Not a good look for Kovalev

[Beanflicker]

Kovalev is pointing at a monkey calling it Stevenson because Stevenson is black. That's clear.

Why is that clear? Why can't it be Kovalev calling him a gorilla because he thinks he's ugly and stupid, like Ali did to Frazier?

Kovalev could very well be a horrible racist, maybe racism is more culturally accepted in Russia like Brock was saying, I just don't see why we all have to jump to conclusions. If he called Adonis a n**ger or mentioned slavery or something like that, that would be different and pretty straight forward. Calling someone a gorilla is used to insinuate someone is ugly or primitive way more than it's used as a racial slur.

[chris6878]

That is a funny pic. I think until I see more proof of his racism, Ill reserve judgment. Ive seen many people of all colors that look like primates......stevenson is one of them. Ive seen white babies that look like baby chimps.....especially since we all were once primates.

Kovalev really cant talk since he looks like a neanderthal.

[corvette]

Kovalev is pointing at a monkey calling it Stevenson because Stevenson is black. That's clear.

Why is that clear? Why can't it be Kovalev calling him a gorilla because he thinks he's ugly and stupid, like Ali did to Frazier?

Kovalev could very well be a horrible racist, maybe racism is more culturally accepted in Russia like Brock was saying, I just don't see why we all have to jump to conclusions. If he called Adonis a n**ger or mentioned slavery or something like that, that would be different and pretty straight forward. Calling someone a gorilla is used to insinuate someone is ugly or primitive way more than it's used as a racial slur.

Another keyboard coward hiding behind Ali..

Vlad and Vitali don't do shit like that.
Tszyu didn't do shit like that.
Jirov(Haymon's first fighter) didn't do shit like that.

Kovalev quickly deleted that shit..but not soon enough...so he knew it was wrong.

Dude is cheap labor..he should be trying to find out way that Gorilla makes more than he ever will

[ryanman]

Kovalev is pointing at a monkey calling it Stevenson because Stevenson is black. That's clear.

Why is that clear? Why can't it be Kovalev calling him a gorilla because he thinks he's ugly and stupid, like Ali did to Frazier?

Kovalev could very well be a horrible racist, maybe racism is more culturally accepted in Russia like Brock was saying, I just don't see why we all have to jump to conclusions. If he called Adonis a n**ger or mentioned slavery or something like that, that would be different and pretty straight forward. Calling someone a gorilla is used to insinuate someone is ugly or primitive way more than it's used as a racial slur.

Fair enough. It's possible I suppose. In UK it is definitely used as a racial slur more.

Still, if you accept the premise that it was racist in intention then saying 'double standards' because Ali did it is nonsense. That was what I was getting at.

But yeah, granted, Kovalev may or may not have meant it like that.

[IamInuit]

Kovalev is pointing at a monkey calling it Stevenson because Stevenson is black. That's clear.

Why is that clear? Why can't it be Kovalev calling him a gorilla because he thinks he's ugly and stupid, like Ali did to Frazier?

Kovalev could very well be a horrible racist, maybe racism is more culturally accepted in Russia like Brock was saying, I just don't see why we all have to jump to conclusions. If he called Adonis a n**ger or mentioned slavery or something like that, that would be different and pretty straight forward. Calling someone a gorilla is used to insinuate someone is ugly or primitive way more than it's used as a racial slur.

Fair enough. It's possible I suppose. In UK it is definitely used as a racial slur more.

Still, if you accept the premise that it was racist in intention then saying 'double standards' because Ali did it is nonsense. That was what I was getting at.

But yeah, granted, Kovalev may or may not have meant it like that.

Not sure what Ali's comments have to do with this either. Why is it people cannot simply comment on this act. John L Sullivan was a scum bag racist also. What the F does that have to do with this act on twitter? The guy put his his own comments on the thing "Adonis looks great".

[holmcall]

Black vs white = Green

[Ron Swanson]

Kovalev is pointing at a monkey calling it Stevenson because Stevenson is black. That's clear.

