Comments Thread For: Duva Explains Barrera's Decision to Choose Bivol Over Kovalev

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

Kathy Duva believed Sullivan Barrera would take the Sergey Kovalev fight this time. The Cuban contender turned down a November 25 fight against Kovalev because it wasn't a title fight at the time it was offered and Barrera thought it was worth more money. After Barrera and Kovalev won their respective fights that night in The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Duva whose company, Main Events, promotes Kovalev and Barrera offered the Kovalev fight to Barrera a second time, again in The Theater.
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[A.K]

Should of took the kovalev money Bivol gonna make him look silly

[CubanGuyNYC]

Should of took the kovalev money Bivol gonna make him look silly

Maybe. But if Sullivan wins, he may very well get paid more for a showdown with Kovalev.

[TheCell8]

I get the thought process behind it, but it is still a bad decision.

Bivol is more dangerous than Kovale and lesser known

[jackblack008]

LHW is heating up. Bivol is better than Kovalev. Ask Badou Jack. Barrera would end up getting dropped several times

[My Low Place]

bivol is unproven, but so is barrera when it comes to the style of bivol and when it comes to how much he gets dropped by fighter who dont have a complete game..

if bivol hits him early i have no reason to think that bivol cant finish and stay strong..

[filup79]

So let me guess, Barrera didn't take the Kovalev fight because Duval was offering between 300-400k, the same as before, but wanted options on Barrera and and immediate rematch for Kovalev with Kovalev still making more money than Barrera. Barrera needs to break off from Duva, it's been proven that she can't get fighters paid. I wouldn't doubt it if Kovalev was getting aroung 750-800k to Barrera's 300-400k for the fight.

[wlad1111]

So Barrera is looking at Bivol as a stepping stone and possible bargaining chip for future Kovalev fight. I think that stepping stone is way to dangerous but I admire his confidence. Should be a great fight.

[Tatabanya]

Wrong move. Probably.

On the other hand, Barrera knows that Kovalev would destroy him, so why not trying alternative routes?

[Scipio2009]

I get the thought process behind it, but it is still a bad decision.

Bivol is more dangerous than Kovale and lesser known

Short money is still short money; no guts, no glory (honestly made easier with the fact that Duva didn't even bother with changing the money after Barrera won in style). Barrera already went twelve with Andre Ward, and I doubt that Bivol has shown anything to make you think that he's Andre Ward.

No idea what the contract looks like, but Barrera gets the tough win, and Duva again plays with the money, he can walk (with this being a voluntary defense by Bivol, I'm fairly certain that K2 is getting options).