Sergey Kovalev vs. Sullivan Barrera - January 30, 2021?

[Ruthless-RKO]

According to sources the fight will be contested at a catchweight of 180 pounds in a bout scheduled for 12 rounds and take place on a Golden Boy Promotions card on DAZN.

[Ruthless-RKO]

https://twitter.com/MikeCoppinger/statu ... 52769?s=20

[sturm vogel]

Good fight for both to make some cash and find out just what they have left.

[lazboy]

Not enthused for this fight. Kovalev better be as if he doesn’t train and underestimates Barrera then he’ll have a hard night.

[lazboy]

For the poll I’m picking Alvarez to KO kovalev in round 11.

[Lenny Cravats]

For the poll I’m picking Alvarez to KO kovalev in round 11.

That'd be some great WWE stuff right there, Alvarez jumping the top rope when Kovalev is distracted and knocking him out with a haymaker from behind.

[lazboy]

For the poll I’m picking Alvarez to KO kovalev in round 11.

That'd be some great WWE stuff right there, Alvarez jumping the top rope when Kovalev is distracted and knocking him out with a haymaker from behind.

Haha. The poll had Alvarez rather than Barrera but its been amended.

[Enlightened-One]

Sullivan Barrera seems to have a sturdy chin. His stoppage loss against Bivol seemed due to a combination of being on the receiving end of a prolonged beating and fatigue, rather than a lack of durability.

Kovalev proved against Canelo that he can still box, but he’d need to be more assertive and throw fewer feather-fisted blows than he did during his previous outing, because they’re not effective and nor are they scoring shots. He needs to be more efficient and preserve his energy levels at his age, so it's more about quality over quantity.

The Cuban isn’t a big puncher, but the Russian is. However, Krusher is also known to run out of gas, which means he can lose this fight if he's not well prepared.

Anyway, I’m picking Kovalev to beat Barrera by scoring a lacklustre decision victory.

And I’m pretty embarrassed to say this, bearing in mind I consider myself a hardcore fan of the sport, but I really have no interest in seeing this fight and nor do I really care about the outcome either, since I feel both men are a spent force.

I might watch the highlights on YouTube afterwards though.

[Pizza Pasta]

Kovalev kills him .

[Sammy Scaff]

Yup Kovalev wins this one.

[Ruthless-RKO]

FOUR world title bouts feature on Kovalev vs Barrera April 25th undercard

Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (34-3-1, 29 KOs), the former light heavyweight champion and one of the most dangerous punchers in recent years, will return against former world title challenger Sullivan Barrera (22-3, 14 KOs) in a 12-round cruiserweight battle.

The card will feature pugilists from four different continents fighting for championship belts from all four major sanctioning organizations. The event will take place Saturday, April 25 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

“I’m delighted to announce this epic card of international proportions,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “For this huge event, we’ll have fighters from four different continents battling it out for world titles from all four sanctioning bodies. Fans of professional boxing will be treated to a banquet of big fights headlined by Sergey Kovalev vs. Sullivan Barrera, along with the returns of world champions such as Patrick Teixeira, Rene and Felix Alvarado, and Chayaphon Moonsri. Don’t miss this festival of world champions on April 25 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and live on DAZN.”

Kovalev is a Russian knockout artist and three-time light heavyweight champion who captured his first world title in 2013 when he stopped Nathan Cleverly in Wales. Kovalev then traveled to Atlantic City to meet future Hall of Famer Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins to unify the WBO, WBA and IBF titles with a lopsided unanimous decision victory in 2014.

As unified champion, “Krusher” successfully defended his titles twice against Jean Pascal and once against Isaac Chilemba. Despite setbacks against Andre “S.O.G.” Ward and Eleider Alvarez, the 36-year-old contender managed to avenge a loss to Alvarez and score a technical knockout victory against undefeated contender Anthony Yarde. Kovalev will return after participating in the most important boxing event of 2019 against Canelo Alvarez.

“I am happy to get back in the ring and to be on my way back to world championship bouts,” said Sergey Kovalev. “Barrera is a Cuban fighter and, even though I never faced any Cuban fighters as a professional, back in amateur days it was always Russian boxers competing with Cuban boxers, so I’m looking forward to remembering my amateur boxing. I’m very glad to be back and to bring my boxing to my fans on April 25.”

After a spectacular amateur career, Barrera defected from Cuba to the United States in 2009, and made his professional debut in Miami, Florida. In only his eighth fight, he captured two regional titles by defeating Frank Paines in 2011, which he followed with victories against the likes of Jeff “Left Hook” Lacy and Karo Murat. Barrera suffered his first defeat against Andre Ward, but returned to take Vyacheslav Shabranskyy’s undefeated record and scored a decision win against Joe Smith Jr. The 38-year-old contender’s only other losses have been against Dmitry Bivol and Jesse Hart in very tough fights, and he looks to make another run for a world title in 2020.

