Stevenson and Kovalev have seemed to be on the path to a showdown for about a year or so, and boy is it starting to make our mouths water. Two big punchers yet two very different styles. Kovalev is a straight up bruiser who seems just as content in beating his man to a pulp for twelve rounds or stomping him early. Stevenson is quite the opposite, he is a boxer puncher that fights his opponents cautiously and is just as likely to outbox you for the full twelve as he is to ending it early. But, what will happen if they fight? It seems ever so likely after both of them displayed their craft, on the same card, last night.
What should happen?
This is tough, both are big punchers with two different styles and we have not idea if this matchup is going to make an ugly fight or explosive fight. We know both men can certainly punch so it is likely to come down to who can take who's punch and who can exploit the others defensive lapses, and Lord knows they both have them. I think that early on Stevenson, who has the speed advantage, will outwork and outbox Kovalev. Assuming Kovalev can take Stevenson's punch, he will keep coming forward looking to hit anything he can. The biggest difference is that Stevenson often has his hands down in the middle of exchanges and I think this is where Kovalev will eventually get him. Kovalev's problem is that he often stands too tall, a typical european style. In his second fight with Darnell Boone, he was hit with numerous overhand rights in the first round, yet in the second he made the adjustment and stopped Boone in that very same round. Both guys have fought Boone twice, Stevenson was stopped by Boone the first time, while Kovalev took a close decision. Stevenson beat up Boone and then stopped him in the sixth the second go around while Kovalev destroyed Boone in his second try. I think that as the fight progresses Stevenson will start to slow down and Kovalev will start finding his range. I think he will start getting into more exchanges, and the more he does the higher the chance of Stevenson getting caught and stopped. Despite that I still think Stevenson will be the betting favorite.
Call: Kovalev KO 10
What could happen?
Well, just about anything could happen in this fight. Either fighter could end things with one single punch at nearly any moment. I do think that Kovalev is the harder puncher, but Stevenson the better boxer. It could be an early night in favor of either guy, or it could be a long boring fight with Stevenson outboxing Kovalev for 12. It could be a bad style matchup and just be plain ugly, and very boring. This fight seems so even that I cannot really think of a good scenario for any prediction.
Call: Even
What I think will happen?
While Stevenson is very skilled, he has some very bad habits. The one major flaw is that when he exchanges he leaves his hands down, not even Roy Jones Jr. did this! He does have spectacular reflexes and can get away with having his hands down on the outside, but does not seem to remember to bring them up on the inside. Kovalev is one of those guys that doesn't just punch, but exploits defensive deficiencies in his opponents. He does not just come to beat a guy until he falls by winging punches, and thats what makes him even more dangerous. Assuming Kovalev can take Stevenson's punch, he will eventually exploit this glaring flaw in Stevenson's virtually non-existent defense and eventually stop him. Kovalev is no defensive master either, but he keeps his hands up and is able to move his head...when he wants to. Neither man has slayed a dragon so it really is difficult to tell how much of either man is hype. I would say that Stevenson has the better ledger of the two but Stevenson has been stopped and has those flaws I mentioned above, which will likely lead to him being stopped late.
Call: Kovalev KO 10
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