If we think about fighters who have emerged from obscurity this year few rival the destructive Sergey Kovalev (22-0-1, 20). Kovalev, who a year ago was fighting the likes of Lionell Thompson ad Darnell Boone. is now the WBO Light Heavyweight champion and a man that fans feel the need to watch.
The destructive Kovalev has had a career defining year in 2013 defeating the highly regarded Gabriel Campillo in 3 rounds, the world ranked Cornelius White, also in 3 rounds, and the then WBO world champion in 4 rounds. Although he has only been in 10 rounds of action through the whole year he left a pile of bodies in his wake and none are ever likely to be the same fighter they once were.
What Kovalev does so well is he destroys whilst doing the basics well. He's not the reckless force of nature like Srisaket Sor Rungvisai but is a calm and controlled wrecking ball who uses a high work rate, lots of sharp straight shots and a grinding mentality. He seems to know that whilst no single show may take an opponent out cold his sheer work rate will break them mentally and physically, as shown against Cleverly who was a broken man after just 3 rounds.
What Kovalev also has, as well as his work rate and heavy hands, is the mentality that even if he takes one he'll have the opponent backing up taking the power off the shot anyway. No one wants a tear up with this guy and with good reason, he's a monster!
Whilst Kovalev has gone from total obscurity to world champion in the space of two years his challenger, Ismayl Sillakh (21-1, 17), has gone from a promising fighter to who?
Sillakh was once viewed as a superstar in the making with flair, a fun to watch style and similarities to Roy Jones Jr. Unfortunately a set back loss to Denis Grachev last year took all his momentum and left many wondering whether or not he had the chin to go up to the next level. He had the skills, and power for sure but if a fighter hasn't got the ability to take a punch then they will always have question marks over their head.
Whilst Sillakh has bounced back from the loss to Grachev with with 4 victories, including 3 by stoppage, they have been against very weak opponents and the step up from them to Kovalev is a massive step up. A step up that I can't see Sillakh making at this point in time.
Although certainly dangerous I have a feeling that Sillakh will walk on to a bomb at some point and Kovalev, one of the best finishers in the game, will turn it up forcing the referee to save Sillakh. And by that I aren;t using Howard Foster's definition of saving a fighter, if Sillakh is allowed to continue whilst hurt he will almost certainly end up in hospital due to Kovalev's destructiveness.
Prediction-Kovalev TKO5
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