KOVALEV SPEAKS!!

[Undefeated49-0]

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/kovalev ... ore-314920

WBO, WBA and IBF light heavyweight champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (28-0-1, 25 KOs) of Russia is set to make his next title defense in a rematch against Montreal’s Jean Pascal taking place at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada on January 30, live on HBO World Championship Boxing. Fightnews.com caught up with the “Krusher” as he talked about his upcoming rematch with Pascal, new contract, Adonis Stevenson, and Andre Ward.

“I’m disappointed. It’s hard for me to find a new opponent but we fight anyone who is available,” Sergei Kovalev told Fightnews.com. He scored an exciting eighth round TKO over Pascal this past March and Pascal’s team called for an immediate rematch.

“It was an offer from his team. They thought the fight was stopped early, so I want to put a period to that,” Kovalev said. The champ will go into Pascal’s hometown of Montreal once again. “I’ve fought everywhere. I won my titles against Cleverly in Wales and all of my amateur career I fought in other places,” Kovalev said. “I beat [Pascal] once in Canada and I am going to do it again.”

Kovalev is coming off a third round knockout over IBF mandatory challenger Nadjib Mohammedi in July, while Pascal had his hands full on the undercard winning a controversial decision over previously undefeated Cuban Yuniesky Gonzalez.

“He has a new coach and he is trying to get better,” Kovalev said. Pascal will now be working with Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach.

Kovalev will begin his camp for Pascal working with his trainer, former world champion John David Jackson.

“I trained in Oxnard for my last fight. I will probably train on the East (Coast) for this fight. Since the fight is in Canada and its cold out there,” Kovalev said. “John helps and maintains me. We do good mitt work together. I like working with him, we understand each other. John is a good coach.”

Kovalev was 19-0-1, 17 KOs at the time he signed with Main Events in 2012. He went on to win his first world title with a knockout over Nathan Cleverly in winning the WBO light heavyweight title. Along the way he added the WBA and IBF light heavyweight titles with a dominating decision over future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins. This past weekend Kathy Duva of Main Events announced that Kovalev and Main Events had come to a new contract agreement.

“Main Events is proud to announce that Sergei has made a new deal with us. We are really happy he will be with us a very long time.”

Kovalev stated, “I have new contract. I am happy and excited, we are all a team.”

Not to look past Pascal, but there are lots of talk of potential showdowns in the division with WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson, undefeated Arthur Beterbiev, and former super middleweight champion Andre Ward.

“My goal is to win all four belts. We are doing everything for this,” Kovalev said.

kovalev-harney300
Originally hoping to fight countryman Arthur Beterbiev (9-0, 9 KOs), but that fight was never finalized leaving Kovalev with no opponent and he settled for a rematch with Pascal. “We were supposed to fight in Russia and we made him an offer but he didn’t accept it,” Kovalev said. “I want to fight in Russia someday.”

A fight with WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis “Superman” Stevenson (27-1, 22 KOs) hasn’t been easy to put together. Coming off a third round TKO over Tommy Karpency, Stevenson recently taunted and teased Kovalev via social media for a fight.

“I am ready for Stevenson but he hasn’t signed. We made an offer to split the purse 50/50 but he never accepted,” Kovalev said. “I don’t think of Adonis as a fighter, I just want his belt. I usually want someone to kick his ass so I can get his belt or I would do it myself. He understands a fight with me is a big risk and his opponents are not getting better fight by fight.”

Ward, who was inactive for over year since November of 2013 when he dominated Edwin Rodriguez to a decision returned to the ring this past June with a ninth round TKO over England’s in his hometown of Oakland. Ward recently vacated the WBA super middleweight title and was slated to fight on this past weekend’s Canelo Cotto Pay per view card however a knee injury forced Ward to withdraw.

“He’s an Olympic champion and is the last American gold medalist. He’s a very smart technical fighter. Ward is a good person and boxer. My goal is to beat him,” Kovalev commented. That fight seems most likely to come together as both Ward and Kovalev have signed deals with HBO. Ward recently inked a three-fight deal last month and Kovalev signed early this year. All indications point towards a potential showdown in the future.

“We are already signed with HBO next fall. Right now, step-by-step we’re going to make this fight. It’s a big road for this fight,” Kovalev said.

Promoter Kathy Duva added, “We’ve had talks with MGM and Madison Square Garden. There’s a lot of interest for this fight. No California or Russia if this fight happens.”

In the meantime, the 31-year-old Kovalev’s main concern is Pascal. “I am not looking past my opponent out of respect. First I will focus on Pascal and then we will see what happens after.

Beterbiev ducked him, Stevenson ducked out of a 50/50 offer, Ward might be do it but isn't physically ready. So it seems the only one who wants it is the now being trained by Freddie Roach Jean Pascal.......................again!!

Is this what we have to look forward to now, people ducking Kovalev and Triple G??

Boxing now has fighters with very little cohones, what gives??

Who should Kovalev be facing right now??

[ikorolev]

Yep, fighters from 1st world countries have tiny balls now. They love "risk vs reward" talk and fighting bums.

[Undefeated49-0]

Yep, fighters from 1st world countries have tiny balls now. They love "risk vs reward" talk and fighting bums.

It certainly appears that way, but if money is the determining factor then would we have to wait until GGG is a megastar before they start lining up knowing that they'll get spank just to get a big payday??

[Undefeated49-0]

Yep, fighters from 1st world countries have tiny balls now. They love "risk vs reward" talk and fighting bums.

Just FYI, Beterbiev was in that group also and he is a fellow countrymen.

[ikorolev]

Yep, fighters from 1st world countries have tiny balls now. They love "risk vs reward" talk and fighting bums.

Just FYI, Beterbiev was in that group also and he is a fellow countrymen.

I suspect that it was Haymon's doing. Hard to imagine Beterbiev passing on 3 belts when he already defeated (or at least fought in even fights) Kovalev twice in amateurs.

[Freedom2013]

I suspect that it was Haymon's doing. Hard to imagine Beterbiev passing on 3 belts when he already defeated (or at least fought in even fights) Kovalev twice in amateurs.

They fought only ONCE, and Beterbiev received a gift decision from the Chechen judges. Look it up.

I know a Showtime commentator said "Beterbiev beat him twice in the amateurs" but that was bull.

[ikorolev]

I suspect that it was Haymon's doing. Hard to imagine Beterbiev passing on 3 belts when he already defeated (or at least fought in even fights) Kovalev twice in amateurs.

They fought only ONCE, and Beterbiev received a gift decision from the Chechen judges. Look it up.

I know a Showtime commentator said "Beterbiev beat him twice in the amateurs" but that was bull.

I know what happened which is why I included "(or at least fought in even fights)". There were two fights: one official you know about and one in a camp of the national team. Both fights were close, but decisions were given to Beterbiev due to support from Chechen leadership.

[Undefeated49-0]

I suspect that it was Haymon's doing. Hard to imagine Beterbiev passing on 3 belts when he already defeated (or at least fought in even fights) Kovalev twice in amateurs.

What would be the benefit for Haymon in doing this? Wouldn't it be more profitable for him to go ahead and let his fighter have that bout knowing that he'd be the underdog with nothing to lose??

Just asking.