Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev: The End of an Aura
An edited version of this article was published on TheFightCity.com on January 30th, 2019: https://www.thefightcity.com/sergey-kovalev-aura-alvarez-boxing/
It’s surprising how far and how fast a fighter’s star can fall when a once-fearsome aura is finally burst. It’s not so long ago that Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev was blazing a trail of destruction through the light-heavyweight ranks, but it feels like an age. Read more
Re-Visiting the Ward vs. Kovalev I “Robbery”
This article was published by Boxinginsider.com on 17th June, 2017: http://www.boxinginsider.com/columns/re-visiting-ward-vs-kovalev-robbery/
In the immediate aftermath of Andre Ward’s unanimous victory over Sergey Kovalev in their first fight last November, emotions from both sets of fans were running high and the controversial nature of the decision elicited some intense scrutiny of the judges’ scorecards. Cries of “robbery” flooded the web, with a deluge of fans enthusiastically taking up the “boxing is crooked” narrative. With the immediate rematch looming, here I take a look back and re-examine some of the perceptions, misconceptions and post-fight reaction to their first encounter. Read more
Ward Skips HBO Face Off: Prima Donna or Pre-Fight Gamesmanship?
This article was published on TheFightCity.com on May 11th, 2017. Thanks to Michael Carbert and Zachary Alapi for their help in editing and publishing the final version: http://www.thefightcity.com/andre-ward-skips-hbo-face-off-prima-donna-or-gamesmanship/
It’s fair to say that Andre Ward is not every fight fan’s cup of tea. In fact, it would be more accurate to say the reaction his name elicits online tends to be fairly scathing. Whether it is vitriol directed at the judges’ verdict awarded to him over Sergey Kovalev or scorn heaped on his “diva-ish” behaviour at the negotiating table, it seems few people have a positive word to say about the man these days. So with the news that he failed to show up for a planned HBO Face Off segment opposite his Russian rival this past weekend, it did not take long for the critics to once again come out in force. Read more
Super Fight 2016: Sergey Kovalev vs. Andre Ward, “Pound-for-Pound”
This article was published by BoxingInsider.com on 15th November, 2016: http://www.boxinginsider.com/columns/super-fight-2016-sergey-kovalev-vs-andre-ward-pound-pound/
On November 19th at the 20,000-seat T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, two of boxing’s most highly rated fighters meet in a battle for the WBA, WBO and IBF light-heavyweight world championships. While the bout has not quite captured mainstream media attention in the manner of a Mayweather-Pacquiao type mega event, it is nevertheless a rare meeting between undefeated, elite talents in the prime of their careers. The fighters enter with a combined record of 60-0-1, with 41 knockouts. Below, I analyse the case for each man’s prospects of victory. Read more
Matt O'Brien
Boxing Philosophy 