Hopkins/Kovalev on for November

[ikorolev]

Ignoring Brut who thinks that Kovalev doesn't set traps, doesn't have good timing, etc.

Stevenson's camp is claiming that BHop wanted 3/4 of the purse to fight Adonis:

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/stevens ... edy-255223?

I am guessing Duva/Kovalev agreed to that.

[crusader]

Kovalev has very good timing and he initially hurt Campillo, Cleverly, and Sillakh with counterpunches. Brut's descriptions suggest that he hasn't seen Kovalev fight or is riddled with bias and refuses to believe that he's anything but a crude brawler.

And LOL at the talk of Kovalev being a back-foot fighter.

[Fatsam]

This could be a bit too much for hopkins, but he's made a habbit out of proving everyone wrong so wouldnt be shocked to see him make it very competetive, wouldnt be suprised to see him face down on the canvas either, wont be betting on this one.

[Perseus]

Ignoring Brut who thinks that Kovalev doesn't set traps, doesn't have good timing, etc.

Stevenson's camp is claiming that BHop wanted 3/4 of the purse to fight Adonis:

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/stevens ... edy-255223?

I am guessing Duva/Kovalev agreed to that.

lol at this.

Not often that somebody supposedly priced himself out of a tough fight just to take a seemingly tougher fight.

[NateJR]

School could be in session and B-hop could once again take a young hungry fighter to school. I remember this is the same thing everyone was saying years ago when Hopkins was about to step into the ring with that killer Pavlik (no one gave Hopkins a chance). Not only did Hopkins win, Pavlik was never the same mentally after that fight. Hopkins does a lot of things that Kovalev will have adjust to and keep his composer in the process or he will have a long night against the 50 year old.

I personally think Kovalev will out work Hopkins based on his youth. Everything points towards a Kovalev win, but Hopkins has earned his stripes to never count out his chances of winning of a fight. Or I guess Kovalev could always land that one big shot and knocked out the old man, but considering who Hopkins has been in the ring with, I'm hard pressed to think that Kovalev will knock him out. I guess time will tell.

[Kaaspeer]

I hope Hopkins wins this fight. But Kovalev is dangerous, you just never know... Hopkins is old, if he has slowed down too much he probably won't avoid Kovalev's punches for the entire night and we all know Hopkins can only win this fight on points...

[Ricky_]

BHop would probably be better suited for Adonis who's only real weapon is that long left straight. I think BHop is going to be shocked by Kovalevs power, he'll probably try to tie up or shell up on the ropes but Kovalev will brutalise right through his guard. Complete mismatch.

[Kaaspeer]

BHop would probably be better suited for Adonis who's only real weapon is that long left straight. I think BHop is going to be shocked by Kovalevs power, he'll probably try to tie up or shell up on the ropes but Kovalev will brutalise right through his guard. Complete mismatch.

The only competition for Kovalev is BHop and Stevenson, so he is already taking on half of the tasks he got to take care of in the division.

[Brut]

It's tiresome, I don't find anything exceptional about the performances themselves, and I wasn't following boxing when Foreman was fighting so that's irrelevant. Your comment about skin color is also just speculation.

You picked Sillakh to beat Kovalev yet you gave Kovalev no credit when he scored a quick, brutal KO, so your complaints about fighters not getting due credit are hypocritical.

You wasn't following boxing when Foreman was fighting which means you are a Bandwagon Fan! My comment about skin color is speculation, are you sure about that? You said yourself that you wasn't following boxing at that time then you have no idea about the GWH concept when Americans (particularly white) were praising, hyping and following Gerry Cooney religiously, you have no idea how people here leaned on Tommy Morrison, how the hype train followed Baby Joe Mesi and how quickly they paraded Kelly Pavlik but once all of these fighters (who just happen to have white skin) got derailed then the Hype Train ended quickly.....................the same thing is now happening with Kovalev. Sure Kova isn't an American but his skin is white, sure I'll be labeled as racist for stating the obvious but I really don't give a damn because these are the facts.

