Final picks: Kovalev - Hopkins

To me, this is the most interesting bout of the year

Everything speaks for Kovalev. He is big enough, so Hopkins can’t manhandle him. He punches like a mofo. He doesn’t load up with his shots but lets them fly, punches up and down, both hands and hits damn hard every time. He isn’t slow, and he seems to move better than the likes of Pavlik or Pascal. What an earth can Hops do at 49 years of age, since he hasn’t looked good in years?

The fact which I have repeated several times is that Hopkins makes everybody look bad. Apart from late 90s & early 00s, Hopkins has never looked too impressive: he isn’t fast, he isn’t a big puncher, he fights ugly. yet, he makes everybody look like novices. I don’t totally buy the point cdogg&others have often made that he simply possesses professional skills that fighters now lack: there has to be more in it. I don’t know what it is.
Hopkins was supposed to be done after the Taylor fights and an easy opponent for bier, athletic Tarver. Yet he clowned Tarver completely. Pavlik wasn’t known as a slow plodder either, before Hops made him look like one – remember, afterwards Sergio Martinez had much harder time with Pavlik and he was hailed among the top p4pers for years. Pascal was too young, too athletic, yet all Hopkins seemed to be doing was to go forwards and throw to the body, and he beat Pascal. And so on.

And yes I know, Kovalev is probably better than Pavlik, and Hopkins isn’t as good as he was six years ago. The fact is though: he scored a shutout there, so him being worse than that doesn’t automatically mean a loss either.

Can Kovalev keep his head in there, with Hopkins’ wrestling and bitching? Will he get tired in the late rounds, as he has never fought more than 8? Is he vulnerable for Hopkins’ lead right off the ropes, as he walks in in straight lines and has an upright stance? Will Hopkins be able to reduce his punch output the same way he has done to everybody, including Calzaghe?

Who?

 

Hopkins find a way out by round 8.

 

Kovalev UD in an awful fight where Bernard summons every bit of bullshit in his arsenal to slow the pace to a crawl

 

There's a first time for everything. I'm goin out on a limb and saying that Kov will beat the fuck outta Hopkins, and become the first to stop him.

 

I agree with Xplosive.

Nard can't keep this up forever, and even though he would have schooled Kovvles when he was younger, I think he's too old, and Kovvles is too ferocious.

My gut feeling is Kovalev won't be too affected by Nard's negativity, and won't let the pace slow to a crawl, he'll keep punching Hopkins even if he's not landing clean.

I reckon Kovalev TKO 9, maybe with Hopkins retiring on his stool, citing an injury or something.

 

I bet the won't go 10 at -115. Basically you get kovalev by ko and Hopkins quitting

 

Agree with all. No way to know what Kovalev's top end is right now. This fight will likely provide some insight. I hope he obliterates Hopkins, personally.

 

I'm not as impressed by Kovalev as most of you are. He seems to me really basic, and I wonder if his power will translate at the highest level, or if it's more of a case of fighting bottom feeders. I think his reputation is pretty much built on the fact that he koed pretty much everyone he fought, but that doesn't means he'll be able to keep this up at the next level (see the classic Lemieux case, another fighter who was vastly overrated on this forum for the same reason). What makes me think that HOpkins will probably win this, is that Kov is not really a dynamic fighter, he fights a bit in a fencing style, and his movement is really lacking, while Hopkins is a master of maneuver. I dont think he has what it takes to remove Hopkins from his comfort zone.

it's a pretty difficult fight to predict, since Kov is so unproven (even if he shows good potential) and Hopkins is so damn old that he's bound to be washed up anytime soon (even with his PED usage). I think that Kovalev only chance is to turn this in a wrestling match, much like Joe did, and hope to trick the judges into thinking he derved the win by being more negative than hopkins. But that's not really Kovalev game, so I doubt he can do it.

 

My feeling is that Kovalev will make Hopkins retire on his stool, litterally.

 

Hopkins by ugly split decision

 

meaning he gets KOd and shits himself?

 

We can hope.

 

Has Kovalev ever been cut?

 

Who knew hopkins would go on to adopt Richard grant's nick-name. I'm hoping for a violent ko. Realistically, Hopkins will quit, either officially or by fighting "not to lose."

