Long time middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins has revitalized himself at 175 pounds by winning the WBA and IBF belts with a stated goals of winning all four (we recognize only three) major organization belts at that weight.
Wins over Tavoris Cloud (a bigger win at the time than it turned out to be) and Beibut Shumenov garnered two titles,but most thought the end game was the WBC champion (and lineal champion) Adonis Stevenson,who had viciously knocked out Chad Dawson in one round.
The same Dawson,who had decisioned Hopkins in a bout that was thought to be Hopkins' exit stage right moment from the boxing stage,so Stevenson-Hopkins was looked at to be too much for the "Executioner turned Alien".
Stevenson isn't much bigger than Hopkins naturally,so at least that bout made sense to make,especially with Hopkins winning two belts.
So that bout appeared to be the bout that was made after Stevenson leaped to Showtime where Hopkins had made his TV home,
Few saw it coming when Hopkins passed on Stevenson to battle the one man that didn't seem to fit the plan-WBO champ Sergey Kovalev.
Kovalev wasn't promoted by Golden Boy,was with rival television network HBO and was showing the kind of devastating power that hadn't been seen in the division since the days of Michael Spinks
Signing for the Kovalev bout showed that Hopkins was serious about his goal even if it meant signing to fight on HBO to get the belt.
Whether Bernard Hopkins wins this fight or not,you have to give full credit to him for taking the bout that he never had to take-credit that cannot be given to Adonis Stevenson-more here.
The problem for Hopkins now becomes this-Sergey Kovalev.
Hopkins has consistently defeated fighters that he was the underdog against,fighters that had a huge advantage in age (Bernard Hopkins is three years OLDER than me!) but for the first time,he is facing a devastating puncher that is a natural at the weight that the bout is held at and Hopkins continues to get older.
Is this the fight that Bernard Hopkins finally goes away in?
I think-yes.if.
Sergey Kovalev fights his fight,doesn't let Bernard Hopkins get into his head and uses the talents that got him here-I think Kovalev wins.
In fact,I've even seen this fight before- A strong powerhouse Russian against a proud and aging champion?
There are two other bouts today for the boxing challenge with one from Europe and the other on the HBO telecast.
The challenge currently stands with R.L.Malpica leading 61-59.
WBA and IBF Lt.Heavyweight titles.12 rds
Bernard Hopkins vs Sergey Kovalev
TRS:Kovalev KO 8
R.L:Kovalev KO 9
Welterweights.10 rds
Luis Abregu vs Sadam Ali
TRS: Abregu unanimous decision
R.L: Abregu KO 6
Super Middleweights. 12 rds
Felix Sturm vs Robert Steglitz
TRS; Steglitz unanimous decision
R.L: Sturm unanimous decision
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