in taking this fight as BHops legend is already sealed.

As some have pointed out, Kovalev is unlikely to get much credit even in the event of a win despite Hopkins being a legitimate unified titlist (age notwithstanding) and I'm sure there's a number of fighters who woulda sat on their belt waiting for the old guy to retire - certainly many would have prefered to do that rather than take the risk for a bargain basement payday ($500K).

So in this Brave New Boxing World of 'risk and reward' and 'if the money's right' props to both these guys for making this fight happen - may the best guy win.

[Citizen Koba]

is 49 years of age old for boxing?

who are you picking to win and why?

Of course BHops is old, but he's still a legitimate champion who has fought and beaten 3 of Kovalevs peers (2 of them titlists) in the last 20 months.

If age didn't prevent him from beating Cloud, Murat and Shumenov (the last only 6 months ago) why should age prevent him from beating Kovalev?

I'm not trying to argue that Hopkins' age doesn't factor into his performance, simply that if Kovalev should win he's still fully deserving of the credit that would accrue from beating the guy who beat two of his title level contemporaries (if not as much as he would have deserved for beating a younger Hopkins) in Cloud and Shumenov - poor though they admittedly were.

I know in the case of Maravilla vs Cotto many were hedging due to Sergios age, layoff and injuries (I was one of them, kinda - well, Maravilla wins IF he's fit) but there's been no long layoff, no injuries that we know of, and no reason to suspect that Hopkins has suddenly aged overnight.

Even if he wins we'll never know if Kovalev could ever have beaten a 2006 era LHW Hopkins and no-one should be trying to claim credit for him doing so. Nonetheless the 2014 version has still been proving himself at the top level and that should be recognised whoever wins on Saturday.