Beautiful display of boxing by Kovalev

[Thuglife Nelo]

The first fight Kovalev was winning regardless, he got hit hard by a good straight pump fake right. Alvarez isn’t bad himself, his attributes is that he can take hard shots and he has a great jab himself, that’s what kept Kovalev at bay in both fights.

Second fight, Kovalev fights the same defense again, though changes it from rounds 8 to finish and starts to get cautious since he knows he can gas and that Eleider is going for the kill. Therefore, the only difference is that Kovalev played it safe from rounds 8 onward.

Kovalev and Alvarez are both elite. Kovalev kept smart distance so that Alvarez couldn’t setup his right. Also, Alvarez was suckered to guard which Kovalev took great advantage with work rate. Conpubox practically calculates all the shots that Kova landed when Alvarez blocked those combination shots with his high guard. We don’t talk about those things, but to judges they like that and it serves to workrate.

[MDPopescu]

This guy doesn't even need a trainer. He needs the best conditioning coach he could find. He is naturally gifted.

Great point. Even Buddy said there was not much he needed to do with him. The biggest thing was not over training and eating right going into the training camp.

Kovalev mentioned on Russian media that his issue was in the beginning he would always stay active, but when he only fought 3 times a year, his stamina suffered.

... "You can't teach an old dog new tricks," they say... and, anyway, Kova was tought and learned sound fundamentals since his his amateur years...

But remember that, two years back, Kova admitted he had some sort of a "drink problem"...

[siablo14]

1:15 Kovalev throws some punchs then squares up after the right hand. Yes, you have to step right to square up but he's not in avoidance.



At :25 Kovalev takes two steps to the right but is always in front of Alvarez. This screen is right after the first step, he's right in front of him.



I'm not seeing any attack, retreat, or lateral movement to the right at all in 4 rounds. I'm not doing 12 rounds of this. The squaring up thing is bad form and I bet if we look at every Kovalev fight he does the same thing.

Every attack Kovalev makes is straight forward or to the left. When Alvarez attacks he moves back several steps which is a Boxing 101 no-no.

Any decent trainer will say one step back then move laterally. Like so:



Thats how you avoid power from the right hand because is you throw it you have your left side blocking it. Kovalev isn't doing anything like that and all of his movements are syncronized with Alvarez' movement.

Posts only allow 4 screenshots per post, sorry.

Okay...........

[OCPancho]

Kova did box well.
There were times he hooked and exposed his dome to Alvarez but Alvarez was already gun shy.
Alvarez had ZERO bob and weave so he was not able to slip Kova's straight punches at all.

[OCPancho]

The first fight Kovalev was winning regardless, he got hit hard by a good straight pump fake right. Alvarez isn’t bad himself, his attributes is that he can take hard shots and he has a great jab himself, that’s what kept Kovalev at bay in both fights.

Second fight, Kovalev fights the same defense again, though changes it from rounds 8 to finish and starts to get cautious since he knows he can gas and that Eleider is going for the kill. Therefore, the only difference is that Kovalev played it safe from rounds 8 onward.

Kovalev and Alvarez are both elite. Kovalev kept smart distance so that Alvarez couldn’t setup his right. Also, Alvarez was suckered to guard which Kovalev took great advantage with work rate. Conpubox practically calculates all the shots that Kova landed when Alvarez blocked those combination shots with his high guard. We don’t talk about those things, but to judges they like that and it serves to workrate.

Kova did not reach with his ****** right leads this time.
He was never off-balance for a good period.

[McNulty]

Okay...........

Fùck you.

[Verbalk]

Round 12 was an all out schooling. Alvarez was definitely hurt with that combo from Kovalev. Like many other posters here, i agree with the fact that there's surely some finesse to Kovalev's boxing. He's a big puncher but has many other tools in the locker - that beautiful, head snapping jab, footwork & good cardio (my god was i wrong or what thinking he'd gassed) combined with some real discipline to stick to the game plan.

This version of Kovalev can beat anyone in my opinion. I think Gvozdyk would be the hardest opponent in the division at the moment. He looks so fresh and he's not done too many mile, good fitness, power , can go 12 rounds easily no problem. Bivol & Beterbiev are threats too though.

[siablo14]

Fùck you.

You aint seeing clearly, boy.

[siablo14]

Fùck you.

Man, i don't see why you are being so disrespectful. We were all good when i helped you with the ways of the Pick 'em game, so why the disrespect now?

[elfag]

... tell us just when Kovalev didn't display "beautiful boxing"???...

... but, at this stage, I can't see him beating those guys -- they belong to the same "school of boxing"... they all do know that shit...

yeah hes also 35, it would take 2-3 years to clean out the division and he has to be on the down streak again. Even in this modern era, most guys over 35 are on the down streak. RJJ, Cotto, ect were done by then.