“This will be the most important fight of my career because I have always pursued a fight with Sergey Kovalev,” said Sullivan Barrera. “I know that he has to win this fight in order to continue with his career, but the case is the same with me. It is very important to win this fight, which for me would be like becoming a world champion. That’s what it means for me to finally face Kovalev. I also want to thank Golden Boy for believing in me and my team, and for giving us the opportunity that we have always wanted, which is to fight Kovalev.”

Main Events CEO Kathy Duva said, “Because Sullivan Barrera spent most of his professional career with Main Events, a fight between Kovalev and Barrera is something that we naturally anticipated would happen for a very long time. And so here we are! This is a really solid fight between two action fighters who have never turned down a challenge.”

“This might be the last chance for both fighters,” said DAZN EVP Joseph Markowski. “A win could catapult either man into a title shot. A loss could mean the end is near. Plenty is at stake when Kovalev and Barrera enter the ring on April 25.”

In the co-main event, Patrick Teixeira (31-1, 22 KOs) of Sau Paulo, Brazil will make the first defense of his WBO Super Junior Middleweight World Title against undefeated challenger Brian “El Boxi” Castaño (16-0-1, 12 KOs) of Buenos Aires, Argentina in a 12-round battle.

“I am very happy and excited to defend my world title for the very first time,” said Patrick Teixeira. “I worked very hard to become a world champion, and I won’t let anyone take that away from me. I know that Castaño, as my mandatory challenger, is tough and experienced, but my team and I are more than ready to go to war and deliver a great performance for all the fans at Fantasy Springs.”

Rene “El Gemelo” Alvarado (32-8, 21 KOs) will put his WBA Super Featherweight World Title on the line against Roger “The Kid” Gutierrez (24-3-1, 20 KOs) of Maracaibo, Venezuela. Alvarado will defend his title for the first time after violently taking it from Andrew “El Chango” Cancio in November 2019, while Gutierrez is coming off a five-win streak that includes an upset knockout victory against Eduardo “Rocky” Hernandez.

Chayaphon Moonsri (54-0, 18 KOs), the Thai boxer who currently boasts the most impressive undefeated record in the sport, will defend his WBC Minimumweight World Title against Marco J. Rementizo (12-3, 9 KOs) of Misamis Oriental, Philippines in a 12-round fight.

Felix “El Gemelo” Alvarado (35-2, 30 KOs) of Managua, Nicaragua will defend his IBF Light Flyweight World Championship against DeeJay Kriel (16-1-1, 8 KOs) of Boksburg, South Africa in a 12-round battle. Felix, who is the twin brother of Rene, will fight for the first time after signing with Golden Boy.

Former world champion Alberto “Explosivo” Machado (22-2, 18 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico will look to inch closer towards his dream of becoming a two-division world champion when he takes on Cristian Baez (18-1, 17 KOs) of Caracas, Venezuela in a 10-round lightweight bout.

Diego De La Hoya (22-1, 10 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico and Manuel “Tino” Avila (23-2-1, 8 KOs) of Fairfield, California will meet in a 10-round matchup between two standout featherweight contenders.

Recently signed middleweight contender Shane Mosley Jr. (15-3, 9 KOs) of Pomona, California will make his Golden Boy debut in an eight-rounder against Abraham Cordero (13-5-21, 7 KOs) of Guadalajara, Mexico.

Hector Valdez (12-0, 8 KOs) of Dallas, Texas will return in an eight-round super bantamweight fight against a soon-to-be announced opponent.

Kovalev vs. Barrera is a 12-round special attraction in the cruiserweight division presented by Golden Boy, Main Events and Krusher Promotions. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle.” The event will take place Saturday, April 25 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Tickets for Kovalev vs Barrera will go on sale Friday, March 13 at 10:00 a.m. PT. Tickets are priced at $65, $45 and $35. Prices do not include applicable facility fees and service charges. Tickets are available at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino box office, by calling 1-800-827-2946, or by purchasing online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

[boxing_rocks]

It all depends on amount of alcohol consumed by Kovalev during the camp. Eleider Alvarez stopped him once, so I don't see why Barrera can't beat a weaker version of him.

[margaret thatcher]

Not enthused for this fight. Kovalev better be as if he doesn’t train and underestimates Barrera then he’ll have a hard night.

That might be reason to be slightly enthused by it. I think it's a decent fight actually, Kov seems like he could crash any minute doesn't he and Barrera is not bad

[Blodhemn]

Five extra pounds means less need to train. Barrera has a good shot. Needs to show up with some fire and put it to Kovalev, otherwise probably gets caught on the outside.

