Is Kovalev really that far gone?

[Skip Bayless]

Ward took his soul, hasn’t been the same since. Haven’t seen ‘them krusher’ since the first Ward fight.

Same thing happened with Prince nas once barerra boxed his ass.

[Slicc]

I am just perplexed a bit as to how much credit Canelo really deserves here...Kov had almost nothing on his punches, gassed out early for no real reason, and was KOed by the first 1 or 3 good clean shots Canelo really landed.

Kovalev fought Canelo less than 2 months after Yarde. I think he just hadn't fully recovered, and his age only made things that much worse for him. I think a healed Kovalev, with an actual training camp, would've had enough left to at least go the distance.

[Curtis Harper]

He is now

[Boxing_1013]

I'm basically on your side of the fence on this argument but no matter how well you've communicated your ideas you're still using triangle type theories and filling in the gaps with your best reasoning abilities and that just isn't how life or boxing (which is life) works.

There is a precedent for an elite smaller guy moving up and beating the s%$# out of an elite bigger guy. It's happened a LOT in boxing as a matter of fact. Duran did it multiple times. Pacquiao did it multiple times. Cotto pretty much did it against Sergio Martinez.. I won't try and think any harder than that but it's happened many times in recent history that we know about.

Tbh I don't think I used any triangle theories in that post.

I think there is some nuance to those times as well...ie that version of the elite bigger guy was not always his best version...Martinez with the knee and at 159...I agree that it can happen though...I just think Canelo stopping a 175 pounder when he couldn't stop most guys below that weight is a bit head-scratching and I start to think of why.

[Boxing_1013]

Kov fought anxiously

Canelo impressed me every time I see him, so not hating on him...but yeah Kov just looked bad/underwhelming in almost every way Saturday night

[Boxing_1013]

Kovalev was hurt or stopped in every fight since Ward he was there for the taking that's why Warren and Yarde jumped on the fight

Kovalev is shot also Yarde is not a ko artist guy is a British level boxer

Even Alvarez 2? I never watched that whole fight...I like Yarde so maybe that's why I didn't knock Kovalev much for that performance.

[Boxing_1013]

What has happened since Ward II is that by mid-fight Kov gasses and when he does he can no longer take a head or body shot.

This is not due to Ward, but father time.

I think this is more or less true...his stamina issues were never that bad imo in the first Ward fight...since then he has just appeared to gas rather easily in almost every fight, and that Ward 1 fight was pretty tough for him over the last 6 rounds and he didn't really fade too bad there imo...he had a great round 10 there for example.

Kovalev was shot, why do you think Canelo took the fight. Kovalev looked shot against his last two opponents Eleider Álvarez and Anthony Yarde. People are acting like Canelo beat a 2015 version of Kovalev but reality should check in soon.

IMO Kovalev wasn't fighting to hurt Canelo. It looked like a sparring session and in the end one of them got caught.

At least there was respect between them and there wasn't any ****** press conferences, circus style.

Could be either Canelo moved up in weight and gained power (meat or no meat), or Kovalev wasn't rested enough, 6 weeks ago just fought Yarde and was almost stopped.

He'll still have power, he just got gunshy. He no longer really commits because he'd become wary of getting countered, specially since a coupla KO losses. Hell even against Yarde and Eleider it was obvious, there were those of us who were saying he was losing his killer instinct as far back as Hopkins and Chilemba... silk sheets syndrome I thought then, maybe fatherhood too.

Thanks good posts.

Ward took his soul, hasn’t been the same since. Haven’t seen ‘them krusher’ since the first Ward fight.

Same thing happened with Prince nas once barerra boxed his ass.

I think the Ward fights probably took a little out of him physically, they were tough fights for both men...and mentally a little too...mentally more so the robbery, he just didn't handle that great, but who can blame him really...that was his one moment and he was robbed of it ya know.

I personally think the 1st Alvarez fight changed him...post Ward he still looked like the Krusher, even looked like it at first in that fight...then he got caught at his own game and legitimately beat...since then he changed to a bit of a more safe style, yet somehow seems to gas easier, still gets caught sometimes, and still doesn't take the shots well.

As another guy pointed out, he seems to get tired late and then can't take any good shot to the head or body.

Kovalev fought Canelo less than 2 months after Yarde. I think he just hadn't fully recovered, and his age only made things that much worse for him. I think a healed Kovalev, with an actual training camp, would've had enough left to at least go the distance.

I agree with ya. Good post.

[Boxing_1013]

He is now

Lol yeah I can't really see him having many more good performances.

[johnbook]

Father time.
He will retire now.

[////]

It's not a single factor.

In order of biggest to smallest factors:

1. Even 3 months between brutal professional 12 round title fights is pushing it (A month of recovery straight into a shorter 8 week camp). 2 months with the fight announced half way through is sacrifical lamb status. You're really just recovering, holding a media workout then weighing in. There's no "camp".

2. He is definitely damaged. Not even counting the Eleider KO, he's taken some hard shots in his past several fights and got screwed hard by the officials in both Ward fights, which I think emotionally would have caused many fighters to hang them up.

3. Duva admitted he starved himself to make 175 when he was younger. If you're struggling with something like that in your late 20s, it's gonna be a near-death experience in your late 30s.

He made 12 million dollars to show up and move his arms around though. He knew what he was doing. That was for his family.