Sergey Kovalev made weight at 175 pounds on his second weigh-in attempt for his title defense of his WBO light heavyweight title against Saul Canelo Alvarez on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Initially, Kovalev (34-3-1, 29 KOs) weighed in one-quarter pound over the limit at 175.25 lbs. He stripped naked in a failed attempt to make weight on the spot, but it was no use. After quickly going back to his dressing room, Kovalev returned moments later and successfully weighed in at 175 lbs. For his part, the 29-year-old Canelo Alvarez (52-1-2, 35 KOs) weighed in at 174.5 lbs. Canelo looked good at the weight. He obviously isn’t going to pack on too much more weight overnight before the secondary weigh-in on Saturday morning.
On Saturday, November 2, Canelo Alvarez (51-1-2, 34 KOs) will take on a new challenge as he moves into the 175-pound weight class in a 12-round fight against Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (34-3-1, 29 KOs) for Kovalev’s WBO Light Heavyweight World Title. This highly anticipated bout and its co-featured fights will be broadcast live from MGM Grand in Las Vegas to big screens across the nation.A full undercard will be shown prior to the main event.
Tickets for “Canelo Alvarez vs Sergey ‘Krusher’ Kovalev” can be purchased online at www.FathomEvents.comor at participating theater box offices now.
The live broadcast of “Canelo Alvarez vs Sergey ‘Krusher’ Kovalev” presented by Fathom Events, Golden Boy, Main Events and Krusher Promotions is set for Saturday, November 2 beginning at beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 8:00 p.m. CT/ 7:00 p.m. MT/ 6:00 p.m. PT/ 5:00 p.m. AK/ 4:00 p.m. HI. Boxing fans throughout the U.S. can watch the event in more than 500 select movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN). A complete list of theater locations is available on the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).
Canelo, the 29-year-old native of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, became the face of boxing by taking on some of the biggest names in the sport. At 154 pounds, Canelo captured several world titles and defeated the likes of Austin “No Doubt” Trout, Sugar Shane Mosley, Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo, Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara and Liam “Beefy” Smith. At 160 pounds, Canelo defeated Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and Daniel “Miracle Man” Jacobs to establish himself as the king of the middleweight division. In the 168-pound division, Canelo became the WBA Super Middleweight World Champion by stopping Rocky Fielding in three rounds.
Canelo will now look to make history again by becoming the second Mexican boxer to hold a world title in the light heavyweight division. The pound-for-pound king will at the same time join an elite group of four-division world champions from Mexico.
On November 2, Kovalev (36) will participate in his 17th consecutive world title bout and the most lucrative fight of his career against the biggest star in boxing. A Russian knockout artist and Three-Time Light Heavyweight World Champion, “Krusher” is no stranger to fighting in hostile territory. He captured the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title in 2013 when he traveled to Wales and scored a stunning knockout of Nathan Cleverly. Kovalev traveled to Atlantic City to meet future Hall of Famer Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins to unify the WBO, WBA and IBF titles with a lopsided unanimous decision victory in 2014. As unified champion, “Krusher” successfully defended his titles twice against current WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Jean Pascal in Montreal, scoring a stoppage victory both times.
In August of this year, Kovalev finally got the chance to fight in his own hometown of Chelyabinsk, Russia, stopping undefeated mandatory challenger Anthony Yarde in front of a sold-out crowd.
“We are proud to partner again with Golden Boy to bring boxing’s biggest star, Canelo Alvarez back to cinemas nationwide,” said Ray Nutt, Fathom Events CEO. “Fight fans will want to see all the action up on the big screen as Canelo takes on Sergey ‘Krusher’ Kovalev.”
The undercard for this event will feature a full night of action. Rising superstar Ryan Garcia (18-0, 15 KOs) of Victorville, Calif. will face “Ruthless” Romero Duno (21-1, 16 KOs) of Cotabato City, Philippines in the 12-round co-main event..
