Even if Sergey Kovalev didn’t carry a reputation for being susceptible to body punches, his team would be shocked if Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez approached their Nov. 2 fight any other way.
“That’s obviously going to be his game plan, since it’s one of his (best strategies),” James ‘Buddy’ McGirt, the Hall of Fame former two-division titlist and Kovalev’s current head trainer noted during a recent media conference call to discuss the upcoming bout.
Mexico’s Alvarez (52-1-2, 35KOs) will move up to two weight division to challenge for Kovalev’s light heavyweight title, live on DAZN from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Despite giving away natural size advantage, Alvarez enters as the perceived fresher athlete of the two and also who boasts one of the best bodypunching attacks in the game today.
It's as sound a strategy as any, especially against a boxer such as the 36-year old Kovalev (34-3-1, 29KOs) who has gained a reputation—unfairly or otherwise—of being defensively vulnerable in that area. The rumors heightened after Kovalev’s rematch with Andre Ward, against whom he suffered a controversial knockout loss in their June 2017 rematch, seven months after dropping a disputed decision to end his first title reign and unbeaten ways.
The subject came up again in his last fight, when England’s Anthony Yarde (18-1, 17KOs) was able to hurt Kovalev downstairs midway through the contest.
“For the record, nobody likes to get hit to the body,” McGirt dismissively stated. “I don’t give a s*** who you are. So what we did (to prepare for Alvarez), though, was order Kovalev some (XXX-Large) shorts and we’re gonna pull the shorts up to his chest. Then we’ll be OK.”
Naturally, Kovalev’s game plan won’t be revealed during a conference call or any other time until Nov. 2 when he’s standing in a corner opposite Alvarez.
Even without giving away the family secret, it’s not out of the question to wonder how things play out when the bigger—and far heavier handed—Kovalev is able to tag a smaller foe.
In fact, it's a question to which McGirt would love to know the answer, among those questioning his charge's ability to absorb.
“What’s gonna happen when Canelo gets hit to the body?”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
