Weaknesses For Each Man
Hopkins
Photo by Ed Mulholland
Most of us remember the last time Bernard Hopkins lost, which was by decision to Chad Dawson. For those who don’t, it wasn’t pretty. In fact, just about everyone was wondering if it was time for Hopkins to hang it up. Why is this worth mentioning? Because the pre-Ward Dawson was good, and though Hopkins-Dawson II was terrible to watch, it was the last time Hopkins really looked out of his element.
The moral of the story is that Hopkins can get frustrated if he isn’t allowed to control the pace of fight or execute his game plan the way he wants. I don’t see Hopkins getting knocked out because I think he’s too smart for that. Getting Hopkins out of his groove would require a battle of adjustments between two fighters.
Kovalev would need to adjust over and over again to keep Hopkins on his toes and make himself virtually untouchable. However, I’m not confident that Kovalev is ready to engage in this kind of mental warfare with Hopkins.
Kovalev
Photo by Naoki Fukada
Without wisdom and strategy, a man’s strength can easily become his weakness. My sound philosophy for any fighter is to not rely solely on a single strength, namely physical variables like speed and power. Physical strengths can make a fighter too eager and cause them to overlook the importance of fighting with intelligence.
For example, if Kovalev becomes trigger-happy with his right hand, Bernard Hopkins is sharp enough to adjust and take it away from him, like he did with Kelly Pavlik. Kovalev is strong, but how he uses his power is more important than just knowing he is powerful.
Kovalev is also lacking in the experience department, and it can be difficult, even dangerous, to try and overcompensate for such a disadvantage. He will need to earn Hopkins’ respect early, ideally in the first round. If not, he will give Hopkins the license to do whatever he wants in the ring.
Kovalev is not just going up against some strong, powerful guy. He’s going up against a textbook fighter who knows how to put on a clinic. Hopkins can potentially expose the lapses in his boxing IQ if Kovalev doesn’t come ready to fight smart.
