Vinny’s Views: Where Does Sergey Kovalev Go From Here?

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By Vinny “Glory Days” Lucci

Often after all the calibrations of handicapping a headliner, the most fascinating aspects of crossfire hurricanes lie within the wake of its aftermath. In the rare instance Ringside Report gets it wrong, I don’t dwell on the loser’s remorse as it is part of the game. Instead let’s raise a glass for the triumphant new champion who took the world by storm. Enter newly crowned WBO Light heavyweight king Eleider Alvarez who last Saturday separated the belt from once invincible Sergey Kovalev at the Etess Arena in Atlantic City with a brutal seventh round stoppage.

Alvarez raised his record without blemish to 24-0, 12 KO’s while ending Kovalev’s second reign and adding a third loss on his ledger in last five fights. The first two came under heavy scrutiny with back to back setbacks against Andre Ward with title at stake. In November 2016, Kovalev was robbed in the worst decision of year. The rematch that followed in June was abysmal as referee Tony Weeks turned a blind an eye to Ward’s below the belt fouls as judges did in scoring first encounter. Thereby the boxing world at large gave the Kovalev camp the benefit of the doubt. Eleider needed no help from either judges or referee; just a grateful opportunity from promoter Main Events.

The heavily avoided challenger who was given step aside money three times from his mandatory ranking from WBC Chicken shit Adonis Stevenson who continually makes a mockery of organization while he pads his record and bank account. Five years ago the WBC fraud walked away from a contract commitment and HBO backing in a then proposed unification with Kovalev during his first tenure as champion. While Alvarez weighs his options as to his first title defense the chance of him in unification matching his WBO belt against WBC is null and void as Stevenson has proved time and again over a five year reign he simply doesn’t have the balls to take on a threatening challenge.

Alvarez who was fresh and well rested after a year layoff and will look to get back to fighting every six months. That would put an optional January defense at his beck and call. Rest assured HBO will try to secure a match with WBA champion Dmitry Bivol. So where does that leave Sergey Kovalev?

First off as they say time to go back to the drawing board. In most cases both boxers and their camps haven’t a clue what that truly means. In Kovy’s case let’s examine what went wrong. With his challenger boasting no more than 11 KO’S and shaking off a year of rust perhaps he took his adversary too lightly. Telltale signs were abundant as his new trainer Arbor Tursunpulatov didn’t prepare the necessary combinations needed to penetrate Alvarez tight defense. Arbor is known for developing and training amateurs. This was his third foray in charge of Kovy’s Camp after replacing longtime trainer John David Jackson. Much has been written about that storied relationship where Kovalev bragged he pretty much trained himself calling all the shots while Jackson was there to only vocalize an overview. It worked for a while until Jackson was blamed for the Ward debacles. With that being said, who is to blame now?

While the defending champion was pulling away on the scorecards at the half way point there was an undercurrent of what was secretly transpiring unseen by HBO commentary. Kovalev was using a sweet and sometimes wicked combo of a left jab to chin, then reaching deep for a left jab to abdomen; and then shooting straight right hand back to chin. It was very effective but he used it repeatedly where Alvarez began to time, defend and counter it. What Arbor should have worked on to compliment it was hooking off a double jab turning his foe into right hand. Kovalev is nimble on his feet but usually travels in a straight line either forward or backward. It’s high time to learn to pivot on front foot enabling him to change offensive angles without giving up an inch inside the pocket and learning to gravitate lateral movement slipping outside gate on either side. Nothing drastic, just little improvements so his stand up Eastern European style doesn’t become redundant and traceable.

After Andre Ward retired his longtime mentor and venerable trainer Virgil Hunter publicly praised Kovalev and offered his services if he wished to attain loftier goals and reclaim his legacy. Herein lays a stumbling block of ego. Would Sergey connect with a trainer who takes a vested interest in patriarchal manner or simply dismiss the overtures as believing no one can tell me what to do attitude. If that’s the case, at 35 years of age Kovalev may have gone as far as he can go. His aura of invincibility has been stripped away like a cloak torn off the kings back. So if Jackson and Tursunpulatov could not bring out the best in Sergey as lead trainer, than whom? Would no nonsense Freddy Roach take on the project with same zest he used to put many Pacquiao on the map and reinventing Miguel Cotto?

