1. UD Bernard Hopkins
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images
Boxing can be as funny as it is brutal.
Sergey Kovalev’s 28-fight career is made up of violent knockouts and exciting fireworks. Ironically enough, his best win of all is very likely his most lackluster.
Though, things didn’t look that way early on against Bernard Hopkins late last year when the Krusher slapped a right hand off the top of the 49-year-old Hopkins’ head, sending him to the canvas with a minute left in the opening frame. The action, however, came to a standstill for the remaining 11 rounds.
The name of the game that night was distance. Hopkins maintained his range like he does so well and Kovalev preyed on him. He was a predator but a patient one, stalking his man along the ropes and utilizing a fine two-fisted attack.
The fight wasn’t close at all. The Russian earned every round from every judge when the scorecards were finally read.
Hopkins, a future Hall of Famer and the best light heavyweight in the world not named Adonis Stevenson or Kovalev, is all but ageless. His career dates back to 1988 but Scott Christ, BadLeftHook.com’s managing editor, called the hammering he took at the hands of Kovalev,”the most thorough beating of his career.”
Kovalev lifted the IBF and WBA light heavyweight belts from Hopkins that night and truly separated himself from the rest of the division with a performance so masterful against someone so adept in the gloved arts like Hopkins.