The WBO World Light Heavyweight Championship Clash Canelo vs. Kovalev undercard will be brimming with action as it features the returns of Ryan Garcia, Bakhram Murtazaliev, Seniesa Estrada, Marlen Esparza and many others. The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively as one of the most anticipated events this fight season on DAZN.
“We have put a lot of thought into this long-awaited night, and we’re eager to deliver one of the best undercards of the year,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “This event will feature some of our brightest talents taking on the toughest fights of their careers. With Ryan Garcia, we have a huge star in the making, but he’ll need to get past a tough, hard-hitting contender in Romero Duno to secure his path for a world title. We also have Seniesa Estrada and Marlen Esparza, who will look to final end their rivalry in a fight for the Interim WBA Flyweight Title. So, whether in person or live on DAZN, a new chapter in boxing’s history will unfold on November 2.”
As announced previously, rising superstar Ryan Garcia (18-0, 15 KOs) of Victorville, Calif. will look to defeated WBO NABO Lightweight Champion “Ruthless” Romero Duno (21-1, 16 KOs) of Cotabato City, Philippines in the 12-round co-main event to Canelo vs. Kovalev WBO World Title Duel. This will be a fight between two of the hardest-hitting lightweights in the Golden Boy stable.
“This is a big moment for me,” said Ryan Garcia. “These opportunities don’t come often. It’s my chance to show what I’m capable of on the biggest stage in boxing. I’m not going to let this opportunity slip. I’m fighting against Romero Duno, the opponent I wanted since the beginning, so I’m going show that I’ve reached another level on Nov. 2.”
“This is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for,” said Romero Duno. “I’m so excited to be part of a such a big night as the co-main event of Canelo vs. Kovalev. This fight has been building up for some time. I’ve had my eye on Ryan Garcia for a while now. I promise to do everything it takes to beat him on Nov. 2 and take home a big victory for the Philippines!”
MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV – Retired two-division champion and current ESPN expert analyst Andre Ward was in Sin City this past weekend for the Tyson Fury-Otto Wallin heavyweight clash that took place at T-Mobile Arena.
The November 2nd light heavyweight showdown pitting WBA middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez against WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev was formally announced while Ward was in Las Vegas.
After Fury’s points victory over Wallin, Ward met with the media and was asked about the upcoming Alvarez-Kovalev bout.
Many expect Canelo to be a sizable favorite when Vegas establishes a betting line. Ward said that there are many factors he needs to weigh before predicting a winner.
“I don’t know yet. There are a lot of variables, man. How heavy is Canelo going to come in? Is he going to try to come in too heavy because he is concerned about the extra weight of Kovalev or is he going to stay somewhat light to stay faster? How’s his knee? He’s got a bad knee. I know all about that. What does Kovalev have left? How is Canelo going to get past the range of Kovalev the first 6 rounds. If it goes past 6 I like Canelo. It’s a lot of variables,” Ward stated.
“Like I told you guys a few seconds ago I am not trying to be the first to predict and say certain things. I try to measure twice and cut once. I don’t try to be the first so I really don’t know. There are a lot of variables I am trying to process right now. It is going to be a good fight I know that.”
ANTHONY YARDE will take on WBO World Light Heavyweight Champion Sergey Kovalev on Saturday night in Chelyabinsk, Russia live on BT Sport 2 and ESPN+ will stream LIVE from Russia beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT
Yarde (18-0, 17KOs) met Kovalev (33-3-1, 28KOs) for the first time today at their fight week press conference.
Here are a selection of quotes from the Kovalev vs. Yarde media event ahead of Saturday night’s show.
Anthony Yarde
“I’m just here to do a job… and enjoy myself.”
“I haven’t done no trash talking. And, I don’t do trash talking. I posted pictures, to me they are good pictures. I am a fighter, that’s what I’m meant to visualize. I’m meant to see these things in my mind, the same way Kovalev probably sees things in his mind. As fighters we want to do the best we can so we visualize what we want to happen. I posted a picture that a fan made, when I saw this picture I re-posted it as that’s what’s going to happen.” (In reference to a journalist’s question on an Anthony Yarde social media post)
“I believe that right now I’m mentally very strong and I believe what happens on the night is what matters.”