So what I picked Sillakh to beat Kovalev, I guess you've never been wrong on a pick huh?? You still have yet to explain any advantages or skills besides punching power that Kova has over Hopkins, y'all avoid talking about this dudes lack of skills but rather you focus only on his punching power and KO'ing a bunch of bums as your proof that he somehow is able to do the same to Hopkins.

Get ready for a long and boring fight as Hopkins takes the so called punching power of Kovalev away from him and expose him as a flat-footed come forward puncher and nothing else. You can't go from fighting nobody students of the game and winning by KO over them to beating a professor of boxing just because you have power.

[Impractical Poster]

This is a match-up of great fighters. But it will not be a great fight. Once Hops feels Kovalev's power, he is going to make it as ugly as he can. But we'll see.

[ikorolev]

This is a match-up of great fighters. But it will not be a great fight. Once Hops feels Kovalev's power, he is going to make it as ugly as he can. But we'll see.

That's what I expect too. We haven't seen angry Kovalev yet. Let's see if Bernard can get under his skin.

[crusader]

It's tiresome, I don't find anything exceptional about the performances themselves, and I wasn't following boxing when Foreman was fighting so that's irrelevant. Your comment about skin color is also just speculation.

You picked Sillakh to beat Kovalev yet you gave Kovalev no credit when he scored a quick, brutal KO, so your complaints about fighters not getting due credit are hypocritical.

You wasn't following boxing when Foreman was fighting which means you are a Bandwagon Fan! My comment about skin color is speculation, are you sure about that? You said yourself that you wasn't following boxing at that time then you have no idea about the GWH concept when Americans (particularly white) were praising, hyping and following Gerry Cooney religiously, you have no idea how people here leaned on Tommy Morrison, how the hype train followed Baby Joe Mesi and how quickly they paraded Kelly Pavlik but once all of these fighters (who just happen to have white skin) got derailed then the Hype Train ended quickly.....................the same thing is now happening with Kovalev. Sure Kova isn't an American but his skin is white, sure I'll be labeled as racist for stating the obvious but I really don't give a damn because these are the facts.

So what I picked Sillakh to beat Kovalev, I guess you've never been wrong on a pick huh?? You still have yet to explain any advantages or skills besides punching power that Kova has over Hopkins, y'all avoid talking about this dudes lack of skills but rather you focus only on his punching power and KO'ing a bunch of bums as your proof that he somehow is able to do the same to Hopkins.

Get ready for a long and boring fight as Hopkins takes the so called punching power of Kovalev away from him and expose him as a flat-footed come forward puncher and nothing else. You can't go from fighting nobody students of the game and winning by KO over them to beating a professor of boxing just because you have power.

I wasn't following boxing when Foreman was fighting because I was 7 when he retired. I'm aware of the great white hope concept but I don't think white fighters have received disproportionate promotion since I've been a boxing fan and even if they have that doesn't mean Kovalev is an example of that. You mention Pavlik but he was a good, entertaining fighter who twice beat Jermain Taylor, then seen as the top fighter in the division and also heavily promoted by HBO, so there were good reasons for him to be promoted as he was. Your assertions about things being different based on skin color is just speculation, as you have no idea how things would be unfolding if white fighters were black or black fighters were white. It's not like there aren't loads of black champions and prospects who are regularly on TV or billed as ones to watch, even when their performances suggest otherwise, and the highest paid fighter by far is a black man.

Not only is Kovalev a much better puncher than Hopkins, his punch selection is wider as he regularly throws jabs, crosses, straights, hooks, and mixes his shots to the head and body while Hopkins is relatively limited to jabs and right crosses. Kovalev also punches in combination better and more regularly than Hopkins does, alternating between two, three, and four-punch combinations, which makes it more difficult to anticipate his attack than Hopkins' single punch and grab offense. In addition to these abilities, Kovalev has mobile power and doesn't have to be set to punch effectively, which is particularly useful against opponents who use movement regularly like Hopkins does, and his timing is very good as evidenced by him hurting Campillo, Cleverly, and Sillakh with countershots, which will help offset any speed disadvantage he may have against Hopkins--although I don't think BHOP is that much faster and he's certainly slower than Sillakh. Hopkins has also struggled with high-workrates and performs the best in slow-paced fights, which means Kovalev's high output could be problematic for him.

