It’s been quite some time that Atlanta city didn’t get a chance to welcome boxing enthusiasts to its soil. But with Sergey Kovalev vs. Eleider Alvarez lined up for this Saturday night, the metropolitan is all set to host a WBO light heavyweight affair. The title’s current holder Sergey Kovalev will be defending his accolade from Colombian Eleider Alvarez, who holds a clean record thus far. Other fights lined up for the night are a sensational encounter between Dmitry Bivol and Issac Chilemba for Russian WBA light heavyweight title.
Background
35-year-old “Krusher” first got his hands on the belt in 2013 when he a sealed a TKO victory over rival Nathan Cleverly. The Russian managed to defend his title for 3 years, only to lose it along with IBF and WBA light heavyweight badges to Andre Ward. Since the decision sparked some controversies, a rematch was organized; however the sensational fight came to a stop in R8 on the referee’s call.
Since his relinquishes, the Russian boxer has been working on his form and is ready for a recoup. Although, he managed to reclaim WBO belt by dispatching a second-round defeat to Vyacheslav Shabranskyy followed by another victory over Igor Mikhalin, the upcoming bout would mark Krusher’s second defense fight.
Alvarez, on the other hand, enters the contest with a clean record, marking the brawl his debut attempt at title shot. