BOXNATION - RED MIST - Cleverly v Kovalev Saturday Night Fight CHAT THREAD

[Fenster]

Game plan - just keep your hands up, let him hit you, he's never gone past 8 and will fold.

Bernard Hopkins said about Cleverly - he doesn't understand defense, he just blocks punches with his arms. Respect.

Issue is when ya punch like kovalev it don't matter if the dude has his hands up, in the first round his hand were up yet his had was still snapping back.

Haha just actually got what ya sayin

No I'm saying Clev's team gameplan was stupid. Cleverly was barely throwing a punch, which is not the norm, because they thought get Kov in the later rounds and they'll beat him. But Cleverly has NEVER been hard to hit so just turned into a punch bag

[Gandalf]

I'm disappointed with that performance. Cleverly just had no idea what to do and was flopping around like a fish. The commentator talks about granite chins, but a granite chinned fighter doesn't get stopped in 4. If anything Cleverly perhaps reminds me more of Enzo Mac rather than Joe Calzaghe.

A terrible showing and you have a hard time seeing Cleverly doing all that much now that the chin has been checked.

I think you have to give Kovalev a bit more credit. Yes Cleverly didn't box to plan but he was never going to be Joe. Kovalev is VERY good. Cleverlys dad is a dick.

No, fair play to him and his power is clearly unpleasant, but Cleverly never really showed any gears or versatility. He started cautiously and as soon as he was hurt he lost it. He could have retreated and tried to survive the 3rd round and just clear his head, but instead he got himself brained and in boxing you have to have savvy otherwise you are just another number, which might well turn out to be the case. I just think it is such a shame.

It's sad that Cleverly is more Enzo Mac than Joe Calzaghe. He was utterly. Still, you are right Kovalev deserves his credit and though I don't think he can box especially well, he will fuck you up given the slightest sniff. If anything Hopkins should avoid this fight, but it would be fascinating to see if he can play the matador.

What makes you say he can't box well Granted all his fights almost end up by ko within three, but he rarely looses a round actually. He's not a crude brawler and say what you want that clev wasn't himself or some shit he not only got kod he got outboxed and outworked.

From what I have seen, he is a heavy handed fighter, but I haven't seen a skillset that particularly stands out. He isn't exactly Peter Manfredo in terms of skills, but I am not exactly seeing Floyd Mayweather either. He is clearly a decent fighter, but my perception is that he seems like someone who can be outboxed. His footwork isn't great, is heavy handed and searches for the KO and I think a clever boxer can use that against him and moreso if you can take him into the deep rounds without taking too much.

Cleverly didn't fight a smart fight and that is obvious. In saying that there are fighters who would give Kovalev more difficult stylistic issues and Hopkins is an obvious case in point. I can see movement, potshotting and clinching (which is what Hopkins loves best) causing Kovalev headaches. Even now I prefer Cleverly's style against Hopkins rather than that of Kovalev.

[Spicoli]

I respect Cleverly for taking the fight.

But I'd also like to allow all the ones who called Kovalev "an American hype job" or a one dimensional puncher who is only pushed by NBC etc etc a moment to eat their words.

[ryanman]

Anyone must be crazy to compare him to calzaghe.

JC would have been too quick and smart but who knows of the outcome.

Makes you appreciate JC as a boxer regardless of the fights he might have missed.

Kovalev would need to be 40 years old before Calzaghe gets in the ring with him

Calzaghe would still be toying with him now.

[ryanman]

Game plan - just keep your hands up, let him hit you, he's never gone past 8 and will fold.

Bernard Hopkins said about Cleverly - he doesn't understand defense, he just blocks punches with his arms. Respect.

Issue is when ya punch like kovalev it don't matter if the dude has his hands up, in the first round his hand were up yet his had was still snapping back.

Haha just actually got what ya sayin

No I'm saying Clev's team gameplan was stupid. Cleverly was barely throwing a punch, which is not the norm, because they thought get Kov in the later rounds and they'll beat him. But Cleverly has NEVER been hard to hit so just turned into a punch bag

Yep. Cleverly was never going to be one that could intelligently give a guy a few rounds. There is a difference between standing off and being a punch bag.

[imp]

Anyone must be crazy to compare him to calzaghe.

JC would have been too quick and smart but who knows of the outcome.

Makes you appreciate JC as a boxer regardless of the fights he might have missed.

Kovalev would need to be 40 years old before Calzaghe gets in the ring with him

Its a shame calzaghe gets that abuse but some of it is warranted.

Either way, kovalev is not exactly the finished article and has alot to learn with other aspects of his game..power isnt one of them.

[CFH]

Cleverly has been a knockout waiting to happen, but it sounds like Kovalev looked really good. I amvlooking forward to seeing the fight.

[Dia bando]

Kovalev is the real deal, Cleverly has a good chin but Kovalev must punch like a MONSTER,
one more very dangers Eastern block fighter.!
Trouble is who will want to fight Kovalev, can't see many lining up to face him a beast.

[VG_Addict]

I hope Stevenson beats Cloud, JUST so Stevenson-Kovalev could happen.

[Freedom]

[Spicoli]

The insight of Roy Jones in the 3rd...."only the right of Kovalev has effect right now, everything else he throws is dead" . Just aired the replay. That was power boxing 101. Clev looked psyched out from the opening bell. Brutal!

[lawman]

The fight was stopped just before the bell at the end of the third. There should never have been a fourth round, I can't think of another fight with two stoppages. Clev could had been hurt in the fourth a real possibility given the state he was in.

[Master]

The stoppage was made at the right time. Clev looked poor reliant on his chin too much. Kovalev was smart creating the room to throw his bombs to destroy Cleverly.

[iwng100]

I hope Stevenson beats Cloud, JUST so Stevenson-Kovalev could happen.

This would be interesting but I don’t think Stevenson chin would hold up, I rather prefer Froch vs. Kovalev to happen.

[Chomsky Acolyte]

At first, I thought Cleverly had the right idea - pop the jab, keep the hands up high and move backwards. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't stay out of punching range. Even when he was on the defensive, Kovalev could always reach him.

Ideally, Cleverly would have concentrated on jabs and body shots, while staying away and forcing Kovalev to follow him around and expend some energy by missing his power-shots. Kovalev has never been dragged into deep waters and any success Cleverly could have would have been over the second half of the fight. He just wasn't capable though and even the shots he was blocking were having an effect.

I was surprised Cleverly took this fight because Kovalev looked like a monster and, truth be told, it looked like man vs boy in there.