Sergey Kovalev vs. Nadjib Mohammedi: Winner, Recap and Reaction

By Bryan Mazique / Credit:  Photo by John Locher, AP –

WBA, IBF and WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev (28-0-1, 25 KO) continues to crush opponents.

On Saturday night, Kovalev defended his titles by way of a third-round TKO win over an overmatched Nadjib Mohammedi (37-4). There was little resistance offered up by Mohammedi in this one.

He couldn’t match Kovalev’s speed, technical acumen and certainly not the Russian’s power. With every power punch the champion landed, it was clear he was just too strong for Mohammedi.

The challenger’s only defense seemed to be his awkwardness, but Kovalev wouldn’t allow that to keep him from the finish for long. He dropped Mohammedi for the first time in the second round with this right hand, per HBO Boxing.

Mohammedi would get to his feet, but he made the decision reluctantly. He spent the remainder of the round grabbing, holding and attempting to wrestle Kovalev down in an effort to survive the frame. He accomplished his short-term goal, but it was clear he wouldn’t be around for long.

In the third round, Kovalev put him away with this right-left combination. The tail end of the one-two might have broken a bone in Mohammedi’s face.

Referee Kenny Bayless called a halt to the bout as Mohammedi made more effort to address his injured cheek bone than he did to beat the count.

When the fight was over, speculation about Kovalev’s next opponent began.

  

Jean Pascal won a controversial decision over Yunieski Gonzalez in the undercard, and that win put him in line for another shot at Kovalev. The Russian already scored an eighth-round TKO win over Pascal in March.

The fight was an entertaining one, so there could be a small market for the rematch. On a larger scale, a fight with WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson or countrymen Artur Beterbiev would be most appealing. Making either fight will be problematic because Al Haymon promotes both fighters, and there’s a storied history of issues with HBO and Showtime fighters facing off against each other.

More realistic opponents for Kovalev would be middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin or super middleweight kingpin Andre Ward.

Golovkin would have to come up at least eight pounds for a superbout with Kovalev. Ward would be a more feasible opponent as the two men could meet somewhere between 168 and 175 pounds. HBO’s Max Kellerman asked Kovalev who he would like to face next with specific references to Golovkin and Ward, but Kovalev kept it general, per HBO Boxing.

Many in the boxing community such as Bleacher Report’s Kevin McRae and Bad Left Hook’s Scott Christ were intrigued by the possibility of a Ward vs. Kovalev scrap.

There’s no doubt that bout could be an entertaining one. Kovalev’s power is unlike anything Ward has ever faced. With Ward moving up, it would be interesting to see how he handles the additional weight and bigger punch.

As of now, we don’t have any official word on that bout. We’ll just have to appreciate Kovalev’s latest destructive exhibition.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2531453-sergey-kovalev-vs-nadjib-mohammedi-winner-recap-and-reaction

By Thomas Gerbasi –

For Cedric Agnew, the great thing about conventional wisdom is that it never won a fight. So while that aforementioned wisdom says that the unbeaten – but unknown and untested – Chicago native is going to end up on WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev’s highlight reel this Saturday in Atlantic City, Agnew brings a quiet confidence into the biggest fight of his life, along with a simple solution to hearing daily about the growing legend of the “Krusher.”

“I just don’t pay attention to it,” he said quietly, the usual mode of conversation from the 27-year-old. That’s probably the best way to be for a fight like this. Stay below the radar, be stealthy, and strike when it’s time to do so. And no one has done it better than Agnew.

A former amateur star, Agnew turned pro in 2007, slowly and steadily building his record and reputation like countless other hungry fighters. There were recognizable names sprinkled throughout – Rubin Williams, Daniel Judah, and Otis Griffin – but just as many no hopers with losing records, leaving a question mark as to whether Agnew’s impressive slate was a reflection of his talent or his competition.

So while others got the big fights and big opportunities, Agnew would lay in wait, dealing with the boxing business in the best way he knew how – quietly.

