World Boxing Organization (WBO) light heavyweight champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev and World Boxing Association (WBA) light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol will defend their titles against separate opponents on August 4 in the first boxing event at the newly opened Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, NJ. Kovalev faces Eleider “Storm” Alvarez while Bivol meets Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba.

If both are successful, Bivol sees a showdown with Kovalev on the horizon. “Most likely this fight is gonna happen,” says Bivol, “since both Sergey and I are HBO boxers and as long as that’s what the people want, most likely the fight will happen. Me and Sergey will make sure to give this fight to the people. And as far as it goes for winning on the 4th, of course I do believe in my victory on the 4th of August.”

Kovalev stated, “I’m ready to fight any champion, because my goal is to get all four titles, to be undisputed champion.”

Aa for their fights on August 4th…

Bivol stated “I respect Isaac Chilemba because he took many fights against the best fighters like Sergey Kovalev. He fought for three belts with Sergey Kovalev and this fight was 12 rounds. I know he has good experience. He can move backward and he can move forward. He can fight all 12 rounds. Of course, he is a serious opponent for me. But I believe in my victory because I have a good team and I had a good training camp. I won my belt and want to keep it a long time. I don’t want to give my belt to someone.”

Kovalev commented, “I can say about Alvarez that I’m waiting for a very interesting fight and I am sure that it’s gonna be not easy to fight Alvarez, because he is undefeated and he’s number one in the WBC. Stevenson avoided him already like two or three times and he’s the proof that [Stevenson] is scared. But I’m not scared of him and I’m interested to fight him and get the victory over him.”