Sergey Kovalev (boxer)

For other uses, see Sergei Kovalev (disambiguation).
Sergey Kovalev
Серге́й Ковалёв

Kovalev in 2014
Statistics
Nickname(s) Krusher
Rated at Light heavyweight
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Reach 183 cm (72 in)
Nationality Russian
Born (1983-04-02) 2 April 1983
Kopeysk, Russian SSR,
Soviet Union (now Russia)
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights 30
Wins 29
Wins by KO 26
Losses 0
Draws 1

Sergey Kovalev (Russian: Серге́й Ковалёв; born 2 April 1983) is a Russian professional boxer. He is the current unified WBO, IBF, WBA (Super) and WBC Diamond light heavyweight champion, and is known for his punching power. In 2014, he was named Fighter of the Year by The Ring magazine.

Amateur career

Kovalev started boxing in 1994 at age 11, and made his amateur debut in 1997 in the Russian Boxing Junior Championship, where he won the gold medal in the middleweight juniors division. One year later he competed with the seniors and reached the final, and a year after that, he won the final fight. For Team Russia, he competed in the European Championships.

In 2004, Kovalev for the first time took part in the Russian Senior Championship, and in his first season, he reached the final and also won the golden medal in the team event. The next year was the most successful in his career as an amateur in winning two titles: the first as champion of Russia and the second as champion among servicemen. In the 2006 championship for servicemen, he won the silver, and a year later, he took bronze in the Russian Championship and gold in the World Military Games in India.

In 2008, Kovalev took part in his final national competition and again made the final; after that, he decided to turn professional. As he once admitted, he had to leave the national team because of the extremely tense competition between him and more successful boxers Matvey Korobov and Artur Beterbiev. He finished his amateur career with a record of 195-18.[1]

Amateur highlights

Professional career

Kovalev started his career with a first-round KO of Daniel Chavez at Greenboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina.[2] He won his first nine fights with first- or second-round knockout. He faced more serious competition against Darnell Boone in October 2010, when he had to fight all eight rounds, and was dropped en route to a split decision win.

In July 2011, Kovalev won his first NABA belt in a 10-round fight with Douglas Otieno from Kenya. The Russian's next bout against Grover Young was controversial, however, as in the second round, Kovalev threw a left hook to the head, but the judges suggested that it was a blow to the back of the head -– an unintentional infringement. As the American could not continue, the fight was declared a technical draw.[1]

Death of Roman Simakov

In his 2011 fight against Roman Simakov, Kovalev knocked down his opponent in the sixth round and the fight was stopped one round later and Kovalev was awarded a TKO victory. Tragically, Simakov was taken to the hospital, where he lapsed into a coma and died three days later.[3]

Rise up the ranks

In 2012, Kovalev knocked out Darnell Boone in two rounds in a rematch, demonstrating his improvement as a fighter since their last meeting and leading him to be signed to Main Events boxing.[4] On January 19, 2013 Kovalev faced the former WBA Light Heavyweight champion Gabriel Campillo. Kovalev was able to get to the usually elusive Campillo early and often, continually backing him up in the opening round with furious combinations. Campillo, known as a slow starter who looked sluggish throughout the fight, was hurt early in the third round and staggered into the corner. The native of Spain covered up before being dropped with a left hook from Kovalev, one of three knockdowns in the round.

Light Heavyweight Champion

On 17 August 2013 Kovalev fought Nathan Cleverly for the WBO Light Heavyweight title. Kovalev, who knocked out most of his opponents within three rounds, came out throwing heavy shots in the first round, hurt Cleverly badly in the third round, dropping him twice and nearly finishing him off. Kovalev picked things right back up in the fourth, throwing bombs to send Cleverly down for a third time and the referee waved things off.[5]

On 30 November 2013, Kovalev had his first defense of the WBO Light Heavyweight title against Ismayl Sillakh. He found the timing early in round two and in the same round finished Sillakh with a huge left.[6]

On 29 March 2014, Kovalev faced undefeated contender Cedric Agnew. Agnew's movement gave Kovalev difficulty at times, and he found himself unable to land the concussive shots for which he was known. Agnew however, simply fought to survive and committed very little to his own offense. Ultimately in the seventh round, Kovalev landed a vicious jab to Agnew's liver that put him down for the count.[7]

Later that year, Kovalev faced undefeated Australian contender Blake Caparello. Caparello started well, scoring a flash knockdown after catching Kovalev with a solid shot while Kovalev was off balance. Kovalev however was unhurt and even appeared enraged, thoroughly dominating his foe en route to a second round technical knockout.[8]