[Best Coast]

Kovalev by clearcut decision. Buddy McGirt has him boxing better than before so he doesnt need the KOs.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Four title fights weren’t enough to save DAZN’s April 25th show in Indio, CA. Mike Coppinger reports that the Sergey Kovalev vs. Sullivan Barrera-led card has followed, well, everyone else’s example and been postponed.

In addition to the main event, the card was set to feature an excellent super welterweight clash between Patrick Teixeira and Brian Castano, the latest from the Alvarado brothers, and Wanheng Menayothin’s stateside debut against Marco John Rementizo. It was pretty damn stacked.

On the bright side, at least this card isn’t conflicting with Naoya Inoue-John Riel Casimero anymore.

[EduardosFist]

Kovalev hurts him a couple times early, takes a swig of vodka in between rounds, and gets knocked out spectacularly midfight. I just can't wait to hear the new excuse he's brewed up.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Sullivan Barrera says he is recovered from shoulder surgery

Light heavyweight Sullivan Barrera of Cuba recently had surgery to repair his ailing right shoulder, but he says he can drop down to the super middleweight limit of 168 pounds. "I can make the weight no problem. I barely even have to diet to make 175. Right now I am walking around at 185 or 186 pounds so making weight will be easy," said Barrera. "The last couple of fights my shoulder really affected me but now after the surgery last year and the proper rehab I am back to how I felt when I beat Joe Smith." Barrera was scheduled to face Sergey Kovalev in April but like the rest of the sports world, his fight was shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. Even though the fight was postponed Barrera hasn't left the gym and can be ready for any date in September.

As the calendar gets closer to September 12th, Saul "Canelo" Alvarez still doesn't have an opponent locked in for his date, and Barrera [in a longshot attempt] is volunteering to face Alvarez. [Editor's note: Barrera is 22-3 but hasn't fought since a 2019 a loss to Jessie Hart, so a fight vs. Canelo is a real stretch]. Canelo last fought at 175 pounds [beating Kovalev] and Barrera says he is willing and able to make the move down to 168 pounds to fight him. "For me it is about the challenge. I don't need a lot of money to make me happy. Me and Canelo both work with Golden Boy so making a deal will be easy. I am sure they can work out a deal in less than 24 hours and then I can go to work to prepare for the biggest fight of my life," Barrera stated.

[margaret thatcher]

Vodka breath would've smoked Sully a few years ago but now I feel like Kov is at risk for a flattening by anyone. Wouldn't mind Kov vvs Joe Smith

[Ruthless-RKO]

Vodka breath would've smoked Sully a few years ago but now I feel like Kov is at risk for a flattening by anyone. Wouldn't mind Kov vvs Joe Smith

Kov's fight's have become more enjoyable now than ever..

[margaret thatcher]

What happened with Kov's woman beating trial

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

What happened with Kov's woman beating trial

Initially Postponed until april then postoned due to covid

[Ruthless-RKO]

Sergey Kovalev vs. Sullivan Barrera targeted for Jan.30th on DAZN

Sergey Kovalev will be returning from a 14-month layoff on January 30th to take on #11 WBC light-heavyweight contender Sullivan Barrera on DAZN, according to Mike Coppinger.

The match against 38-year-old Barera (22-3, 14 KOs) is the first two comeback fights owed to former IBF/WBA/WBO 175-lb champion Kovalev (34-4-1, 29 KOs) by DAZN, as part of the contract that the Russian fighter had for his last fight against Canelo Alvarez on November 2 in 2019.

Interestingly, DAZN will be paying Kovalev $2.5 million for both of his two comeback fights on their network platform.

Kovalev has 2 fights left on the DAZN contract

If Kovalev is knocked out by Barrera on January 30th, DAZN will be stuck another fight for the Russian fighter at the same price.

Unless the casual boxing fans aren’t keeping up with what’s happened to Kovalev’s once excellent career, they’ll likely not show interest in seeing him fight with him coming off consecutive losses.

That’s good money for Kovalev to be getting to face the Cuban fighter Barrera, who has lost two out of his last three fights to Jesse Hart and Dimitry Bivol.

“Sources: The rescheduled bout between Sergey Kovalev and Sullivan Barrera is being targeted for Jan. 30 on DAZN. DAZN owes Kovalev two comeback fights at $2.5 million apiece, part of the Canelo Alvarez bout agreement,” said @MikeCoppinger.

[DrDuke]

A decent bout for ageing Kovalev after a KO and a long lay-off. After it he should do some big fight and retire.

[Bard of Boxrec]

I think Barrera pulls off the upset