Review by AllTheBestFights.com: 2018-08-04, good fight between Sergey Kovalev and Eleider Alvarez: it gets three stars.The current Wbo and Iba light-Hw champion Sergey Kovalev entered this fight with a pro boxing record of 32-2-1 (28 KOs=87%) and he is ranked as the No.2 light heavyweight in the world (currently the #1 in this division is Adonis Stevenson). “Krusher” Kovalev lost two consecutive bouts between 2016 and 2017, both with Andre Ward (Kovalev vs Ward I and Ward vs Kovalev II) but then he has beat Vyacheslav Shabranskyy (Sergey Kovalev vs Vyacheslav Shabranskyy) and Igor Mikhalkin (Sergey Kovalev vs Igor Mikhalkin).
His opponent, the undefeated former Olympian Eleider Alvarez, has a perfect record of 23-0-0 (11 knockouts) but he is not ranked as he hasn’t fought since June 3, 2017 when he defeated Jean Pascal (Eleider Alvarez vs Jean Pascal); before this bout, in 2017, he had also beat Lucian Bute (Alvarez vs Bute). Kovalev vs Alvarez is valid for the IBA and WBO World light heavyweight titles. Watch the video and rate this fight!
Date: 2018-08-04
Where: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
Division: light heavyweight (175 lbs, 79.4 kg)
Title: IBA and WBO World light heavyweight titles
Kovalev’s previous fight: Sergey Kovalev vs Igor Mikhalkin
Alvarez’s previous fight: Eleider Alvarez vs Jean Pascal
Their’s next fight: Eleider Alvarez vs Sergey Kovalev 2
Kovalev vs Alvarez full fight video:
(Free embeddable video hosted on Youtube and not uploaded by AllTheBestFights)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhxiNq1-lcY
Thanks to Mattsnow for the link
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x71lt7f
Official highlights
Finally Alvarez gets a shot at a big name (since Chickenson always paid him step-aside money because he was his numero uno contender for 4 years) What a great moment!
Agree. Finally contention of a best light heavyweight can start. Chickenson and coWard are a shame to black boxing. This guy is for real and we can hopefully look forward to see who the best guy see. I cannot count with KOvalev I guess since his loss he won’t have the mental toughness. He did well when he stormed boxers but this caution first isn’t doing him any favors. T
So who is it gonna be? Bivol, betterbiev or Alvarez or even Gvozdyk??
Shame to black boxing? You sound like a dumb*ss? Ward is an all time great boxer and had an amazing career. BTW, Ward and Stevenson represent boxing not “black” boxing. They are from two different countries and fight for some racial pride.
Beautiful work by Alvarez to finish after enduring a couple of painful rounds. Kovalev looked like he was breaking down his man, and he grew overconfident and careless. Alvarez kept looking for his moment even while taking big shots — that’s a champion.
Huge upset! A brilliant performance by the very underated Alvarez. As a Montrealer, I’ve been following his career closely since he turned pro and I must admit his low level of activity had me believing he’d get krushed like many before. I want to underline the fact that it was Ramsay’s second attempt at Kovalev (1st was Kovalev-Pascal I). This time, his strategy worked perfectly. Since I watched the Russian broadcast, I don’t know if HBO had an interpreter to translate Ramsay’s advices, but they were all always spot on and executed like a chef d’oeuvre. In the first rounds, he asked Alvarez to move his feet, move his head, make him miss and make him pay, but don’t go all in until later in the rounds. Before what would become the last round, he said: “We have him exactly where we want, it’s time for what we’ve been working on in the gym all this time. Keep your guard very High and go for the homerun!”. I said to myself this could turn ugly for Alvarez. But it worked like magic! Hats off guys! UOTY? ;)
Great to get the inside scoop on what Ramsay said. Thanks, Olivier!
How do you see the race in the division shaping up now? Assuming Kovalev is done as anything more than a gatekeeper, and Superman is on his last legs, who matches up well with Alvarez? The young, impressive Bivol looked sharp but not flawless against Chilemba. Beterbiev?
Good question! With this spectacular win against Kovalev, Alvarez will probably make an optional (read safe) defense in a sold out Centre Bell in Montréal before the end of 2018. After that, he might try to unify against Beterbiev. I’m pretty sure Yvon Michel will want some kind of revenge after all the contract issues he’s had with the Russian. Or, he could fight Stevenson, but Michel won’t make it happen. In order To retain his newly acquired title, I believe Alvarez should avoid Bivol who has a superior technique in my opinion. Yarde, Browne or Barrera are also in the race. What do you think?
I defer to your judgment on this one. I really don’t know Alvarez or the management issues involved, so I’m glad to get your perspective.
Yarde, who I’ve seen a few times, looks tough as hell but still raw. Not as fluid or gifted athletically as Bivol, probably not as crafty either–but a punching machine with a future.
It surprises me Superman is still hanging on. Pride? He can’t need more money. If he lingers too much longer, one of these young bucks will step on his cape.
I am watching this as a warm up for Alvarez vs seals tonight. Alvarez causes a lot of problems for Kovalev’s powerful punches, great head movement from him. It’s good to have the old school team, Jones and lampley, describing.
I did not believe it when i see it. That was crazy! Hope chickenson will accept to fight him now. Alvarez deserve it and earn it. He know how to take those big shot kovalev was sending. A new champion is born! Montreal gonna have this spot light again! Alvarez never said no to a big fight.
R u kidding? Chickenson will hide and if not he will get exposed. I was worried about KOvalev watching him fight. One was stamina problems and it would only get worse later on second he didnt want to mix it up. He would probably get sparked. One man that would be happy to exchange and not neccesarily win but would be obliged to do so is the wracking machine arthur betterbeit. He would be delighted to do so. Going with the promotional company he went with was obviously a bad deal plus he is injured or what but it would be all war. Alvarez will take on the best not like the jokes I mentioned before. I know they are great fighters but not elite ready to mix it up with the best up and comers.
I love this website. It’s my #1 resource for boxing matches.
I’d like to see a box somewhere with the next scheduled fights, so to know when to see them and not risk spoilers elsewhere.
Really surprising fight, btw. In the last rounds I didn’t see Alvarez well, and instead…
Hi Lock, thanks for your message! About a box with next scheduled fights…we were thinking about it, but after your message we will probably do it ;-)
Many thanks guys, you’re the best! :)
Dear Host ,
Could you please post the video again.
Thank you
Kov needs to retire immediately. A boxer/puncher and KO artist who can no longer take a good punch anywhere either to the body or to the head is a done deal. I have no remorse for a known racist. Alvarez will need to improve his skills gioing forward he had no jab nor many combinations it was one shot at a time. Looking for the ONE K.O. blow cannot work against better competition. It was a nice upset,cuz he was losing in my opinion whole fight and ready to go in some spots.
He got careless and exposed. I’d like to see the rematch. If Kova doesn’t improve then its retirement in the not too distance future.
I am a boxing fan who lives in Quebec Canada. felicitation to alvarez for this victory against kovalev. for me this victory is great because it is beaten in the United States. good for him. look at stevenson never in the United States so for me stevenson he is scared. he is a damn chicken head. sorry for my English
I’ll tell you, chicken Stevenson, he’s scared. never fight in the United States. he is fighting in quebec and montreal canada. he chooses it’s boxer for wins or he’s hiding in his gym
I don’t think there is a Quebecer who likes Chickenson, mario. That was one hell of a victory for Alvarez, please come back to comment on whatever you like :)