“I’m just going to literally go in the ring and be myself. I’m going to focus on myself, be the best that I can be and get the knockout victory because that’s what I feel like I need to do to win the fight.”
“I don’t know which round. I’m not a psychic… but that’s my plan. In boxing you can’t predict rounds. I’ve just got to go in there with a goal in my head and produce.”
Yarde says he’s hungry
“This is my first time in Russia. I’m enjoying myself, I’ve been treated well and I’m enjoying the country but I’m not nervous. This is why I’m smiling so much. Because where I’ve come from, I’ve rose very quickly to be here, so I’m happy to be at this level and I’m going to make the most of it.”
“No disrespect to Kovalev, he’s been a champ for a long time, he’s unified, he’s been there and done it. I’m very ambitious and I’m literally just hungry and I want to get to that stage and change my life. I’m sure he wanted to change his life when he started so I’m at that stage now and I’m just aggressive with my approach and how hungry I am.”
“Life is about challenges and you don’t know if you can do something until you try. I’m here to do a job. It don’t matter who the crowd is rooting for, Kovalev would probably say the same… once you get in the ring, it’s you and your opponent and that’s all that matters.”
Sergey Kovalev
“I am indeed very pleased to be home. We have a big fight ahead of us. We’ll try to do our best to come out happy and very pleased after the fight.”
“My career and my schedule doesn’t really let me live here. I try to be as far as possible from home so I can work harder and not lose energy.”
“We did have an offer (from Canelo Alvarez) but we can talk about that after Saturday night. Official agreements were already made with Antony Yarde. My primary task is to defend the title. If the fight is still interesting for Canelo afterwards then OK.”
“I understand Anthony Yarde’s ambitions. He calls himself a lion but to me he is a cub. He is so young. I will have to get rid of all that baby fur off his skin so he will run away back home. It is clear he comes here and he wants to be like that. I have this experience. Now is my time.”
“The plans are to have all the belts and become an absolute champion. I think there should be only one champion. We have four in our weight division, it’s not quite clear who is strongest. It would be great to decide amongst us who is strongest.”
“He thinks that he will knock me out but Saturday will show everybody what will be exactly. He has had a lot of fights and he’s won them by KO but Saturday will show.”
WBO light heavyweight championship showdown to stream LIVE from Russia beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT
WBO light heavyweight champion and future Hall of Famer Sergey Kovalev will face off against his hard-hitting mandatory challenger, Anthony Yarde, in a highly anticipated showdown Saturday, Aug. 24 from Traktor Arena in Kovalev’s hometown of Chelyabinsk, Russia.
Kovalev-Yarde will stream live and exclusively in the United States on ESPN+, the leading multi-sport streaming service, beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT. The stream will also showcase the co-feature bout between unbeaten cruiserweight contender Aleksei Papin (11-0, 10 KOs) and former world title challenger Ilunga Makabu (25-2, 24 KOs). Fans in the U.S. can sign up at www.ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App.
“I am thrilled to fight for the first time in my hometown of Chelyabinsk,” Kovalev said. “It is a dream to defend my WBO title in front of all my friends and family back home. I am also thankful ESPN+ will show the fight to my fans in the U.S. Thank you to Igor Altushkin, Egis Klimas, Main Events and Top Rank for making this dream a reality, and thank you to Anthony Yarde for agreeing to fight in my home.”
“Sergey has done just about everything a professional fighter can do, other than fight in his own hometown,” said promoter Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events. “One of the sport’s greatest road warriors, Sergey will finally get the chance to salute his legion of fans in Chelyabinsk, where he grew up. It will be an exciting, long overdue homecoming for Sergey. And I am so happy to confirm that Sergey’s many fans in the U.S. will be able to watch this great event only on ESPN+. I wish to thank Igor Altushkin, German Titov and everyone at RCC for making this all possible. I also wish to thank Bob Arum and Top Rank for their continued support.”
