werewolf;314681
[/FONT said:
[/COLOR][/LEFT]My prediction: Kovalev by KO in round two.
Interesting prediction werewolf.
Because of Kovalev ' s power, his usual fast starts (look at his fights VS Sillakh and Capparello he feels out in the 1st round 2nd round the guns come out), and Bernard ' s always slow starts a Kovalev early KO win is certainly possible.
In fact, I think
Sergey's best chance is a strong attack in the early rounds. Fortunately, Sergey is a fast starter so this should come natural to him. Sergey has never been past 8 rounds so you know Hopkins will try to take the fight late.
Sergey's trainer - John David Jackson (a former boxer who fought and lost to BHOP) has instructed Sergey to target his punches everywhere, head, body, arms. I also think this is great advice.
In Bernard ' s last fights VS Cloud, Shumenov, Murat he's been able to pot shot, hold, and dictate pace.
But Kovalev is a much more dangerous fighter than any of those 3 .
Kovalev has fought fast, defensive, slick fighters before - Agnew, Sillakh, Campillo, and he had no trouble easily catching and KOING them. Bernard is most similar to these styles.
**Expect a lot of holding** from Bernard, and I mean A LOT. He's not faster than Sergey but he'll try and hold, bend, lean at every chance he gets.
Quite frankly I don't know that Bernard ' s holding and pot shots will work. It worked in his last fights but Sergey is much better than those opponents.
I've heard some people say that Bernard will fake an injury and yes its well within his character to do it. But will he have time? Sergey is very fast and in many of his KO'S it literally takes one punch (remember the Sillakh KO). It may be too late at that point for Bernard to exit the fight.
In my honest opinion, Sergey should win by stoppage. It's just a question of fighting smart and being up for the challenge. Sergey mentioned fighting his first 18 fights for free. And only 1.5 years ago he made his first purse of 5000$ VS Darnell Boone. Now he's making more than 1,000,000$ and if he wins sky's the limit going forward.
PS) This is the most excited I've been for a fight since Klitschko beat Haye in July 2011. Nothing would please me more than to see Kovalev retire Bernard once and for all...
Prediction:
Kovalev KO 6. the old man bit off more than he can chew. This ain't a safe fight like Murat or Cloud. Everyone gets old and this is the fight where Hopkins shows his age. Boxing is a young man's sport and for good reason. Hopkins stayed in the sport too long and he will be sent packing.