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
Showing posts with label Sergey Kovalev. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sergey Kovalev. Show all posts
Thursday, 28 November 2013
Wednesday, 14 August 2013
Nathan Cleverly v Sergey Kovalev
Although the Light Heavyweight division has lacked exciting fights in recent years one man seems to have come under a lot more criticism than perhaps he should have.
Welshman Nathan Cleverly (26-0, 12), the current WBO Light Heavyweight champion, seems to have been under-attack from every direction. British fans have tired of Frank Warren talking a good game about Cleverly whilst completely failing to deliver, international fans have grown bored of Warren talking about Cleverly fighting top international fighters and even top fighters seem to have gotten sick of their names just being linked to Cleverly.
Thankfully fans, who have been calling for Cleverly to fight a real challenger, have finally gotten their own way as he takes on unbeaten Russian puncher Sergey Kovalev (21-0-1, 19). A challenger who seems to be wake of destruction behind him fight after fight after fight.
Although Cleverly has never looked in any danger of being stopped in his 26 contests so far his chin is still a bit of a question to me. Many around the sport will tell you he's been thoroughly chin checked though in all honesty the biggest puncher he has faced to date has been Tony Bellew, a fighter who's power is genuinely unproven, especially at the world level.
The only world level facets Cleverly has proven to have is a world level work rate. The guy, when he's in a rhythm simply doesn't stop throwing. In all honesty his engine is probably the best seen in and around the Light Heavyweight division since former training mate Joe Calzaghe, though unlike Calzaghe he's not got the proven skills to combine with his engine. That's not to say Cleverly is unskilled, just not as highly skilled as Calzaghe.
Having been a world champion for over 2 years Cleverly's opponents have been poor, there is no way of defending that, though the division of course hasn't been awash with talent, like, for example the current Flyweight division, it hasn't been as bad as Cleverly has been making it look. Unfortunately he's missed on defining wins over the likes of Gabriel Campillo to instead fight the likes of, uh, Shawn Hawk.
On man who did score a defining, and highly impressive victory over Campillo was Kovalev who earlier this year dismantled the talented Spanish fighter in 3, one sided rounds in a performance that really put him on the boxing map.
With the HBO hype machine well behind Kovalev his raise through the ranks has been quick. Just 2 years ago he was a relative unknown fighting Grover Young, now however he's one of the most highly rated Light Heavyweights on the planet. In fact, some people already rank Kovalev as a better fighter than Cleverly despite Cleverly's status as a world champion.
The rise from prospect to highly ranked contender took Kovalev just 18 rounds as he defeated Roman Simakov, Darnell Boone, Lionell Thompson, Campillo and most recently Cornelius White, all 5 victories coming by T/KO.
Kovalev, like both Lucas Matthysse and Gennady Golovkin has not fight changing power but fighter changing power. The power in the fists of Kovalev isn't just concussive, but is confidence destroying. He lands and a fighter who thought he could win when the first bell went suddenly realises they are in with no chance. A typically skilled boxer feels their legs turn to jelly, a brawler becomes a runner and a hunter becomes the hunter.
With Cleverly often showing a propensity to brawl he's in for trouble. He lacks the power needed to keep a world class fighter honest and Kovalev is a world class fighter with elite class power. The supposedly tough chin of Cleverly isn't just going to be checked here, but is likely going to be destroyed. The first few rounds might not see it happen but sooner or later Cleverly is going to be in a world of trouble that he simply cannot escape from.
Prediction-Kovalev TKO7
Welshman Nathan Cleverly (26-0, 12), the current WBO Light Heavyweight champion, seems to have been under-attack from every direction. British fans have tired of Frank Warren talking a good game about Cleverly whilst completely failing to deliver, international fans have grown bored of Warren talking about Cleverly fighting top international fighters and even top fighters seem to have gotten sick of their names just being linked to Cleverly.
Thankfully fans, who have been calling for Cleverly to fight a real challenger, have finally gotten their own way as he takes on unbeaten Russian puncher Sergey Kovalev (21-0-1, 19). A challenger who seems to be wake of destruction behind him fight after fight after fight.
Although Cleverly has never looked in any danger of being stopped in his 26 contests so far his chin is still a bit of a question to me. Many around the sport will tell you he's been thoroughly chin checked though in all honesty the biggest puncher he has faced to date has been Tony Bellew, a fighter who's power is genuinely unproven, especially at the world level.
The only world level facets Cleverly has proven to have is a world level work rate. The guy, when he's in a rhythm simply doesn't stop throwing. In all honesty his engine is probably the best seen in and around the Light Heavyweight division since former training mate Joe Calzaghe, though unlike Calzaghe he's not got the proven skills to combine with his engine. That's not to say Cleverly is unskilled, just not as highly skilled as Calzaghe.
Having been a world champion for over 2 years Cleverly's opponents have been poor, there is no way of defending that, though the division of course hasn't been awash with talent, like, for example the current Flyweight division, it hasn't been as bad as Cleverly has been making it look. Unfortunately he's missed on defining wins over the likes of Gabriel Campillo to instead fight the likes of, uh, Shawn Hawk.
On man who did score a defining, and highly impressive victory over Campillo was Kovalev who earlier this year dismantled the talented Spanish fighter in 3, one sided rounds in a performance that really put him on the boxing map.
With the HBO hype machine well behind Kovalev his raise through the ranks has been quick. Just 2 years ago he was a relative unknown fighting Grover Young, now however he's one of the most highly rated Light Heavyweights on the planet. In fact, some people already rank Kovalev as a better fighter than Cleverly despite Cleverly's status as a world champion.
The rise from prospect to highly ranked contender took Kovalev just 18 rounds as he defeated Roman Simakov, Darnell Boone, Lionell Thompson, Campillo and most recently Cornelius White, all 5 victories coming by T/KO.
Kovalev, like both Lucas Matthysse and Gennady Golovkin has not fight changing power but fighter changing power. The power in the fists of Kovalev isn't just concussive, but is confidence destroying. He lands and a fighter who thought he could win when the first bell went suddenly realises they are in with no chance. A typically skilled boxer feels their legs turn to jelly, a brawler becomes a runner and a hunter becomes the hunter.
With Cleverly often showing a propensity to brawl he's in for trouble. He lacks the power needed to keep a world class fighter honest and Kovalev is a world class fighter with elite class power. The supposedly tough chin of Cleverly isn't just going to be checked here, but is likely going to be destroyed. The first few rounds might not see it happen but sooner or later Cleverly is going to be in a world of trouble that he simply cannot escape from.
Prediction-Kovalev TKO7
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