BoxRec

The rematch between light heavyweight titlist Eleider “Storm” Alvarez and former two-time titlist Sergey Kovalev, will take place on Feb. 2 (the night before the Super Bowl), likely at the Ford Center, the Dallas Cowboys’ training facility, in Frisco, Texas, Top Rank chairman Bob Arum told ESPN.

Top Rank finalized a deal on Friday with Kovalev promoter Main Events for the bout to headline a Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card after HBO, Kovalev’s longtime TV home, which had the right to match the offer, declined. Alvarez (24-0, 12 KOs), trailing on all three scorecards, dropped Kovalev (32-3-1, 28 KOs) three times and stopped him in the seventh round of a major upset to take his 175-pound world title on Aug. 4 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Dan Rafael

Damn HBO quick to kick Kovalev to the curb

"Eleider Alvarez vs. Sergey Kovalev 2 rematch on Feb.2 on ESPN"

Eleider Alvarez will be defending his WBO light heavyweight title against former champion Sergey Kovalev on February 2 on Top Rank Boxing on ESPN a the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. HBO chose not to match the offer by ESPN to televise it.

Last Monday, Top Rank completed a deal with Main Events, the longtime promoters for the Russian KO artist Kovalev for him to fight in the headliner bout against WBO 175 pound champion Alvarez on ESPN. Whether the U.S boxing fans will be interested in seeing a second fight between Kovalev and Alvarez remains to be seen. Kovalev is looking like yesterday’s news with him 3 out of his last 5 fights.

Kovalev’s record is 2-3 since 2016. That’s not lost on the hardcore boxing fans, which are well aware that Kovalev is on the slide career-wise. Kovalev has never been highly popular with casual boxing fans. He had a chance of becoming a star when he fought Andre Ward, but he ended losing twice to him.

Haitian born Alvarez doesn’t have a large fan base in the U.S, and Kovalev’s career has been going steadily downhill since 2016 with his two losses to Andre ‘SOG’ Ward. Although the 35-year-old Kovalev did win his two previous bouts against Igor Mikhalkin and Vyacheslav Shabranskyy before his 7th round knockout loss to Alvarez on August 4 of this year in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Those fighters weren’t high quality opposition.

Kovalev was ahead on the three judges’ scorecards at the time that Alvarez knocked him down two times in the 7th round to get a stoppage victory last March.

Placing the Alvarez vs. Kovalev 2 rematch in Frisco, Texas doesn’t make a lot of sense, as Alvarez is now based in Canada, and Kovalev lives in Florida and mainly fights on the East Coast and Las Vegas.

This fight could for all intents and purposes be a career-ender for Kovalev. He can’t afford another knockout loss to Alvarez at this point in his career. It would be almost impossible for Kovalev to come back from a second defeat at the hands of Alvarez. There’s no shame in Kovalev losing to a quality operator like Alvarez, who seems to be in the prime of his career now, but this isn’t a guy that is considered on the same level as the elite in the 175 pound weight class. Alvarez is considered by many boxing fans as a notch below the likes of Dmitry Bivol, Artur Beterbiev, Adonis Stevenson, Badou Jack, Marcus Browne and Oleksandr Gvozdyk.

Kovalev losing to Alvarez in their rematch will send a strong message that it’s time to retire. It’s difficult to imagine that Top Rank Boxing on ESPN will want to continue to televise Kovalev’s fights if he’s knocked out by Alvarez a second time. You would think that the ratings would need to be good for that fight to make it worthwhile for ESPN to continue to want to televise Kovalev’s fights if he loses to Alvarez. If Kovalev can’t beat the likes of Alvarez, then it shows that he’s going to be trapped at the contender level and will no longer be a championship level fighter.

Thoughts?

It will end sooner this time around, one way or the other.

kov looks 45 there

jamamb wrote: ↑21 Sep 2018, 11:24 kov looks 45 there

But he looked 45 five years ago.

Changing trainers so often can’t be a good thing, especially when you hear so many people claiming that the “bond between a trainer and a fighter is supposed to be paramount”.

It seems that whenever Kovalev loses, the trainer is blamed, which is a sign that the Russian isn’t very loyal to his team.

I must admit though, the Krusher appears to have aged somewhat... or perhaps it's just a bad photo. I don't know...

Enlightened-One wrote: ↑21 Sep 2018, 11:34 Changing trainers so often can’t be a good thing, especially when you hear so many people claiming that the “bond between a trainer and a fighter is supposed to be paramount”.

