Photos: Tom Hogan-Hoganphotos/Golden Boy
WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (34-3-1, 29 KOs), hosted a media workout yesterday at the Boxing Laboratory in Oxnard, Calif. ahead of his November 2 bout against Canelo Alvarez (51-1-2, 34 KOs).
Below are quotes from yesterday’s workout:
Sergey Kovalev
“Canelo has nothing to lose in this fight. He has a chance to make history. But I have to defend my title. This is the biggest fight of my career. I’ve never been in this situation, where someone is coming from middleweight. I’m not going to make a prediction, but I am going to go in there and defend my title.”
“I think Canelo will be just as strong at light heavyweight. I think he will weigh the same as me, 175 pounds. He will be heavier than usual, but I think he will be comfortable. When you lose weight for a fight, you lose power and stamina, and he won’t have to do that.”
“My preparation has been well. We have a great camp with Buddy McGirt. I had a short rest since my last fight. But I think that’s better. My body feels really good, and I’m ready for this fight. This fight will be very interesting. It has a worldwide intrigue. I can’t wait.”
Trainer Buddy McGirt
“Everything has been great, thank God. I can’t complain. The training is running on time. Camp has been great because we haven’t been looking at Canelo like the smaller guy. We’re not looking to go into this fight as the bigger, stronger guy. We’re looking to go in there as the better and smarter fighter.”
“People have been asking about Canelo’s body attack. But nobody likes getting hit to the body. I don’t care who you are. But the thing is this: What’s going to happen when Canelo gets hit to the body? Guys that like to go to the body, don’t like it when you to go to their body.”
Promoter Kathy Duva
“This is one of the most intriguing fights I’ve ever seen, let alone made. You have a guy in Canelo who is a great body puncher, and maybe that plays into Sergey’s Achille’s heel, shall we say. In Sergey, you have someone with the hardest and most accurate jab in the sport. I’ve seen that be a problem for Canelo as well. They both have a strength that will play into the other guy’s vulnerability. They’re both very smart. They’re both great fighters, and they both want to test themselves.”
“You don’t get fights like this that often. I’ve been doing this for over 40 years, and you just don’t get that many fights where it’s just two people testing each other to find out who is best. It’s wonderful.”
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It sounds more like appreciation for the situation than a reigning Champion preparing to defend his title, its almost as if Kovalev was fighting for Canelo’s LHW crown. I’m not feeling any confidence at all from the Krusher.
….that’s because the “Krusher” doesn’t exist anymore.
It’s just Kovalev now – an old fighter who has has serious debts to pay, and therefore needs the fight. In addition to financial problems, he also has a drinking problem, which is speeding up his aging process.
I knew nothing of his financial or drinking problems, but he looks like an old, defeated man in that picture. He looked great against Yarde just a couple months ago. I’ll just call it a bad photo, but I still feel Canelo is going to kick his ass!
I think one thing McGirt will be teaching to Kovalev will be the “squat” defense against Canelo’s body punches. Recall when Arturo Gatti fought Micky Ward in the second fight 17 years ago? McGirt had Gatti bending at the knees so Ward’s famous left hook to the body was caught on the arm/shoulder. It is much harder to get that good body shot in when the target drops below waist level. The difference though is that Kovalev is much taller than Canelo whereas Gatti and Ward were closer in height. It will be harder for Kovalev to employ this tactic. He has to do something though because if Canelo starts landing consistently to the body it’s over.
Kovalev has already lost by his demeanor.
The only way Kovalev can avoid Canelo’s deadly body attack is wearing the trunks higher than normal, maybe up to his arm pits.
Who knows if that was stipulated in the contract
LOL
I can’t wait for this fight. What a dangerous move for Canelo. Canelo has a great body attack but that may not translate at 175lbs. Kovalev has such a power jab that it could wear Canelo very early in this fight. He may start to complain about cramps early in this one due to those jabs. I’m putting this fight at 50-50 despite what a lot of people are going to say about how Kovalev is washed up and Canelo has the judges. The reason why Canelo gets the decisions is because he gets fighters to fight his fight. That may not be the case against Kovalev.
Kovalev used to have a power jab, now he just has a good jab unfortunately. But let’s see, maybe he has that one good fight left in him.
This is a big fight
This is an absolutely meaningless fight :))
I don’t believe Kovalev lost the 2nd Ward fight the way they made it out to be. He was hurt by a head shot, and a few body shots and head shots (1:15 to :49 seconds of round 8, 2nd fight), but he was KO’d/stopped by low blows. round 8, kovalev vs ward 2, Ward low blows, at these points in the round: 2:11, 1:47 and 1:46 (on the white belt line), 1:39, :44, :37, :36, :35. The last 4 low blows are what finished Kovalev in the 2nd fight. And he didn’t really lose the 1st Ward fight. His real loss, he avenged that. So Kovalev will be trained well for this fight, and he moved on from the Ward and Álvarez fights.
I agree he def won the first one and there were like 2 shots that were rather low in the 2nd fight. But I’m a Ward fan and predicted the stoppage so I was happy. LOL
I see Canelo trying endlesly to go to the body but that opens up shots for Kov up top. If i were McGirt, i wld not only work on Body protection but also on timing.If he can time Canelo jus right, Kov could have himself a devistating KO against Canelo
This fight will go the distance and at best Kovalev gets a Draw. Then he can lose the rematch by somewhat controversial Decision.
Canelo doesn’t hit hard at Middleweight, so why does anyone think he’ll punish Kovalev. His speed will allow him opportunities to get past the stiff jab and I think his chin will handle the power, but this fight will end in controversy (mark my words).
As for Kovalev’s remarks sounding too respectful or even timid…he knows who the cash cow is and doesn’t want to scare him away. Who knows, he might milk 3 fights out of Canelo? All he has to do is be nice. Lol
Kovalev by Knock out!!
Damn! he looks old.
That’s because he drinks too much.
Everyone keeps talking about Canelo going to the body. If Kovalev is smart when Canelo does get close all he has to do is tie him up in a clinch. Just keep doing that all night. Then when thhe ref breaks it up just keep Canelo at a distance with the Jab.