“At times, it gets very irritating, but I have to stay true to myself and stay true to my craft, and always remind myself that it’s part of the game,” he said. “Be patient and something will happen. You have to be patient in this game because you’re not always going to get everything your way. Sometimes things are not going to turn out in your favor, so you just gotta hope that things work themselves out.”

In April of 2013, they finally did, with Agnew landing a USBA title fight against Yusaf Mack. Dominant throughout the 12-rounder, Agnew put on a clinic against Mack, winning when he had to, and putting himself in position to get a title shot. Who was it going to be against? Agnew didn’t care.

“Really, it was any of the guys holding titles, whether it was him (Kovalev), (Bernard) Hopkins, (Beibut) Shumenov, or (Adonis) Stevenson – any one of them.”

It’s through this process that you realized just who Agnew was. He wasn’t a manufactured contender, a cardboard character built up only to be knocked down. Instead, he was one of those fighters who could have fallen through the cracks because he was a quiet kid who preferred to let his performances speak for themselves, and not a well-connected prospect who made a lot of noise in and out of the ring.

“It’s always difficult explaining the reality of this game to someone who doesn’t know the inside of it and who’s only on the outside looking in,” he said. “They try to understand and you try to make them understand, but they’re not going to because they’re used to hearing the media and hearing the public, so they think they know what’s going on. There’s a whole lot more going on than just two people standing in front of each other and fighting.”

You do always hope that the right guys eventually get the right opportunities though, especially when boxing isn’t a lark, but a lifelong commitment like it has been for Agnew.

“I’ve been doing this since I was eight years old, and I always wanted to be world champ,” he said. “I always had my eye on the prize.”

That prize is a few days away, something that’s either a daunting prospect or an exciting one. Agnew sees it as the latter, though don’t expect any backflips should he upset Kovalev.

“The one thing you most likely will see will be me staying humble, celebrating with my team, and thanking the man above for rewarding me with such a great gift,” said Agnew, who does know that a win will change his life considerably, whether he likes it or not.

“Realistically, you can’t prepare yourself for it because you don’t know what is actually going to happen. But it’s something that I’ll probably have to accept because it comes with the territory.”

Let’s just say dealing with more notoriety and media attention would be a good problem to have, but to get to that point, he has to address the power and growing aura of the Russian knockout artist, who has that kind of mean in the ring that has made him a cult hero among hardcore fight fans. And it won’t be easy. To win, Agnew has to use every ounce of his speed, savvy, and smarts, and without the stopping power of his foe, he’ll have to be on point for 12 rounds.

But the beauty of a fight is that anything can happen, and when you’ve had gloves on for 19 of your 27 years like Agnew has, nothing is impossible.

“He’s a fighter,” said the challenger of Kovalev. “He’s a strong guy, but I’ve been in there with strong guys. He’s not flashy or real fast or tricky – he’s just a fighter.”

It takes one to know one.

http://www.boxingscene.com/cedric-agnew-quietly-confident-underdog–76023

By Ryan Burton

WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev (23-0-1, 21KOs) continues to hold out hope that he will be able to unify titles with WBC light heavyweight champion Andonis Stevenson.

The two fighters fought on the same card on November 30th in Quebec City, Canada. Kovalev stopped Ismayl Sillakh in two rounds while Stevenson stopped Tony Bellew in six. Kovalev fought in the co-featured fight and said that he made a point to watch Stevenson’s fight which immediately followed.

“He did a good job but I didn’t see anything special. He calls himself Superman,” Kovalev said with a smile.

Kovalev’s manager Egis Klimas said that effective immediately they have a new nickname for Kovalev.

“We are changing Sergey’s nickname. Instead of Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev it is going to be Sergey “Kryptonite” Kovalev,” Klimas told BoxingScene.com.

Klimas also said that Kovalev will remain inn the light heavyweight division for the foreseeable future. He said Kovalev doesn’t have any problems making weight so there is no reason to move up.

“I am comfortable at 175. I make the weight easy,” Kovalev stated.

“He will fight any cruiserweight at 175 though,” Klimas chimed in.

 http://www.boxingscene.com/kovalev-mocks-stevenson-call-me-kryptonite-kovalev—72933