Why is that clear? Why can't it be Kovalev calling him a gorilla because he thinks he's ugly and stupid, like Ali did to Frazier?

Kovalev could very well be a horrible racist, maybe racism is more culturally accepted in Russia like Brock was saying, I just don't see why we all have to jump to conclusions. If he called Adonis a n**ger or mentioned slavery or something like that, that would be different and pretty straight forward. Calling someone a gorilla is used to insinuate someone is ugly or primitive way more than it's used as a racial slur.

He already had his ni**er interview a few months back. There really is no denying he's a racist.

Doesn't effect the fight, him asking to be taken from his mandatory position effects the fight. So here we have a man asking out of the fight then throwing racist barbs, that's what's worst here. If he was taking the fight who would care?

[Beanflicker]

Meh, I accept the explanation that he posted on Twitter. I've said the n-word before, you've said the n-word before, everyone reading this has said the n-word at some point. Doesn't really mean you're a true racist.

At the end of the day he's competing in a predominantly black sport. He's being trained by a black guy and there's no real way to avoid working with black people as training partners, sparring partners, ect. In boxing, you need to have good working relationships with black people. When I hear John David Jackson or some other black guy that Kovalev works extensively with come out and say "yeah he's a racist, he treated me bad, ect", then I'll believe it.

[corvette]

Meh, I accept the explanation that he posted on Twitter. I've said the n-word before, you've said the n-word before, everyone reading this has said the n-word at some point. Doesn't really mean you're a true racist.

At the end of the day he's competing in a predominantly black sport. He's being trained by a black guy and there's no real way to avoid working with black people as training partners, sparring partners, ect. In boxing, you need to have good working relationships with black people. When I hear John David Jackson or some other black guy that Kovalev works extensively with come out and say "yeah he's a racist, he treated me bad, ect", then I'll believe it.

Hopkins was called a racist despite being trained at the time by a white guy.
Floyd is called a racist despite having whites on his payroll.

But in the case of Kovalev....he can't be racist because he has Black trainers....ok whatever..

I get the feeling the only kind of racism you feel exists is reverse racism.

[beenKOed]

Meh, I accept the explanation that he posted on Twitter. I've said the n-word before, you've said the n-word before, everyone reading this has said the n-word at some point. Doesn't really mean you're a true racist.

At the end of the day he's competing in a predominantly black sport. He's being trained by a black guy and there's no real way to avoid working with black people as training partners, sparring partners, ect. In boxing, you need to have good working relationships with black people. When I hear John David Jackson or some other black guy that Kovalev works extensively with come out and say "yeah he's a racist, he treated me bad, ect", then I'll believe it.

Hopkins was called a racist despite being trained at the time by a white guy.
Floyd is called a racist despite having whites on his payroll.

But in the case of Kovalev....he can't be racist because he has Black trainers....ok whatever..

I get the feeling the only kind of racism you feel exists is reverse racism.

Just as long as everyone agrees racism and reverse racism have to end eventually.

[beenKOed]

Meh, I accept the explanation that he posted on Twitter. I've said the n-word before, you've said the n-word before, everyone reading this has said the n-word at some point. Doesn't really mean you're a true racist.

At the end of the day he's competing in a predominantly black sport. He's being trained by a black guy and there's no real way to avoid working with black people as training partners, sparring partners, ect. In boxing, you need to have good working relationships with black people. When I hear John David Jackson or some other black guy that Kovalev works extensively with come out and say "yeah he's a racist, he treated me bad, ect", then I'll believe it.

