Latest news with #Kovalev
Forbes
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Will Sergey Kovalev Be A Boxing Hall Of Famer?
After 16 years and 42 professional fights, Sergey Kovalev has retired from boxing after ending his career in style with a TKO of Artur Mann in his home country of Russia earlier this month. Kovalev was once one of the most feared fighters on the planet, and though he lost five of his last 11 bouts, observers have openly wondered in the past few days whether Kovalev will eventually be a Boxing Hall of Famer. In his prime, Kovalev was a ruthless power puncher, stopping 12 of 13 opponents (including a number of undefeated fighters who were at about the B-level) from 2011-2016. Kovalev has beaten champions and at least one Hall of Famer. He perhaps should have been awarded a victory over another. But the last few years of his career could also be a detriment to earning an induction into the HOF. As a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America since 2016, I've been honored to have voted for the Hall of Fame for the past eight years. If Kovalev is done fighting for good, he'd have to wait three years before the HOF could put him on the ballot. When he makes the ballot, he would need to be among the top-three vote-getters from that year (or be selected on more than 80% of the ballots). Let's talk about Kovalev's chances of earning entry into the HOF. After winning 16 straight to start his career, he had a strange draw against a 5-4 opponent in 2011. But after that, Kovalev had quite a run, stopping Nathan Cleverly in 2013 for a light heavyweight title, knocking down and then shutting out Bernard Hopkins the next year to unify a pair of 175-pound belts, and beating Jean Pascal twice in 2015 and 2016. Is that run good enough for the HOF? No. But he did go on to beat the undefeated Eleider Alvarez in a 2019 rematch (Kovalev lost in the first meeting) and then knocked out the undefeated Anthony Yarde in his next fight. Kovalev's first defeat came against Andre Ward in 2016 (all three judges had it 114-113 for Ward), though many observers believed Kovalev, who knocked down Ward in the second round, deserved the win. Ward stopped Kovalev in the rematch with some nasty-looking body shots. From there, Kovalev was stopped by Eleider Alvarez and Canelo Alvarez in a high-profile matchup where Kovalev actually boxed on equal footing with Canelo before Kovalev got knocked out in the 11th round. Kovalev's final defeat came at the hands of the relatively unknown Robin Sirwan Safar in 2024. One of the big misses of Kovalev's career was the inability to land a mega-fight vs. Adonis Stevenson. The two fought on competing networks (Stevenson only wanted to fight on Showtime; Kovalev was an HBO fighter), and no deal could ever be made. If Kovalev could have fought and beat Stevenson, who held a 175-pound title from 2013-2018, his HOF candidacy could look a little different. As he told Boxing News, 'I'm very disappointed that we never fought Adonis Stevenson. It killed my dream to be absolute [undisputed] world champion.' Still, Kovalev was considered for a time to be a top-5 pound-for-pound fighter – which is an important qualification for me when I turn in my ballot. In fact, The Ring magazine ranked him as the No. 2 fighter in the world in parts of 2015 and 2016, only behind Roman 'Chocolatito' Gonzalez. He's also had some low moments outside of the ring, including a 2018 arrest for allegedly punching a woman in the face. He was charged with felony assault, and more than two years later, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. Will that factor into a voter's decision on whether he should enter the HOF? Only time will tell. The amount of money you make doesn't make or break you as a Hall of Famer. But let's talk about it anyway, because Kovalev had some nice paydays. His first seven-figure check came against Bernard Hopkins, where Kovalev earned a $1 million payday. He then made a $2 million base for the first Ward matchup (but probably ended up earning much more). Interestingly, Kovalev didn't have a base purse for the rematch (he was only guaranteed a percentage of the PPV and ticket sales money). But all of that was an appetizer to the reported $12 million he made for the Canelo Alvarez bout. If we're making an educated guess, we can say that Kovalev likely made somewhere in the $20 million-$22 million range during his career. As I've written many times in the past, one voter's criteria can be much different from another's. Here's what I value as a voter: Dominance in a division and inclusion on the mythical pound-for-pound list; a sustained reign as one of the top fighters in their weight division; and victories against the top-notch boxers of his era. Some voters don't believe a fighter's popularity or money-making abilities should factor into the equation. I disagree (I'll always believe Arturo Gatti and Ricky Hatton deserve their places in the HOF because of the sheer excitement they brought to the sport). Kovalev was one of the best fighters in the sport for a solid period of time. He was feared (until he got knocked out by Ward), and the early part of his career was certainly leading him on the path to the HOF. To me, Kovalev is a borderline candidate. If he'd beaten Ward the first time, he'd be a definite yes. Without that victory, it's a more difficult slog. On a down year, where there's no surefire HOF candidate, I could see myself potentially voting for Kovalev and him potentially getting his induction. But I also wouldn't bet my mortgage that he'll one day be enshrined. He's perhaps just missing that one massive victory. More Hall of Fame predictions: Will Deontay Wilder Be A Boxing Hall Of Famer? Will Regis Prograis Be A Boxing Hall Of Famer?