It seems that whenever Kovalev loses, the trainer is blamed, which is a sign that the Russian isn’t very loyal to his team.

I must admit though, the Krusher appears to have aged somewhat... or perhaps it's just a bad photo. I don't know...

Who trained him the first fight?

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑21 Sep 2018, 13:15

Enlightened-One wrote: ↑21 Sep 2018, 11:34 Changing trainers so often can’t be a good thing, especially when you hear so many people claiming that the “bond between a trainer and a fighter is supposed to be paramount”.

It seems that whenever Kovalev loses, the trainer is blamed, which is a sign that the Russian isn’t very loyal to his team.

I must admit though, the Krusher appears to have aged somewhat... or perhaps it's just a bad photo. I don't know...

Who trained him the first fight?

Wasn't it that Russian fellow, whose name escapes me, that took over the reigns from John David Jackson?

He was trained by some Uzbek or Kazakh amateur trainer. Changing him is definitely a good idea. The problem is that Kovalev hasn't listened to his trainers.

boxing_rocks wrote: ↑21 Sep 2018, 13:21 He was trained by some Uzbek or Kazakh amateur trainer. Changing him is definitely a good idea. The problem is that Kovalev hasn't listened to his trainers.

Abror Tursunpulatov and he's from Uzbekistan.

2019, surely?

Boxerbeetle wrote: ↑21 Sep 2018, 15:47 2019, surely?

Yeh.

I don't think it will be enough to turn back father time, but getting Mcgirt seems like a positive action to me.

Kovalev needs to improve his conditioning, needs to find a way to rest in the ring without getting hurt, learn how to hold when hurt, maybe hold tie up people fighting him on the inside and , maybe hold to rest. He also needs to continue working on his left hook, and body attack. His current body attack is ok using the jab and overhand right, but maybe put more focus on attacking the body a little more.

Kovalev is an aging former champion with terrible discipline.
It is Not a good combination. I wish him well

Kind of Surprised that the Poll is super close. I find it weird that the fight is to take place in Texas when Alvarez has a huge fan base in quebec. If it goes 12 I don't see Alvarez getting the nod no matter what happens.

one thing is that alvarez really stood up to a number of good shots from kov. i got the sense that hes got the durability to overcome tough spots and last long enough for kovs weaknesses like stamina to come out.

Kovalev gets knocked out again. Alvarez has his number. Kov deserves another shot after getting fucked twice by SOG and his gang of crooks.

Enlightened-One wrote: ↑21 Sep 2018, 11:34 Changing trainers so often can’t be a good thing, especially when you hear so many people claiming that the “bond between a trainer and a fighter is supposed to be paramount”.

It seems that whenever Kovalev loses, the trainer is blamed, which is a sign that the Russian isn’t very loyal to his team.

I must admit though, the Krusher appears to have aged somewhat... or perhaps it's just a bad photo. I don't know...

Very much the case. Kovalev would short change his sparring partners. Could you imagine having to spar prime Kovalev 3 times a week for a training camp then only get paid 33% of what your were promised? It's happened before. I definitely side with John David Jackson on their split.

Thar's ficled. Do not like him anymore at all suddenly

Send him to Big Bear. No booze, just hard altitude training. He already has what it takes to beat Alvarez, just not the fitness.
He was up on my card until the first KD..

Kudos to Kovalev for taking the fight. Seems like he really want's to make the comeback happen.

Changing trainer to real professional is also good move.

Prime Kovalev would beat Alvarez easily.

Now it is very tough and kind of even matchup. Alvarez gotta be the slight favor to win. It is up to Kovalev to change that.

Should be a good fan friendly fight

KiwiRider wrote: ↑24 Sep 2018, 23:55 Send him to Big Bear. No booze, just hard altitude training. He already has what it takes to beat Alvarez, just not the fitness.
He was up on my card until the first KD..

Big Bear?

Abel has already been his trainer lol

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑25 Sep 2018, 02:25

KiwiRider wrote: ↑24 Sep 2018, 23:55 Send him to Big Bear. No booze, just hard altitude training. He already has what it takes to beat Alvarez, just not the fitness.
He was up on my card until the first KD..

Big Bear?

Abel has already been his trainer lol

Florida is pretty flat. Whatever improves his stamina.
There have been rumours of him hitting the booze and loving the life a bit much. I don't know if that is 100% true, I only know he is fading in his stamina.