Not a true racist? It's like you are saying, a little racism, once a month is OK.
I'm as guilty as the next guy when it comes to being 'not a true racist', but I know what it is when it pops up, it's racism.
So to my way of thinking, and like you said yourself about everybody reading this having used the n-word, we all still have some work to do.
Blacks, Mexicans, Orientals, every race is racist to one degree or another, in my opinion. If it is learned or we come by it naturally, I don't know, but I'm thinking its a combination of the two.
Another thing you seem to be ignoring is that people work with people they don't like all the time! I don't think I've ever worked on a job where everyone liked everyone else. So saying Floyd or Kovalev work with whites and blacks doesn't mean much to me.
It's the money that allows us to overlook the faults of people we work with, sometimes.
One other thing I've noticed over the years, and I've seen this in blacks, whites, and Hispanics is that many people don't really care. They keep their heads down, their blinders on and just keep going. If you try get their opinion, they shrug their shoulders or shake their heads and ask what can I do.

[Beanflicker]

Not a true racist? It's like you are saying, a little racism, once a month is OK.
I'm as guilty as the next guy when it comes to being 'not a true racist', but I know what it is when it pops up, it's racism.
So to my way of thinking, and like you said yourself about everybody reading this having used the n-word, we all still have some work to do.
Blacks, Mexicans, Orientals, every race is racist to one degree or another, in my opinion. If it is learned or we come by it naturally, I don't know, but I'm thinking its a combination of the two.
Another thing you seem to be ignoring is that people work with people they don't like all the time! I don't think I've ever worked on a job where everyone liked everyone else. So saying Floyd or Kovalev work with whites and blacks doesn't mean much to me.
It's the money that allows us to overlook the faults of people we work with, sometimes.
One other thing I've noticed over the years, and I've seen this in blacks, whites, and Hispanics is that many people don't really care. They keep their heads down, their blinders on and just keep going. If you try get their opinion, they shrug their shoulders or shake their heads and ask what can I do.

Racism has a very specific definition: it's a term used to describe somebody who has true feelings of prejudice against a certain race. I can say the word "n*gger" right now, that in and of itself does not make me a racist. I can tell and/or laugh at a racist joke. Again, that in and of itself does not make me racist. You don't have to be a racist to laugh at a racist joke: most of us are aware of all the racial stereotypes, it doesn't necessarily mean we agree with them. No more so than making a "dead lawyer" joke makes me an advocate of murder, ect.

True racism is ugly, intentional and malicious. It's a guy like Donald Sterling, who refused to rent apartments to black people. It's the employer who doesn't hire the black guy because he feels the white guy would be more reliable. It's the moron who yells racial slurs at a black person in public, or one of those football hooligans who throws bananas at the black players. These people are true racist scum who should be shunned. Like I said, "racist" is a serious title to give somebody, and when you throw it around as easily as people tend to now a days it cheapens the word. Do I think some guy going for a silly "gorilla" joke, blissfully unaware of the racial context of the insult, should be lumped in with the people I mentioned above? Of course not. None of us know if Kovalev is a racist, so why throw the word around?

[Beanflicker]

That being said, I will concede that yes, Kovalev having a black trainer doesn't necessarily mean he's not a racist, and that for all we know John David Jackson puts up with horrible racist behaviour from Kovalev for the sake of a pay cheque. That's certainly possible.

I do believe that the relationship between trainer and fighter is usually a very close one, and if Kovalev hated blacks as much as people seem to believe, I question why he wouldn't just get another trainer? There are a ton of amazing non-black trainers out there who would love to work with a champion and possible world beater like Kovalev: trainers with much deeper resumes than JDJ.

[Freedom]

[corvette]

That being said, I will concede that yes, Kovalev having a black trainer doesn't necessarily mean he's not a racist, and that for all we know John David Jackson puts up with horrible racist behaviour from Kovalev for the sake of a pay cheque. That's certainly possible.

I do believe that the relationship between trainer and fighter is usually a very close one, and if Kovalev hated blacks as much as people seem to believe, I question why he wouldn't just get another trainer? There are a ton of amazing non-black trainers out there who would love to work with a champion and possible world beater like Kovalev: trainers with much deeper resumes than JDJ.

Yet people called Hopkins racist while he was trained by a white guy.