Kovalev (33-3-1, 28 KOs) is a veteran of 15 world title bouts and has won the light heavyweight world title on three occasions. A former unified champion, he revived his career in February by scoring a wide points win over Eleider Alvarez, the man who’d knocked him out less than six months prior. One of this generation’s most decorated champions, Kovalev holds victories over Jean Pascal, Nathan Cleverly and living legend Bernard Hopkins. In Yarde (18-0, 17 KOs), he faces a London native with a giant hand who is taking a giant step up in competition. Yarde has won his last 16 bouts by knockout, most recently stopping Travis Reeves in five rounds in a bout that streamed on ESPN+. This will be only his second pro bout outside of England.
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Use the hashtag #KovalevYarde to join the conversation on social media.
Super Saturday is almost here. Three world title fights, including one of the most anticipated rematches in recent memory, will take place Saturday at Ford Center at the Star, the practice home of the Dallas Cowboys.
At midnight ET on ESPN+, Eleider “Storm” Alvarez will attempt to repeat the deed when he defends his WBO light heavyweight world title against former two-time light heavyweight champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev. Back in August, Alvarez came from behind to starch Kovalev with three knockdowns in the seventh round. And, in the ESPN+ co-feature, 2018 Prospect of the Year Teofimo Lopez (11-0, 9 KOs) takes on former world title challenger Diego Magdaleno (31-2, 13 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight fight.
Inthe ESPN main event (10 p.m. ET), Oscar Valdez (24-0, 19 KOs) defends his WBO featherweight title for the fifth time against Carmine “Mr. Wolf” Tommasone (19-0, 5 KOs). In the ESPN co-feature, Richard Commey and Isa Chaniev will duke it out for the vacant IBF lightweight title with the winner set to fight unified champion Vasiliy Lomachenko later this year.
Here is what the fighters had to say Thursday from Ford Center at the Star.
Eleider Alvarez
“Things have changed a lot for me. This is my first time being a main event {defending my world title}. What has changed is my popularity, but I’m still the same guy.”
“Thanks to God, I’m a mentally strong person. I have come from the bottom, basically, and little by little, I’ve been getting my stuff. Now I have more, so that’s why I think I’ve been able to handle everything well. That’s why I am a mentally strong person.”
On Kovalev saying he was overtrained for the first fight
“I believe that’s a lot of excuses he’s making. When you lose, you have a lot of excuses. I had a great game plan with my team. If he says that was an accident, then he needs to get ready for another accident.”
Sergey Kovalev
“I want to say a big thanks to Top Rank and my team at Main Events to make this rematch and get my belt back. This is the most important {fight} for me because I couldn’t stop my boxing career as a loser. It’s not in my character. First of all, this is my goal, to get back my belt that I dropped on the way to my big goals. I made a mistake last time {against Alvarez}, but this time I will fix it. This Saturday, I will fix this situation and be on top again. If not, I am not the Sergey ‘Krusher’ Kovalev. Believe me, this Saturday will be the best version of me because I turned everything on to get in the best shape of my boxing career.”
“My goal is to collect all four belts, but I dropped this belt on my way to my huge goal. After {the Alvarez loss}, a lot of people thought I should stop my boxing career. No, that’s not in my character to stop my career by losing. When I win, I will think, stop or not to stop? But when I lose, it was 100 percent no.”
Oscar Valdez
On recovering from the broken jaw suffered in the Scott Quigg fight
“It was one of the most difficult times of my life. Having my jaw wired shut for two months was the hardest thing I’ve ever dealt with. That’s in the past now. I’m ready to focus on this fight. I’m 100 percent healed from that injury. That’s not going to bother me no more. I’m just excited to get back in the ring. It’s been almost a year since my last fight. I’ve been training hard with my new trainer, Eddy Reynoso. It’s been a great training camp, and I just can’t wait to get in there and start again where I left off.”
