ONCE upon a time, Sergey Kovalev was a destroyer of opponents and stealer of souls. The Russian ‘Krusher’ was feared for his dynamite fists and uncompromising ability to use them fully. Opponents’ weaknesses were preyed upon and exploited. There was no mercy to be begged for.
On April 18, the latest version of Kovalev boxes for the final time, back on home soil and regional territory in an IBA event. Arriving in Chelyabinsk as the final foe is decent fringe operator Artur Mann. The visitor is decent, not great. Just the kind of last dance partner needed for 42-year-old Kovalev, whose prime has long since drifted away.
That prime started with the bludgeoning of Nathan Cleverly in 2013. An introduction to the world ranks that left the Welsh crowd stunned as referee Terry O’Connor helped a stumbling ‘King Clev’ back to his corner, soon to be finished off.
That same unforgiving grin, combined with a pair of hammer hands, breezed through lesser opponents, smashed the ageless Bernard Hopkins closer to the exit door and twice beat down Jean Pascal in the same Montreal venue. Kovalev was unforgiving and uncompromising.
Whispers of a lifestyle incompatible with that of a top-class athlete followed him all the way to the close of 2016 and a career-defining battle with Andre Ward that he probably should have won.
A controversial decision was followed by a rematch stoppage loss to the same fighter. Ward sailed off into the sunset. Kovalev continued searching for the old magic. Taking two cracks at Eleider Alvarez’s unbeaten record, one late surge to pop Anthony Yarde’s cherry, before an outboxing of 16-0 Tervel Pulev. Sandwiched in between were 10 rounds of jab-laden joy against Canelo until the Mexican dropped the axe in round 11.
There were glimpses, flashes of what he used to be. A 10th-round knockdown at the hands of Safar showed what he has become. Now 35-5-1, the 29 knockouts, at an 83 per cent KO ratio, offer a nice statistical summary of Kova’s strengths and weaknesses. Dangerous inside the ropes, controversial, belligerent and sometimes downright nasty away from it. The force and the flaws made him what he was.
Kovalev’s career has been littered with controversial moments both in and out of the ring, from the benign to the dangerous to the repugnant. In 2011, he boxed to a Technical Draw with Grover Young following an accidental foul. Less than four months later, Kovalev knocked out Roman Simakov, who died days after their bout.
In 2016, Jean Pascal accused Kovalev of being a racist before their rematch. Two years later, in 2018, he was arrested and bailed for punching a woman in the face. In 2021, a planned bout with Bek Melikuziev was cancelled after Kovalev tested positive for banned substances.
Now he is all set to draw the career curtain and find alternative outlets for his talents.
Sporting a reasonable 22-4 (13 KOs) record, the final fall guy, Artur Mann, is 34 years old. Turning pro in 2015, Mann reeled off 15 straight wins before bumping into the more seasoned IBO cruiserweight king Kevin Lerena, who invited him over to South Africa in 2019. Lerena sent the visitor home again after four rounds.
Mann rebuilt well enough to challenge for the IBF cruiserweight title two fights later. Travelling this time to Latvia, Mann was beaten a round earlier, as Mairis Briedis crushed him in three. Stepping up to be knocked out is a pattern that has followed the capable Kazakh native around.
A maiden visit to Russia in 2022 saw Mann dropped and outpointed by Evgeny Tishchenko. An eighth-round retirement at the potent fists of pro novice Muslim Gadzhimagomedov seemed concerning on the surface, given the Russian’s perceived lack of experience. A deeper dig shows a wealth of amateur and IBA nurturing.
Little consolation for Mann, who at least arrives in Chelyabinsk tomorrow with a couple of wins and a WBF (Federation, not Foundation, don’t ask) bauble around his waist.
Kovalev won’t worry too much about all of that. He’ll be too busy focusing on getting that final win before hanging up the gloves. Or will he? Focus and poor lifestyle habits have hindered a career that could be argued never fulfilled its potential.
That might sound strong given he reigned as a unified world champion, but peak Krusher was a force to behold. That version is long gone. The current version should still have enough to get past Mann, probably on points as the veteran tires down the stretch.