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
As Sergey Kovalev says goodbye, Artur Mann is determined not to be forgotten
As Sergey Kovalev says goodbye, Artur Mann is determined not to be forgotten Artur Mann serves as Sergey Kovalev's retirement fight on Friday in Chelyabinsk, Russia. (REUTERS/Ints Kalnins) (REUTERS / Reuters) 'I'm not sure why [Sergey Kovalev] has picked me,' Artur Mann ponders, with a smirk on his face. The German cruiserweight sits in a lonely hotel room in Chelyabinsk, Russia, contemplating what the next few days will have in store for him. Advertisement On Friday night, the 34-year-old has been chosen for a very special assignment — to be Sergey Kovalev's (35-5-1, 29 KOs) final opponent as a professional boxer, in the home town of the former unified light-heavyweight world champion. It will bring a close to the Russian's Hall of Fame worthy 16-year career, which at its peak saw Kovalev threaten the top of the sport's pound-for-pound rankings. Fighting inside the Yunost Arena in a scheduled 10-rounder, Kovalev and Mann will meet in the 200-pound division as part of the IBA Champions tournament. Twenty-six fights into his pro career, Mann (22-4, 13 KOs) is no stranger to life on the road. "Thunderman" has fought on away soil in the United Arab Emirates, Poland, Latvia, South Africa, the United States and Russia previously before, but never before have the stakes been so high for the Kazakh-born German. Advertisement 'I have dreamt about an opportunity like this for my whole career,' he says. 'I've been following his [Kovalev's] career and wasn't really sure I'd get a chance to fight him. I guess you could say I am going from a fan to an opponent. 'But as special as this moment is for Kovalev, to me, it can be even more special. This fight gives me a chance to change my life forever, and catapult myself into some of the biggest fights in the division. I need to grab it with both hands.' Kovalev has fought just twice since losing to Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in 2019 — beating Tervel Pulev in 2022, then dropping a unanimous decision to Robin Sirwan Safar this past May. Advertisement The now 42-year-old was knocked down in the 10th and final round of his contest against Safar, and showed enough weaknesses for Mann to be encouraged ahead of Friday night's bout. 'He didn't look good last time out, but we aren't underestimating him," Mann says. "It will be as much fighting Kovalev as it will the crowd and the occasion. The whole of the arena will be supporting Kovalev. And for me? Just my team of five. But we like being an underdog — I proved in Poland [against Nikodem Jezewski] that I can get a win away from home, and look good doing it. 'Maybe his team saw that I have lost in Russia before so that's why they picked me, but I am determined to show them that it is a big mistake.' Mann doesn't seem overly concerned with potential biased judging and refereeing in Russia. In his point of view, it's part of the deal, and a stoppage victory takes any power away from the officials in Chelyabinsk. Advertisement 'We have trained for the knockout, so we aren't looking for any excuses after the fight,' he expanded. 'So hopefully, it won't matter that I am the B fighter or even a C fighter. We believe we have the correct game plan for this fight, and I'll be able to overwhelm him from the opening bell. 'All I have done is eat, sleep, drink, train and think about this fight for a long time now, so I couldn't be more prepared. 'Of course I respect Kovalev, but when we enter the ring that respect is over until the final bell. Perhaps, if I knock him out, I will feel a bit sad afterward — but this is the business of boxing.' Kovalev may be the one saying goodbye on Friday night, but Mann believes he can slam the door shut.