Before readers believe I am unfair to even suggest a corner change, consider this. Kovalev was in no way shape or form prepared to fight 12 hard rounds. Though he was leading on scorecards it was still a highly competitive bout. The real moments of heavy leather thunder were owned by him but after a rollicking sixth round he was out of gas. The seventh stanza started and the champion had his guard around his waist line and mouth agape needing air. Getting inside the pocket where Alvarez could now get full extension on his power shots with relative ease became the difference maker. Someone has to be blamed here, as Eleider was now landing combinations after rounds of picking the bark off the tree.

Luckily Kovalev has Main Events headed by Kathy Duva to continue to promote and guide the “back 9” of his career. With so much at stake Duva will need to concentrate, not speculate as to where Kovalev goes from here. She has the connections and clout to make things happen, and all she truly needs is the dates and venues. So the question proposed here is do you promote the former champion on his name and record or do you steer him back to title with expectations of once again reclaiming throne?

The options may be vast but the solution limited. Going into Cruiserweight division must be ruled out after last year’s announcement that Kovalev said he would move north in weight and seek a title in new division. The ex-champion is quite svelte at light heavyweight and could easily add fifteen to twenty pounds to his frame but where does that leave his stamina carrying extra weight? If he couldn’t handle the power shots of Alvarez how the hell could he eat the bombs of heavier handed cruisers?

At this early juncture I felt it was too soon to place calls with Main Events for an interview or updates. Sergey has reassured the media he is fine and of good spirits. There is no confirmation of future plans as to whether he will fight on or retire. Outside of the blows that strayed below the belt line in his rematch with Andre Ward and the three head shots that brought about this TKO loss last week Kovalev has never sustained any real punishment in the ring and even at advanced age just needs to recharge his batteries.

Light heavyweight options are as deep well as an ex-champion with box office appeal could hope for with many young guns hoping to capitalize on this loss. The trick here is not just rebound and look to put a win back on the ledger but rather position him in line to get a crack at one of the titles. Should the “Krusher” decide to stick around and keep his former pace of fighting twice a year he has perhaps four or five fights left to cap off his legacy. One loss hereafter would turn the feared and once dominant champion into a satire of himself much like Larry Holmes and Evander Holyfield chasing ghosts of former glory.

Lurking in the shadows are Sullivan Barrera 21-2, 14 KO’s, and Marcus Browne 22-0, 16 KO’s (Browne must first get past some personal legal hurdles) and Badou Jack 21-1-3, 13 KO’s who all carry as much contender status and name recognition as some of the belt holders. Consider highly praised WBA champion Dmitry Bivol’s record of 14-0, 11 KO’s, IBF champion Artur Beterbiev is only 12-0, 12 KO’S and interim WBC bullshit titlist Oleksandr Gozdyk is 15-0, 12 KO’s.

With the WBC making a mockery of the sport by allowing Stevenson to pad his record while they line their pockets with sanctioning fees and setting up Gozdyk as heir apparent it’s better to wave the bird and set sights on bigger game. There’s no point at this juncture for Kovalev to march through a gauntlet so I’d personally set my sights on Badou Jack who has the experience, name and tenacity but is rather easy to hit with a questionable chin. From there if Alvarez and Bivol haven’t unified Kovy will be in shouting distance of either champion or a logical mandatory for unified belts should they decide to meet in January.

The Vinny Factor:

If anyone ever taught Sergey Kovalev to clinch and the techniques of fighting tied with only one hand free this column might be mute. In fact, chances are excellent Ward wouldn’t have won those ugly rounds and there wouldn’t have been a questionable need for a rematch.

So to recap, Kathy Duva must explore the right avenue to navigate keeping Kovalev in title contention with minimal risk. Sergey must swallow his iconic Russian Pride and stop acting like he knows it all; he doesn’t. In fact as witnessed here he has raised more questions than answers. Time to admit both you and your corner need help and bring in a big gun as head trainer.

From there the gym must become a relentless hot house of effort concerning the grappling techniques needed when stunned, (Remember how the world was abuzz of Thomas Hearns failure and inability to hold in their first fight?) as well as getting the most use of lead left hand.

Kovalev‘s jabs must come in threes and fours setting up left hooks that turn opponents into straight right hand. Keep in mind as heavy handed as Kovalev is, he really doesn’t throw the kind of lightning bolts we associate with Archie Moore, Bob Foster and Michael Spinks to name a few.

For him to be the utmost effective he has to land his power shots in combination which takes timing, angles, and boxing ability.

Finally he must realize there is a world of difference in making weight and being in championship shape. While all the praise in the world must go to Eleider Alvarez on his stunning victory it may not have manifested if Sergey didn’t wilt at the halfway mark.

Stay tuned…

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