Sergey Kovalev vs. Bernard Hopkins: who wins?

[armin]

I think this will be super interesting to watch, possibly 100% boring if hopkins grinds out a win, but even if he is grinding towards a close points win there is always going to be the thought that kovalev will knock him senseless, I hope this happens and I really like b-hop but i think this may be too much for him, hopkins is definently ageing but hats off to the guy for taking this and even better for taking the initiative to get this fight, his mind games are as good as they come i think.

If pascal knocks you down kovalev knocks you the f out

[Rantcatrat]

One more thing to think about with regard to this fight. Maybe Hopkins took the fight to support his company, Golden Boy, because it puts them back in the HBO game that they were out of when they were aligned with Haymon.

[Rantcatrat]

Krusher opens as a favorite.

[mikeeod]

[QUOTE=armin;1261973]

I think this will be super interesting to watch, possibly 100% boring if hopkins grinds out a win, but even if he is grinding towards a close points win there is always going to be the thought that kovalev will knock him senseless, I hope this happens and I really like b-hop but i think this may be too much for him, hopkins is definently ageing but hats off to the guy for taking this and even better for taking the initiative to get this fight, his mind games are as good as they come i think.

If pascal knocks you down kovalev knocks you the f out[/QUOTE]

Have to disagree. Pascal was very athletic, fast, strong, and powerful. Kovalev is VERY strong and powerful, but his reminds me of a larger Kelly Pavilik. Basically, a consistent, straight ahead fighter who stalks his opponent and walks them down looking to land the big right. Tito was similar but he had the left hook. All three have solid fundamentals and are TOUGH fighters with HUGE punches, but Hop has a great chin, great defense, and is a master at taking away a guy's big weapon and making them feel uncomfortable/ineffective and frustrated. At Hops age though, with Kov's big punch, anything can happen. I will be betting on Hop though... (hope to make some more money like I did with him vs. Tito, Tarver, and Pavilik!)

[Rantcatrat]

[QUOTE=mikeeod;1262070]

I think this will be super interesting to watch, possibly 100% boring if hopkins grinds out a win, but even if he is grinding towards a close points win there is always going to be the thought that kovalev will knock him senseless, I hope this happens and I really like b-hop but i think this may be too much for him, hopkins is definently ageing but hats off to the guy for taking this and even better for taking the initiative to get this fight, his mind games are as good as they come i think.

If pascal knocks you down kovalev knocks you the f out[/QUOTE]

Have to disagree. Pascal was very athletic, fast, strong, and powerful. Kovalev is VERY strong and powerful, but his reminds me of a larger Kelly Pavilik. Basically, a consistent, straight ahead fighter who stalks his opponent and walks them down looking to land the big right. Tito was similar but he had the left hook. All three have solid fundamentals and are TOUGH fighters with HUGE punches, but Hop has a great chin, great defense, and is a master at taking away a guy's big weapon and making them feel uncomfortable/ineffective and frustrated. At Hops age though, with Kov's big punch, anything can happen. I will be betting on Hop though... (hope to make some more money like I did with him vs. Tito, Tarver, and Pavilik!)

I have to respectfully disagree. Kovalev is no Pavlik. Pavlik had a tough one-two, but Kovalev has a whole arsenal of punches and he loves to go to the body, which Pavlik didn't. In other words, Pavlik was somewhat methodical and Kovalev isn't. Look at the straight right to the liver on a southpaw that essentially knocked out Caparello last weekend and the right hand to the side of the head that knocked out the Black Russian. Also, Pavlik had power at 160 that didn't show up when he moved to 168 and 170. Kovalev has real light heavyweight power. In other words, Kovalev has one-punch knockout power; Pavlik had accumulated power. The only similarities are that they are offensive and fight coming forward and aren't especially fast.

I don't disagree, however, about Hopkins winning. Hopkins has lost to Dawson and Calzaghe over the last few years. Both had speed advantages and volume advantages that Hopkins couldn't match. Everyone else Hopkins has faced recently, he's beat. The question in this fight is whether Kovalev can catch Hopkins with something mean. If he can, fight goes his way. If he can't, fights goes to Hopkins.

[Hulk]

[QUOTE=Rantcatrat;1262087]

I think this will be super interesting to watch, possibly 100% boring if hopkins grinds out a win, but even if he is grinding towards a close points win there is always going to be the thought that kovalev will knock him senseless, I hope this happens and I really like b-hop but i think this may be too much for him, hopkins is definently ageing but hats off to the guy for taking this and even better for taking the initiative to get this fight, his mind games are as good as they come i think.

If pascal knocks you down kovalev knocks you the f out[/QUOTE]

Have to disagree. Pascal was very athletic, fast, strong, and powerful. Kovalev is VERY strong and powerful, but his reminds me of a larger Kelly Pavilik. Basically, a consistent, straight ahead fighter who stalks his opponent and walks them down looking to land the big right. Tito was similar but he had the left hook. All three have solid fundamentals and are TOUGH fighters with HUGE punches, but Hop has a great chin, great defense, and is a master at taking away a guy's big weapon and making them feel uncomfortable/ineffective and frustrated. At Hops age though, with Kov's big punch, anything can happen. I will be betting on Hop though... (hope to make some more money like I did with him vs. Tito, Tarver, and Pavilik!)

I have to respectfully disagree. Kovalev is no Pavlik. Pavlik had a tough one-two, but Kovalev has a whole arsenal of punches and he loves to go to the body, which Pavlik didn't. In other words, Pavlik was somewhat methodical and Kovalev isn't. Look at the straight right to the liver on a southpaw that essentially knocked out Caparello last weekend and the right hand to the side of the head that knocked out the Black Russian. Also, Pavlik had power at 160 that didn't show up when he moved to 168 and 170. Kovalev has real light heavyweight power. In other words, Kovalev has one-punch knockout power; Pavlik had accumulated power. The only similarities are that they are offensive and fight coming forward and aren't especially fast.

I don't disagree, however, about Hopkins winning. Hopkins has lost to Dawson and Calzaghe over the last few years. Both had speed advantages and volume advantages that Hopkins couldn't match. Everyone else Hopkins has faced recently, he's beat. The question in this fight is whether Kovalev can catch Hopkins with something mean. If he can, fight goes his way. If he can't, fights goes to Hopkins.

An economical KO puncher who walks his man down is a very enticing target for Bernard Hopkins. He won't make Bernard take the lead, wear him out with volume or outspeed him.


Kovalev can cut the ring down well, but Hopkins doesn't run, so that's not a big issue. Hopkins attacks, clinches, circles, counters, feints, rinse and repeat.