I don't see Hopkins winning though.

 

I think Kovalev might take an "accidental" headbutt or two.

 

That's surprisingly good odds.

 

No, meaning he'll retire from boxing after quitting in his corner.

 

yeah, he was cut against Cleverly

 

Hopkins UD

 

prior to the end of the 10th hopefully.

 

Kovalev wins.

 

Absolutely. I expect the Hopkins patented 'butt-hold-ballshot' combo to make several appearances during this fight.

I hate Hopkins. He's a stinking, cheating, racist old cunt. I hope upon hope that he gets knocked spark out after precisely eleven and nine tenths rounds of brutal punishment. I'm just not convinced it will happen. He'll hold, he'll throw nut-shots, he'll run, he'll flop to the floor - basically he will do absolutely everything he can to reduce Kovalev's punch output and minimise the dangerousness of his power shots. He'll make Kovalev look awful, like he has done to pretty much everyone for the last decade. He might even win a controversial decision.

I really hope not. I hope he gets iced. I can't really make a legitimate pick because, true to my promise of four years ago, I haven't watched a single Hopkins fight since 2009. I've no idea how old he looks in the ring and I can't imagine how the fuck he is still a major player at 175. If I had to pick, though, I'd pick Hopkins to win an absolutely awful split decision.

MTF

 

It's hard to pick against Hopkins. Kovalev is very basic and very slow which plays into Bernard's hands. The x-factor is whether he can land the big shot to get Bernard out of there. I'm hopeful he will but not sure he can.

Once Kovalev starts boxing, allowing Bernard to control the tempo and going for Bernard's feints the fight is over.

I'm going with Hopkins by awful decision simply because we've seen it so many times.

 

hopkins is really going to get fucked up in this fight unless he lays down after some grazing shot or fakes injury. kovalev is skilled. perhaps his stamina isnt great, we simply dont know but i can guarantee you he isnt going to allow a slow tempo. jackson knows what he is up against and has already been saying he wants kovalevl to simply throw shots and hit hopkins where ever is available. hopkins was forced into this fight because he had no other options. not quite sure when he was impressive vs someone as good as kovalev? pavlik was a smaller fighter, not a true light heavy. pascal (hopkins last impressive performance?) is not as skilled or powerful as kovalev.

shumenov is a flat out bum. we saw the difference between kovalev and cloud in their respective fights with campillo. cloud had what it took to outwork hopkins anyhow, and almost did. hardly some wide, impressive win for hopkins

 

he is pretty basic but I wouldn't call him very slow, in fact not slow at all. He is no speedster, but for a lt heavy he isn't slow. I would be more worried about him not moving sideways or his balance but not his lack of speed.

I just watched Hopkins - Shumenov and Hopkins did look astonishingly good for his age (even though the fight itself looked horrifyingly bad). His lead right hand and the left hook are still difficult to see and it is difficult to time counter punches against him. I believe he will outbox Kovalev for long parts, the only hope is that Kovalev will do enough damage, even when he doesn't catch Hops cleanly.

 

Musze is talking rubbish. Kovalev has respectable handspeed for a 175 pounder, and his feet aren't exactly slow either.

He's also nowhere near as basic as some of you guys are making out. He's just very aggressive and offensive minded. He has offensive skill.

 

Hopkins' lead right hand is still brilliant. It's his best weapon, beside all the mauling etc.

 

I'm not really a fan of Hopkins anymore, since the Calzaghe fight, but I have too much respect for him as a boxer to hate him.

He's just ridiculously good for a guy who is almost 50.

 

Hopkins by UD....


The outcome of this fight will be told in the 1st round.....If Kovalev comes in respectful, timid, looking for his spots to land..he will get beat by Hopkins.

If he comes out aggressive 50+ punches a round....don't be afraid of that right hand from Hopkins it will land, but early on it shouldn't hurt or drop you....that sneaky lead right is a problem later on in the fight when his opponents are tired and getting tag with every other punch....Kovalev is the bigger guy every time Hopkins goes in for a clinch don't just stay there punch and rough him up, lean on him do like LL used to do put all your body weight on his back/shoulders.