LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT Sergey Kovalev goes from strength-to-strength but just missed out on a spot in the Top 5 despite a stellar year.
The Russian defended his WBO title in March when he defeated Cedric Agnew, and again in August when he recovered from a flash knockdown to halt Blake Caparello.
But it was in November when Kovalev truly proved his worth when he handed Bernard Hopkins the worst thrashing of his long career, flooring him in the opening round, and dominating the next 11 to win a lopsided verdict.
The memorable triumph added the WBA and IBF straps to his waist, and set him up for a huge 2015.
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