By Thomas Gerbasi
Has it only been just a little over a year ago when it was all over for Sergey Kovalev?
Hunched over against the ropes as referee Tony Weeks called off his rematch with Andre Ward in June 2017, one of the most feared men in boxing went from 30-0-1 against the world to 0-2 against Ward, and while we all knew he would fight again, it was likely never to be the same for the “Krusher.”
But here we are, eleven months after that night in Las Vegas, and Kovalev is not only back on top, but in position to get the big fights again and ultimately leave the sport the way he always wanted to: with all the belts at 175 pounds.
“I'm ready to fight any champion, because my goal is to get all four titles, to be undisputed champion,” said Kovalev, who brought three of those belts - IBF, WBA and WBO – into his series with Ward, only to watch them leave in the Oakland native’s possession.
The Russian banger took back the WBO belt in November of last year with a win over Vyacheslav Shabranskyy, but now the quest is to remove titles from the possession of Dmitry Bivol (WBA), Artur Beterbiev (IBF) and old rival Adonis Stevenson (WBC). Those are all intriguing and meaningful fights for Kovalev, and when you throw contenders like Badou Jack, Marcus Browne and Anthony Yarde into the mix, and it’s almost like 2016 again for a 35-year-old who still has something left in the basement for this sport and his division.
“I don't feel that I am old or something like that,” Kovalev said. “It's just a number for me, 35. God blessed me and gave me an opportunity to still be fighting on this level, like a champion, and I'll be fighting, I hope, until I get all four titles. It's my goal and when I get this goal I am done. That will be like a goal to retire.”
Sounds like at least a couple more good years out of the Kopeysk native until he’s done, then, and he certainly has some work to take care of first on August 4 in the form of a title defense against unbeaten Colombian Eleider Alvarez. At 23-0, a slate that includes wins over Jean Pascal, Lucian Bute and Isaac Chilemba, the 34-year-old former Olympian has earned his title fight, especially after Stevenson dodged him, but few are giving him a chance on unseating Kovalev next month. For his part, Kovalev is saying the right things.
“I can say about Alvarez that I'm waiting for a very interesting fight and I am sure that it's gonna be not easy to fight Alvarez, because he is undefeated and he is a number one in WBC,” he said. “Stevenson avoided him already like two or three times and here’s the proof that he [Stevenson] is scared. But I'm not scared of him and I'm interested to fight him and get a victory over him.”
Yet the real intrigue on August 4 will be taking place on the undercard in Atlantic City and behind the scenes. See, Alvarez is promoted by Yvon Michel, who just happens to be Stevenson’s promoter. Both Kathy Duva of Main Events, which promotes Kovalev, and Michel said on a recent media teleconference that Kovalev-Alvarez was an easy fight to make.
Should Kovalev retain his title, are the doors opened at least a little bit for Kovalev-Stevenson? That may just be a pipe dream, but if hope isn’t enough to get you through the end of the year, consider that unbeaten rising star Bivol defends his version of the light heavyweight title against Isaac Chilemba in the August 4 co-main event.
Like Alvarez, Chilemba is a good fighter, but not considered good enough to put a “1” in Bivol’s loss column. And with Bivol having already appeared on the Kovalev-Igor Mikhalkin card in March, there is some solid marinating going on for a makeable unification fight that could produce the kind of positive fan reaction from the hardcores that was given to last Saturday’s WBSS final between Oleksandr Usyk and Murat Gassiev. Yet while Usyk put on a one-sided clinic last weekend, Kovalev-Bivol could end up as a Fight of the Year candidate, and it’s a fight Bivol is ready to make.
“Most likely this fight is gonna happen since both Sergey and I are HBO boxers and as long as that's what the people want, most likely the fight will happen,” said Bivol. “Me and Sergey will make sure to give this fight to the people.”
Yes, Kovalev-Stevenson has been the dream fight for years and years, but Kovalev-Bivol could be even better because it may actually happen. Then again, Duva is a realist when it comes to such matters.
“What I have learned in all these years is that making fights happen has to do with a whole lot of things that are outside of our control,” she said. “So, first we have to get through a fantastic card and both guys in very competitive fights on August 4th and then we'll see what happens when we move on."
What good is it being a boxing fan if you have to deal with reality? But the reality these days is sweet enough for Kovalev. Just the fact that he’s still a major player in the division he’s been at the top of for much of his career has to make him smile. He’s got a title, he’s headlining shows, and the future is, at the very least, interesting. The rest? Just details. And those he can take care of when the gloves are on and the mouthpiece is in, just like he always has.
