Canelo vs Kovalev: A preview
On Saturday, November 2, we will witness Canelo Álvarez take on Sergey Kovalev. The bout is set to take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Kovalev will be defending his WBO light heavyweight title, but the Canelo vs Kovalev odds aren’t in his favour. Fans are travelling from all over the globe to see the two fight it out in the ring, but who will come up trumps on the night? Let’s take a look at both boxers and see how they match-up so far.
Saul Álvarez
Better known as Canelo, the Mexican boxer is a three-weight world champion and has had quite a significant career so far. After taking up the sport at the age of 13, he turned pro just two years later.
In the last 14 years, the boxer has gone on to secure an impressive record of 52-1-2 (35 KOs) by boxing across North America. Perhaps his most memorable bout was his win against the esteemed British boxer Amir Khan in 2016, whilst his only defeat was suffered at the hands of Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Although his career is full of success, Canelo will be stepping up two weight divisions, but isn’t taking any chances when it comes to the bout against Kovalev. The Mexican has already announced he plans to weigh in at 175lbs on fight night, the maximum weight allowed for the light heavyweight category.
“I will be on weight at 175 pounds. That’s what I’m going to weigh, 175 pounds. God willing, that’s what we’re working on,” explained Canelo. “I’m lifting more weights. I hadn’t lifted that much previously. A lot of reps but not that much weight. So I’m lifting more weights, eating more carbs, eating protein.”
There is a big chance that Canelo can beat Kovalev, but with a height of 5ft 9in and reach of 70.5in, he’s at a disadvantage to the stature of Kovalev. Let’s hope, for his sake, that the efforts he’s putting in his training will pay off.
Sergey Kovalev
The Russian boxer has the perfect image for intimidating his opponents, a height of 6ft and bulky mass that pushes the boundaries of the weight classification. Earlier this year in March, he was ranked the best active light heavyweight by Boxrec, and second by The Ring magazine.
Kovalev has a current record of 34-3-1 (29 KOs) and after a few recent lapses, he’ll be looking to hold onto the two-match winning streak he currently has. He won his previous bout against Anthony Yarde in his home city of Chelyabinsk, although he did have quite the crowd advantage.
Kovalev comes off the back of his lucky 11th round TKO victory against Yarde in August, but many people have speculated whether the boxer will be ready for another bout so soon. It’s a bold move, but Manager Egis Klimas recently said, “We’re ready, so if they’re serious about that fight, they should come with an offer.”
Tensions are running high. It’s a tall order for Canelo, with Kovalev having to prove that he hasn’t bitten off more than he could handle. It’ll be an interesting bout to watch next month, but which boxer will come out as the WBO light heavyweight champion?