Of course I have made wrong predictions, but that isn't the issue. The issue is that you praised Sillakh prior to the fight and asserted that he was superior to Kovalev, yet when Kovalev won easily, early, and brutally you gave him no credit and instead continued criticizing him even though he greatly exceeded your expectations. You then whine about fighters not getting the appropriate credit, which I find hypocritical since you're doing the same thing; how will you react if Hopkins upsets Kovalev but those who picked the latter to win handily don't give BHOP any credit? You're already complaining and the fight hasn't happened. As for your last sentence, I don't consider Kovalev's recent opponents to be nobodies (the same Cleverly who often gets lumped into this category beat Murat significantly more convincingly than Hopkins did, yet no one lauds that performance as they do with Hopkins' effort over Murat), but even if they were that wouldn't mean he's unable to beat Hopkins as a fighter's ability isn't determined by their resume, and it's been explained continuously that Kovalev is not simply a power-puncher.

[Impractical Poster]

I wasn't following boxing when Foreman was fighting because I was 7 when he retired. I'm aware of the great white hope concept but I don't think white fighters have received disproportionate promotion since I've been a boxing fan and even if they have that doesn't mean Kovalev is an example of that. You mention Pavlik but he was a good, entertaining fighter who twice beat Jermain Taylor, then seen as the top fighter in the division and also heavily promoted by HBO, so there were good reasons for him to be promoted as he was. Your assertions about things being different based on skin color is just speculation, as you have no idea how things would be unfolding if white fighters were black or black fighters were white. It's not like there aren't loads of black champions and prospects who aren't regularly on TV or billed as ones to watch, even when their performances suggest otherwise, and the highest paid fighter by far is a black man.

Not only is Kovalev a much better puncher than Hopkins, his wider punch selection is wider as he regularly throws jabs, crosses, straights, hooks, and mixing his shots to the head and body while Hopkins is relatively limited to jabs and right crosses. Kovalev also punches in combination better and more regularly than Hopkins does, alternating between two, three, and four-punch combinations, which makes it more difficult to anticipate his attack than Hopkins' single punch and grab offense. In addition to these abilities, Kovalev has mobile power and doesn't have to be set to punch effectively, which is particularly useful against opponents who use movement regularly like Hopkins does, and his timing is very good as evidenced by him hurting Campillo, Cleverly, and Sillakh with countershots, which will help offset any speed disadvantage he may have against Hopkins--although I don't think BHOP is that much faster and he's certainly slower than Sillakh. Hopkins has also struggled with high-workrates and performs the best in slow-paced fights, which means Kovalev's high output could be problematic for him.

Of course I have made wrong predictions, but that isn't the issue. The issue is that you praised Sillakh prior to the fight and asserted that he was superior to Kovalev, yet when Kovalev won easily, early, and brutally you gave him no credit and instead continued criticizing him even though he greatly exceeded your expectations. You then whine about fighters not getting the appropriate credit, which I find hypocritical since you're doing the same thing; how will you react if Hopkins upsets Kovalev but those who picked the latter to win handily don't give BHOP any credit? You're already complaining and the fight hasn't happened. As for your last sentence, I don't consider Kovalev's recent opponents to be nobodies (the same Cleverly who often gets lumped into this category beat Murat significantly more convincingly than Hopkins did, yet no one lauds that performance as they do with Hopkins' effort over Murat), but even if they were that wouldn't mean he's unable to beat Hopkins as a fighter's ability isn't determined by their resume, and it's been explained continuously that Kovalev is not simply a power-puncher.

Very clear and intelligent post, crusader.

[greenmonkey]

Gotta give the old man credit for wanting to take this fight. I am guessing he already has a plan how to neutralize Kovalev. We will see if Kovalev is the monster everyone has hyped him up to be.