“We had a great training camp, me and Eddy Reynoso. I never take no fighter lightly. There was a point where no one knew who Manny Pacquiao was when he came to the United States and had his first fight. And he became a star. So, we don’t know what Tommasone can bring. I will be 100 percent ready for him, or for any fighter, because I don’t take no fighter lightly. I have the same respect for all fighters inside the ring, and I’m going to do whatever I have to do come out victorious. One thing in my mind is to not take him lightly and just try to get the job done and keep on improving my career. I’m definitely focused on this fight and start where I left off.”
Eddy Reynoso
“Working with a world champion and an athlete that works as hard as Oscar does is a proud moment for me to be part of that team.”
Carmine Tommasone
“I fought in America as an amateur. This is my first time as a professional. When I got the call {to fight Valdez}, it was like an early Christmas present because it was early December. I prepared well for this opportunity.”
“Winning a title in the United States is every boxer’s dream. It would be a great opportunity.”
On people calling this a “tune-up fight” for Valdez
“It doesn’t bother me. I’m confident in my skills, and this is an opportunity to show my skills.”
FRISCO, Texas (Dec. 8, 2018) —Their first fight ended with a dramatic knockout that shook up the Atlantic City Boardwalk. The rematch between Eleider “Storm” Alvarez and Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev will bring two of the light heavyweight division’s biggest names to The Star.
Alvarez will defend his WBO light heavyweight world title against former unified light heavyweight world champion Kovalev on Saturday, Feb. 2 at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys’ practice facility.
Alvarez (24-0, 12 KOs) scored a come-from-behind knockout against Kovalev on Aug. 4 in a major upset to shake up the division. Kovalev (32-3-1, 28 KOs), who has made nine title defenses across two reigns, will seek to become a three-time world champion and regain his position in boxing’s pound-for-pound top ten.
Alvarez-Kovalev 2 and a soon-to-be announced co-feature will headline a special edition of Top Rank on ESPN beginning at 10 p.m. ET. The entire undercard will stream live beginning at 7 p.m. ET in the United States on ESPN+ — the new multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN. Promoted by Top Rank, Main Events and Krusher Promotions, in association with Groupe Yvon Michel, tickets, priced at $225, $165, $85, $55, and $25 (including facility fees), go on sale Friday, Dec. 14 at 10 a.m. CST and can be purchased at SeatGeek.com.
”The fact that Kovalev said it was a mistake and that I was lucky is motivation for me,” Alvarez said. “He is a sore loser, and I will make sure there will be a second ‘accident.’ ‘I expect Kovalev to be stronger in that second fight. I expect the best Kovalev because he won’t underestimate me this time, but I am fully aware of this. I am able to be even better than in the last fight.”
“I am very thankful to fight on ESPN on Feb. 2,” Kovalev said. “I will look to take back my title and put on a great show for the fans. Together with my new trainer, Buddy McGirt, I will be ready for Alvarez.”
“Sergey and Eleider are two of the world’s best fighters, and we look forward to hosting their rematch and another great night of boxing at Ford Center at The Star,” said Stephen Jones, Chief Operating Officer of the Dallas Cowboys. “Ford Center has proven to be a premier fight venue, and there is no better way to continue that legacy than to bring the world light heavyweight championship to North Texas.”
Alvarez, 34, a native of Colombia who now resides in Montreal, turned pro in 2009 following an amateur career that included a pair of Pan American Games gold medals and a 2008 Olympic berth. In 2013, he defeated former middleweight world champion Edison Miranda by unanimous decision, and by 2015, he had established himself as one of the world’s top light heavyweight contenders. He earned the shot at Kovalev following a trio of high-profile wins: a 2015 majority decision against perennial contender Isaac Chilemba, a 2017 knockout of former longtime super middleweight world champion Lucian Bute, and a majority decision over former light heavyweight kingpin Jean Pascal. That all led to his triumphant night on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, a feat he hopes to duplicate in Frisco.