Kovalev vs. Hopkins

Kovalev defeated Bernard Hopkins by unanimous decision on November 8, 2014 in a unification bout in Atlantic City to retain the WBO Light Heavyweight title and win the IBF and WBA (Super) Light Heavyweight titles.[9] In a one-sided fight, Kovalev knocked Bernard Hopkins down in the first round. Kovalev won every single round on all of the three judges' scorecards. The score totals of the fight were 120-107, 120-107, and 120-106.[9]

Kovalev vs. Pascal

Kovalev faced Jean Pascal on March 14, 2015 for WBC Diamond Light Heavyweight title at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. He started the fight off aggressively as usual and took control of the fight earlier and eventually knocked Pascal down in the 3rd round. Pascal began to fight back and showed some signs of life in rounds 5 and 6, although Kovalev gained control of the fight again and began to hit Pascal with huge shots, wobbling him and in the 8th round the referee stopped the fight as he felt Pascal had taken too much punishment.[10]

Kovalev vs. Mohammedi

Kovalev faced Nadjib Mohammedi on July 25, 2015 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Kovalev steamrolled the overmatched Mohammedi, knocking him down once in the second round and one more time in the third round. The second knockdown ended Mohammedi's night and gave Kovalev his 25th knockout victory.[11]

Kovalev vs. Pascal II

On January 30, 2016, Kovalev and Pascal met in a rematch in Montreal. He dominated the fight, both outpunching and outlanding the former champion by wide margins. Kovalev won when Pascal's trainer Freddie Roach refused to let his fighter continue after the seventh round. After the fight, Kovalev said his future plans would likely include a fight with former super middleweight champion Andre Ward, but he first wanted a unification bout with reigning WBC and recognized lineal champion Adonis Stevenson. Kovalev, who has been desiring this fight for some time but has not been able to get it, called Stevenson "Adonis Chickenson" during the post-fight interview. Stevenson, who was in attendance, responded by confronting Kovalev in the ring surrounded by three bodyguards.[12]

Kovalev vs. Chilemba

It was announced on April 23, 2016 that Kovalev would have a warm-up fight on July 11 against 28-year-old Isaac Chilemba (24-3-2, 10 KOs) in Ekaterinburg, Russia at the Palace of Sports. This will be the the first time in five years that Kovalev will be returning to Russia for a fight and will defend his IBF/WBA/WBO World Light Heavyweight titles. Chilemba is known for having a similar style to Andre Ward, who Kovalev is expected to meet in the fall in a big fight.[13]