School's in!! BHop is going to expose this dude for what he is, there were many here saying how Hopkins was ducking/scared of him and now the fight is on.

Hopkins by UD

Please tell me your kidding? Kovalev is going to end Hopkins

[ikorolev]

Hopkins will make it ugly with lots of clinching. Useful "schooling" so that Kovalev knows what to expect in potential Ward fight. Despite of the ugliness, Kovalev will outwork BHop. Bernard's best chance is no contest due to a cut in the first 4 rounds.

[handsofstone]

I dont think even Kovalev can KO Hopkins,i think Bernard is too wiley to get tagged but i do think he will stay mostly in a shell and spend all fight spoiling paving the way for a wide Kovalev points win with Sergei putting in a great performance,getting the chance to finally show everyone he's a technically gifted fighter and more than just a wrecking ball

[Bard of Boxrec]

I am shocked that Bernard took this fight. I see kovalev brutalising him. There's no way Hopkins' spoiling and low output will be enough to stop the Sergey march. Hops will be stopped by the tenth. if it was ward instead of Hopkins I could make exactly the same post too.

[JCS]

In a way, this sort of reminds me of the Pavlik/Hopkins fight. Although Pavlik was a bit more proven and there was a catchweight involved... he was the younger, undefeated killer... like Kovalev.

Hopkins had a hell of a night, that I'm not sure he can duplicate at nearly 50. Then again, Kovalev is not the kind of fighter that Hopkins loses against. At some point, time will run out on Hop.

[ikorolev]

Kovalev has significantly higher ring IQ than Pavlik.

[SFW]

I think Kovalev should come out fast and hard, if he gets to Hopkins body early he should win. The wildcard would be head clashes, and if Hopkins is getting lit up can he open up any cuts on Sergei that might affect him enough to slow him down.

[Perseus]

This is a match-up of great fighters. But it will not be a great fight. Once Hops feels Kovalev's power, he is going to make it as ugly as he can. But we'll see.

The only time in recent years anybody has introduced Hopkins to "power" it was Pascal dropping his ass twice in the first three rounds, clearly hurting him the second time.
After getting off the canvas twice he turned in one of the most entertaining fights of his career.

[Impractical Poster]

This is a match-up of great fighters. But it will not be a great fight. Once Hops feels Kovalev's power, he is going to make it as ugly as he can. But we'll see.

The only time in recent years anybody has introduced Hopkins to "power" it was Pascal dropping his ass twice in the first three rounds, clearly hurting him the second time.
After getting off the canvas twice he turned in one of the most entertaining fights of his career.

Power can be felt even when punches are blocked.

[Bard of Boxrec]

Have you guys seen this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWT-16Eyyv8

Can't remember the last time I enjoyed 17 minutes of nonsense so much. Hopkins can transfix you with his babble.

He's right when he says boxing needs to step up. This is the type of fight that so rarely gets made. It is getting made though because of his own delusions. He can't win this fight.

[BAD INTENTIONS]

Zero Ring Girl time, jeez... how many times do I have to say it? More cowbell... er... I mean more Ring Girls! Por favor!

I think Ring Girls should not exist. There is not one good reason for them to be in the sport.

Let's not also forget the coupling of sex and violence and its effects on ever increasing rape rates in all colleges, to the point that it's becoming a norm in some places, and not just in party colleges.

Then again, it's foolish to bother men with the problems of women. The vast majority of men have anger/aggression towards women that is pretty self destructive to the human race.

[ikorolev]

Zero Ring Girl time, jeez... how many times do I have to say it? More cowbell... er... I mean more Ring Girls! Por favor!

I think Ring Girls should not exist. There is not one good reason for them to be in the sport.

Let's not also forget the coupling of sex and violence and its effects on ever increasing rape rates in all colleges, to the point that it's becoming a norm in some places, and not just in party colleges.

Then again, it's foolish to bother men with the problems of women. The vast majority of men have anger/aggression towards women that is pretty self destructive to the human race.

Let's first forbid video games, movies and close down Las Vegas. Ah,sh1t, you will need to start with the First Amendment then :)