Kovalev is one of the most dominating world champions of his era, a devastating puncher with nine title defenses across two title reigns. He won the WBO world title in August 2013, traveling to Wales and knocking out hometown champion Nathan Cleverly in the fourth round. He became the unified champion in November 2014 with a dominating 12-round decision against future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins and further enhanced his résumé with a pair of knockout wins against Jean Pascal. He lost his world titles in November 2016 via controversial decision to pound-for-pound great Andre Ward. Nearly seven months later, Kovalev was stopped in the eighth round by Ward, a bout remembered in part for the multiple low blows that immediately preceded the stoppage. Kovalev rebounded, winning the vacant WBO light heavyweight title with a second-round TKO against Vyacheslav Shabranskyy in his next bout. He defended the title once, a seventh-round TKO of Igor Mikhalkin in March, before running into Alvarez.
(Atlantic City, New Jersey) – In a stunning turnaround, Eleider Alvarez (24-0, 12 KOs) of Montreal, Canada scored a seventh round knockout victory over Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (32-3-1, 28 KOs) of Russia before a sellout crowd of 5,642 fans at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s Etess Arena. Alvarez now becomes the WBO and IBA World Light Heavyweight Champion.
Alvarez found success with his jab early in the fight, snapping Kovalev’s head back at times. In the fourth round, Kovalev found his range and started strafing Alvarez with pounding head shots from right and left, with body work mixed in. Most other opponents would have withered under the assault, but Alvarez made it out of the round on his feet.
The pair continued to trade punches for several rounds. Two minutes into the seventh round, Alvarez, not previously known as a knockout puncher, delivered perhaps the single hardest punch of his life, a perfectly placed right to the head which threw Kovalev back onto the canvas. Kovalev beat the count, but as the final seconds ticked down, Alvarez knocked Kovalev down twice more, and referee David Fields ended the fight at 2:45 of the seventh round.
“I can’t describe how I feel,” said an elated Alvarez, thanking God and his entire team including trainer Marc Ramsey and promoter Yvon Michel, along with his family and the people of both Quebec and Colombia.
“I wanted to show him I’m strong, I have a good chin, and I’m ready for big things,” said Alvarez. On the knockout blow, Alvarez said “We practiced that punch during training camp, and that’s how it went … I always practiced that punch in training.”
Alvarez, a native of Colombia, had waited on a title shot as the WBC mandatory challenger for three years. When offered, he jumped at the chance to face Kovalev, earning him tremendous respect. Now he sits at the top of the division. Asked if he’d like to face the winner of the co-main event, Dmitry Bivol, Alvarez said “I’m ready for the best in the world. I’m ready for the best in the division. I’ve been waiting for five years. I’m ready for anybody.”
Speaking on Instagram from the back of an ambulance en route to a local hospital, an upbeat Kovalev reassured fans he was all right. “I am on my way to the hospital to check my head, check my body … I feel OK. Thank you everyone, thank you very much to all the fans around the world for your support. I love you, and I’m fine.”
This past Saturday, Nathan Cleverly fifth defense of his WBO-light heavyweight title ended in disaster as he suffered a crushing fourth-round knockout defeat against Kovalev at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff. Cleverly is still coming to terms with this devastating defeat and has suggested there might be some major changes after losing his unbeaten record.
Kovalev has 20 stoppages in his 22 wins and Cleverly’s granite chin could not withstand his concussive power. Cleverly was floored twice in the third round and revealed that the punches felt like being hit with a ‘hammer’.
He told Boxing News: “I suppose I wasn’t surprised because with his record it was inevitable that he was a banger and every shot he threw was a thudding shot. It was like a hammer. He wasn’t rapid fast, he had good timing, good distance and his punches were just so hard … His jab, his right hand. Just when he caught you on the shoulder he would have an impact and he was just clubbing me.”
