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This could be a very interesting fight. As much as I love Hopkins, I don't know if anyone can get by Kovalev. I didn't think Kovalev would be able to beat Ishmail Sallakh but he crushed him in 2 rounds.
Yeah. I had BHop beating Stevenson but this is a whole different story. Tough call.
What an amazing accomplishment though that a 50 year old man would be fighting the toughest challenge available(and one of the most avoided punchers in the sport) to fight for his THIRD title.
On a side note, LOL at Stevenson ducking Kov then dragging his feet at a Hopkins unification bout.
Kovalev hasn't really impressed me much outside of his punching power. His skills are limited and he hasn't fought a top tier opponent yet. Of course there aren't many top tier opponents at 175, but he still looks stiff and limited to me. Hopkins sees his and smells blood.
The way to beat Hopkins is constant pressure. Take him out of his comfort zone and push him beyond his limits. That means a high volume of punches and working his body. Make him work hard in the early rounds and drain him. That's what Calzaghe did. You can't allow Hopkins to dictate the pace.
Kovalev is a hard puncher but his defense is suspect and he still fights stiff. He is not very good at cutting off he ring which is what he will need to do against Hopkins. He will need to throw about 70 or more punches per round and not let up.
If he does apply pressure and push Hopkins to his limits Bernard will resort to his dirty tactics and try looking for help from the ref. I'm not a fan of Hopkins but he is a very smart fighter and knows how to exploit weaknesses and use every possible advantage. After his rematch with Roy Jones and his theatrics in the ring I lost interest in his fights.
Location: Central Texas. Wait, I mean South Texas. Actually, both Central and South Texas
317 posts, read 574,061 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Coolhand68
Kovalev hasn't really impressed me much outside of his punching power. His skills are limited and he hasn't fought a top tier opponent yet. Of course there aren't many top tier opponents at 175, but he still looks stiff and limited to me. Hopkins sees his and smells blood.
His skills aren't limted, he just hasn't had an opportunity to display them because he is destroying people in the first two rounds. His punching power is not normal, sort of like GGG. I really think he is going to hurt Hopkins badly. Hopkins is a legend, but his age is going to catch up with him eventually.
His skills aren't limted, he just hasn't had an opportunity to display them because he is destroying people in the first two rounds. His punching power is not normal, sort of like GGG. I really think he is going to hurt Hopkins badly. Hopkins is a legend, but his age is going to catch up with him eventually.
I agree. Kovalev just seems like a steamroller right now, but we'll see how he deals with the dirty tactics of B-Hop. Much respect to the old man, especially after knocking down Shumenov, but I think Kovalev will be too much for him to handle.
His skills aren't limted, he just hasn't had an opportunity to display them because he is destroying people in the first two rounds. His punching power is not normal, sort of like GGG. I really think he is going to hurt Hopkins badly. Hopkins is a legend, but his age is going to catch up with him eventually.
I'm no fan of Hopkins, in fact I think he is way overrated, dirty, and dull. However, he is a crafty veteran and a good boxer. Kovalev is a typical Euro-robot, who fights stiff and looks uncoordinated when pressed. I think Hopkins can find a way to stay on the outside, pot shot, and perhaps even find a way to keep Kovalev from steamrolling forward. I think this fight will resemble the Kelly Pavlik fight. Pavlik was another over hyped one dimensional fighter who threw a left jab and straight right hand with the occasional body shot. I would love to see Kovalev KO Hopkins and send his punk ass into retirement, but I'm not sure he has what it takes, but as with any fight he does have a punchers chance.
I'm no fan of Hopkins, in fact I think he is way overrated, dirty, and dull. However, he is a crafty veteran and a good boxer. Kovalev is a typical Euro-robot, who fights stiff and looks uncoordinated when pressed. I think Hopkins can find a way to stay on the outside, pot shot, and perhaps even find a way to keep Kovalev from steamrolling forward. I think this fight will resemble the Kelly Pavlik fight. Pavlik was another over hyped one dimensional fighter who threw a left jab and straight right hand with the occasional body shot. I would love to see Kovalev KO Hopkins and send his punk ass into retirement, but I'm not sure he has what it takes, but as with any fight he does have a punchers chance.
I have heard others making this parallel, but Pavlik was a weight class down and does not have Kovalev's insane power. Also, Hopkins is quite a few years older now.
Location: Central Texas. Wait, I mean South Texas. Actually, both Central and South Texas
317 posts, read 574,061 times
Reputation: 383
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coolhand68
I'm no fan of Hopkins, in fact I think he is way overrated, dirty, and dull. However, he is a crafty veteran and a good boxer. Kovalev is a typical Euro-robot, who fights stiff and looks uncoordinated when pressed. I think Hopkins can find a way to stay on the outside, pot shot, and perhaps even find a way to keep Kovalev from steamrolling forward. I think this fight will resemble the Kelly Pavlik fight. Pavlik was another over hyped one dimensional fighter who threw a left jab and straight right hand with the occasional body shot. I would love to see Kovalev KO Hopkins and send his punk ass into retirement, but I'm not sure he has what it takes, but as with any fight he does have a punchers chance.
I agree with cachibatches. Kovalev has much more power than Pavlik ever had and Hopkins is older now.
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