Comments Thread For: Kovalev Says He Was Sick During Training Camp for Chilemba

[Boxing Logic]

Help me understand exactly what you are disagreeing with me on. Please be concise as your post rambles a bit.
I'm saying it would be a shame if the fans abandoned Kovalev like they have so many others. There's no shame in losing to Ward.

I'm disagreeing with you that fans latch onto guys like Matthysse but then abandon them when they lose in a way that is distinct or different from fans of any other fighter. Fans latch onto great fighters, period. White fans latch onto great fighters of any race as long as they're entertaining. Black fans latch onto great fighters as long as they're black, regardless of if they're entertaining, so long as they win and they're black when they do it. But fans latch onto great fighters regardless, and fans become less interested if the fighters prove they're not great anymore, or up to the latest standard of greatness, or prove they were overrated. That's consistent across the board.

[Boxing Logic]

Floyd/Pac comparison though has nothing to do with this situation. And yes some but not all offensive fighters do decline earlier than safety first boxers. But most of those are offensive fighters who have taken too many big punches. That isn't the case with Kovalev, plus IMO he certainly hasn't flatlined. If anything, with the exception of the Chilemba fight, he's progressed every time. I'll go with Kovalev being better vs Ward, for an UD win. That's my opinion.

I agree taking less damage is a big reason defensive fighters last longer, but it's not just that. Offensive fighters require combinations and great power that take great energy and reflexes, both of which are better when you're young. Defensive fighters rely on intelligence, which gets better with age, defense, which can get better, and single accurate shots. They don't need the same level of stamina or extroardinary effort or strength to impose their style on their opponent. The one thing that can decline in a defensive fighter that they really rely on his speed, but offensive fighters rely on speed too, so that one category evens out. Every other category that is important to the respective styles puts aging offensive fighters at a disadvantage compared to aging defensive fighters, independently of how much damage they take.

[RussB23]

Sounds like excuses for a bad performance. Ward will expose his weaknesses

[PunchyPotorff]

I agree taking less damage is a big reason defensive fighters last longer, but it's not just that. Offensive fighters require combinations and great power that take great energy and reflexes, both of which are better when you're young. Defensive fighters rely on intelligence, which gets better with age, defense, which can get better, and single accurate shots. They don't need the same level of stamina or extroardinary effort or strength to impose their style on their opponent. The one thing that can decline in a defensive fighter that they really rely on his speed, but offensive fighters rely on speed too, so that one category evens out. Every other category that is important to the respective styles puts aging offensive fighters at a disadvantage compared to aging defensive fighters, independently of how much damage they take.

Friend, we've officially talked this one to death, don't you think?

[MDPopescu]

I guess this is Kovalev's Flu Game.

... guy making excuses on why he didn't KO Chilemba actually...

Scorecards: 117-110, 116-111, 118-109 (Lederman: 118-108)...
Punch stats: 169-127...