This Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, a match up will take place between a man from another planet, and his counterpart, another man who seemingly has one punch power that is also out of this world.
The 49 years young Bernard ‘The Alien’ Hopkins (55-6-2 KO 32, KO% 49.23) has chosen the sternest task he could have possibly taken, as ‘BHop’ attempts to add another belt to his current light heavyweight collection. Hopkins at this time holds the WBA (Super), in addition to the IBF light heavyweight strap.
Sergey ‘Krusher’ Kovalev (25-0 -1 KO 23, KO% 88.46) is the holder of the WBO World light heavyweight championship belt. Kovalev is the betting favorite to come out of this bout with all three World titles draped around his body.
Has Hopkins bitten off more than he can chew with the dangerous Kovalev? Most are seeming to say yes, but some are not so sure. Team Hopkins may well have spotted something they can work with, regarding Kovalev. A chink in the armour of Sergey Kovalev?
Kovalev, at times, is quite crude in the ring. The Russian hitman, seems to be capable of walking through whatever is presented before him and in turn, retaliate with his own barrage of heavy duty shots. The hard hitting ‘Krusher’ normally doesn’t have to land many more than a few of his sickening blows before the opponent is either dazed and confused, or left in a crumpled heap on the canvas.
Hopkins has been a great boxer throughout his career and has some great wins. The American elder statesman, will without a shadow of a doubt, one day be inducted into the ‘Hall Of Fame’ and deservedly so. You don’t get to 49 years of age and still be able to do enough to negate all the younger pretenders to his throne, without having some serious talent. Not only the talent part, also a great deal of hunger, determination, fitness and dedication to your craft. Hopkins has lived the life.
I see this fight only going one way.
Even with all that Bernard Hopkins can do to stop the other man opposite him from putting on him, I just don’t think it will suffice, to keep Kovalev off him enough to make it through to the final bell. I can see Kovalev getting at least a few bombs in early, even with the ‘Alien’s’ terrific defensive abilities, I just see ‘Krusher’ getting through and planting one right on the target. Kovalev will look to get Hopkins to move around a lot and test his 49 year old legs. I think this will be the key factor.
Just how long can Bernard Hopkins legs carry him away from the clubbing hands of Sergey Kovalev? If Kovalev looks to go to the body of Hopkins, in order to get the older man’s hands down, the Russian may have some joy.
If Hopkins does adopt the strategy he has used on more than one occasion, of using somewhat underhand tactics, and possibly looking for the exit door when he feels he can’t compete with his fellow combatant, I just feel this won’t have an effect on Kovalev.
I just can’t see ‘Krusher’ getting drawn into a Hopkins style fight at any stage. Whatever Hopkins does choose to do to try and evade the onslaught from Sergey Kovalev, I honestly can’t see any of that working. Kovalev, for me, will just keep swinging until he hits something. If this bout does end up with Hopkins being awarded a points victory on the scorecards, I will be massively shocked.
I am firmly behind a Sergey Kovalev stoppage. I believe that the bout will be called to a halt mid rounds, possibly slightly earlier, maybe the 4th or 5th round. I will add that it may not be the referee that stops the action.
Let’s just hope that whatever happens on Saturday night, Bernard Hopkins comes out of the showdown with his integrity intact. I think he deserves that, at the very least. Hopkins did not have to take this fight, and whatever you may think of the 49 year old ‘Alien’ like him or not, he should be shown huge respect.
The bout will be aired live on HBO tonight at 10:45 p.m. ET.
Huge props to him for taking on Ivan Drago, but any intergrity he had left was left in tatters after his schocking, disgraceful, disgusting antics in the white boy fight Or was it the Dawson fight? Or the Jones rematch….
Or the Calzaghe bout also!
I could go on.
You see what I mean though, I just don’t want Bernard to disgrace himself if Kovalev, does prove to be too much and look for the exit door too blatantly! 😉
Ahh shit! That was the white boy bout! Ha!
I myself also believe Hopkins will try to find a way out once he sees that Kovalev is too much for him. I look for Bernard to attempt to tackle Kovalev and then pretend he injured himself. He’s won’t walk out as the winner
I have a feeling Naazim Richardson will stop the fight.
Just a feeling I have.
Hopkins is very overrated and people only like him because of his age. The fact of the matter is that he is boring and is a very dirty fighter. People give him a pass just because he’s old and they let him get away with all sorts of bullshit in the ring where other fighters would be heavily penalized. He can be as dirty as he wants tonight but it won’t help him. Hopkins seems to forget that Sergey killed a man in the ring before and that didn’t affect him one bit. Good luck getting under his skin bernie. Get that stretcher ready.