Professional boxing record

30 fights, 29 wins (26 knockouts), 0 losses, 1 draw
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
31 N/A N/A Malawi Isaac Chilemba N/A – (12) 11 Jul 2016 Russia DIVS Sports Palace, Yekaterinburg, Russia Defending WBA (Super), IBF and WBO light heavyweight titles
30 Win 29–0–1 Canada Jean Pascal RTD 7 (12), 3:00 30 Jan 2016 Canada Centre Bell, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Retained WBA (Super), IBF and WBO light heavyweight titles
29 Win 28–0–1 France Nadjib Mohammedi TKO 3 (12), 2:38 25 Jul 2015 United States Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, US Retained WBA (Super), IBF and WBO light heavyweight titles
28 Win 27–0–1 Canada Jean Pascal TKO 8 (12), 1:03 14 Mar 2015 Canada Centre Bell, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Retained WBA (Super), IBF and WBO light heavyweight titles
Won vacant WBC Diamond light heavyweight title
27 Win 26–0–1 United States Bernard Hopkins UD 12 8 Nov 2014 United States Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, US Retained WBO light heavyweight title
Won WBA (Super) and IBF light heavyweight titles
26 Win 25–0–1 Australia Blake Caparello TKO 2 (12), 1:34 2 Aug 2014 United States Revel Resort, Atlantic City, New Jersey, US Retained WBO light heavyweight title
25 Win 24–0–1 United States Cedric Agnew KO 7 (12), 0:58 29 Mar 2014 United States Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, US Retained WBO light heavyweight title
24 Win 23–0–1 Ukraine Ismail Sillakh KO 2 (12), 2:12 30 Nov 2013 Canada Colisée Pepsi, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada Retained WBO light heavyweight title
23 Win 22–0–1 United Kingdom Nathan Cleverly TKO 4 (12), 0:29 17 Aug 2013 United Kingdom Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, Wales Won WBO light heavyweight title
22 Win 21–0–1 United States Cornelius White TKO 3 (12), 1:45 14 Jun 2013 United States Sands Casino Resort, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, US
21 Win 20–0–1 Spain Gabriel Campillo KO 3 (10), 1:30 19 Jan 2013 United States Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut, US
20 Win 19–0–1 United States Lionell Thompson TKO 3 (10), 0:14 21 Sep 2012 United States Sands Casino Resort, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, US
19 Win 18–0–1 United States Darnell Boone TKO 2 (8), 1:32 1 Jun 2012 United States Sands Casino Resort, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, US
18 Win 17–0–1 Russia Roman Simakov TKO 7 (12), 0:47 5 Dec 2011 Russia DIVS Hotel, Yekaterinburg, Russia Won WBCABCO light heavyweight title
17 Draw 16–0–1 United States Grover Young TD 2 (8) 27 Aug 2011 United States Playboy Mansion, Beverly Hills, California, US Young unable to continue after an accidental foul
16 Win 16–0 Kenya Douglas Otieno Okola KO 2 (10), 2:39 29 Jul 2011 United States Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, US Won vacant NABA USA light heavyweight title
15 Win 15–0 United States Terrance Woods KO 3 (8), 1:54 6 May 2011 United States Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Indio, California, US
14 Win 14–0 United States Julius Fogle KO 2 (8), 1:16 1 Apr 2011 United States UIC Pavilion, Chicago, Illinois, US
13 Win 13–0 United States William Johnson TKO 2 (6), 1:53 12 Mar 2011 United States Hilton Towers Ballroom, Lafayette, Louisiana, US
12 Win 12–0 Russia Karen Avetisyan UD 6 15 Dec 2010 Russia Casino Vodoley, Yekaterinburg, Russia
11 Win 11–0 United States Dallas Vargas TKO 2 (8), 1:16 19 Nov 2010 United States UIC Pavilion, Chicago, Illinois, US
10 Win 10–0 United States Darnell Boone SD 8 9 Oct 2010 United States Metro Fitness, Atlanta, Georgia, US
9 Win 9–0 United States Kia Daniels KO 1 (6), 1:58 11 Sep 2010 United States Playboy Mansion, Beverly Hills, California, US
8 Win 8–0 United States Harley Kilfian TKO 2 (6), 1:24 19 Jun 2010 United States Emerald Queen Casino, Tacoma, Washington, US
7 Win 7–0 United States Nathan Bedwell TKO 1 (4), 2:15 19 Mar 2010 United States Derby Park Expo, Louisville, Kentucky, US
6 Win 6–0 United States Francois Ambang KO 2 (6), 2:23 6 Mar 2010 United States Patriot Center, Fairfax, Virginia, US
5 Win 5–0 United States Micky Stackhouse TKO 2 (4), 1:07 10 Oct 2009 United States Greensboro Coliseum Complex, Greensboro, North Carolina, US
4 Win 4–0 United States Ayodeji Fadeyi RTD 1 (4), 3:00 12 Sep 2009 United States Playboy Mansion, Beverly Hills, California, US
3 Win 3–0 United States Michael Birthmark RTD 1 (4), 3:00 29 Aug 2009 United States Emerald Queen Hotel & Casino, Tacoma, Washington, US
2 Win 2–0 United States Darryl Johnson TKO 1 (4), 2:06 8 Aug 2009 United States Metropolitan Convention Center, Columbia, South Carolina, US
1 Win 1–0 United States Daniel Chavez TKO 1 (4), 0:55 25 Jul 2009 United States Greensboro Coliseum Complex, Greensboro, North Carolina, US Professional debut

Titles in boxing

Major World Titles:

Regional/International Titles:

References

  1. 1 2 "Biography". Kovalboxer.com. 2013-04-26. Retrieved 2015-04-23.
  2. "Sergey Kovalev - Boxer". Boxrec.com. 1983-04-02. Retrieved 2015-04-23.
  3. "Russian boxer dies after bout loss". RT. 8 December 2011. Archived from the original on 3 March 2012.
  4. "Kovalev: The Next "Next Big Thing"". Boxing.com. Retrieved 2015-04-23.
  5. "Sergey Kovalev Blows Through Nathan Cleverly in Four - Boxing News". Boxingscene.com. Retrieved 2015-04-23.
  6. "Kovalev vs Sillakh results: Sergey Kovalev keeps Krushing, takes out Sillakh in two". Bad Left Hook. Nov 30, 2013.
  7. "Sergey Kovalev retains title". ESPN. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
  8. "Sergey Kovalev knocks out Caparello". ESPN. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
  9. 1 2 "Kovalev defeats Bernard Hopkins". Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  10. "Sergey Kovalev stops Jean Pascal". ESPN. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  11. "Sergey Kovalev KO's overmatched Nadjib Mohammedi in 3rd round". ESPN. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  12. "Boxing News - boxing news, results, rankings, schedules since 1909".
  13. "Sergey Kovalev to battle Isaac Chilemba on 7/11 in Russia". Boxing News 24. 2016-04-23. Retrieved 2016-04-26.

External links

Achievements
Preceded by
Nathan Cleverly
WBO Light Heavyweight Champion
August 17, 2013 present
Incumbent
Preceded by
Bernard Hopkins
IBF Light Heavyweight Champion
November 8, 2014 – present
WBA Light Heavyweight Champion
Super Title

November 8, 2014 – present
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