Comments Thread For: Sergey Kovalev: 'Maybe' Virgil Hunter Will Train Me, 'Maybe Not'

[JK1700]

This guy is the definition of a "mental midget". Bipolar and always got an excuse.

If Ward is so dirty/bad why do you want his trainer to train you?

Doesn't make any sense.

[Bronx2245]

Just entertaining the thought shows that Kov knows he got whooped in his last fight! This should've been an easy "Hell Naw!"

[Shadoww702]

I'd like to see Kovalev pick a trainer who can train him how to fight like the Klitschkos. If refs are going to allow cheating (holding) in every top level fight, then Kovalev, especially, can reap huge benefits from that. He is as dominant an outside+mid range fighter as anyone in boxing right now, so teach him to shut down the inside work with holding, and he can take care of the rest with his length, skills, and powers.

Who is best to do this? Emanuel Steward, RIP, would have been the perfect trainer for Kovalev, in many different ways. Who else? Maybe, would the Klitschkos themselves be willing to train Kovalev? Either one?
Or, perhaps Floyd Mayweather Sr? Is he still really sharp enough to train guys though, or does Floyd Jr basically run his own camp now?

As for Virgil Hunter, I mean, if there's one thing he does consistently teach guys to do, it's hold inside, but somehow I still don't think he's the best fit. I think he doesn't really know the fundamentals of the sweet science that well, and he could **** up Kovalev trying to teach him some of his own theories that could clash with the fundamentals Kovalev was taught coming up in the amateurs.

I'm trying to think who else would be a good trainer... Lomachenko's father would probably be a good trainer for just about anyone, provided he put the same effort into them as he does with his son, but that's doubtful. Who else? Freddy Roach could help renew Kovalev's confidence in his offense again after anomalies that were the Ward fights, but I don't think Roach is the best at teaching skills or tactics at all. Kovalev still has the offensive tools to dominate anyway, so what he needs most is someone to teach him better tactics, and help him get in better shape. Maybe Roach could do the last one, with the help of Justin Fortune...... but not the tactics one.

Who else? I don't really know. The other thing with Virgil Hunter is I suspect he would try to teach Kovalev to fight inside, which, if he could actually teach Kovalev to land the left hook to the body regularly, and actually throw a good left hook in general, then Kovalev could really be amazing, but more likely it will just confuse Kovalev and put him in positions in the fight where he doesn't need to be. He can beat anyone in the division from outside and midrange, he's better off not engaging inside. Someone to teach him a better left hook, up top and to the body, would be great, but no one should be trying to turn him into an inside fighter, and I worry Virgil would do that.

But, he definitely does not to learn a better left hook, and how to target the body more. Who are good trainers for that?

Ultimately though, I think he needs a trainer who can teach him to fight like the Klitschkos, just with a little more body work, and the key to that is someone who can teach him to throw a proper left hook. Who would you guys recommend?

Emmanuel would of been perfect for Kov. As well. Work that jab, when get in grab them, drop all your weight in them until broken up, rinse and repeat.. Be like boxing with a 180lb flak jacket. By round 6-7 Your done.

He was good with tall fighters. Best with guys who were tall and even had bad chins.

Another one would be Jacob's IMO.

[Pigeons]

This would be a great trainer for Kovalev. I can see him rebounding quickly if he goes with Hunter?

[Boxing Logic]

Emmanuel would of been perfect for Kov. As well. Work that jab, when get in grab them, drop all your weight in them until broken up, rinse and repeat.. Be like boxing with a 180lb flak jacket. By round 6-7 Your done.

He was good with tall fighters. Best with guys who were tall and even had bad chins.

Another one would be Jacob's IMO.

Exactly. That's exactly how Kovalev should fight. He's not as big for his division, or nearly as long, as the Klitschkos were for theirs, obviously, but he fights long, and seems to have a reach advantage on a fair number of top guys at that weight. The bigger point is as you said, just don't engage inside. Make them carry your weight until the ref breaks you, then go back to dominating from your range.

Jacob's trainer? I saw Jacobs make a lot of mistakes vs GGG. In fact, a big mistake he made was not knowing how to hold. He left GGG's arms free to catch him with uppercuts inside in the clinch. Maybe that's just Jacobs, but Rozier did not separate himself from the pack for me. Jacobs gameplan was mostly good, just with too much shoe shining, and they taught him good movement to avoid GGG's power punches (but GGG is also slowing down), but overall there were certain things missing... but, could just be Jacobs. They definitely know how to rehydrate a fighter well, and Kovalev could benefit from that. I think he's only fighting at like 184 in the ring these days and that puts him at a big size disadvantage against certain light heavyweights who know how to rehydrate above 190 for the fight, which is also what it appeared to me Ward had done for the rematch, training at the same sports science facility in Oakland that Jacobs did for the GGG fight.

[TonyGe]

Kovalev can change trainers all he wants. He could get someone who's a combination of Eddie Futch, Ray Arcel and Manny Steward but it won't do him any good untill he changes his attitude.

[Shadoww702]

Kovalev can change trainers all he wants. He could get someone who's a combination of Eddie Futch, Ray Arcel and Manny Steward but it won't do him any good untill he changes his attitude.

That is tru... You can't beat ANYONE if your too busy fighting yourself.

[steady_p]

Yeah, I think it would be great to see him go to Hunter. I wanna see the Krusher going to WAR again!

Yeah, me too! He's elite, if trained properly, can soundly beat the s##t out of the rest of the division, including Stevenson and Beterbiev!!!

[Citizen Koba]

This guy is the definition of a "mental midget". Bipolar and always got an excuse.

If Ward is so dirty/bad why do you want his trainer to train you?

Doesn't make any sense.

You left yourself wide open there man.

[Roberto Vasquez]

Hunter is over-rated. His training style suits Ward's fighting style. Hunter won't have the same success with a different style of fighter. He'll be trying to make him into something he's not. Khan was a good fighter with a poor chin before he went to Hunter. Now he's a boring fighter with a poor chin who hardly ever fights...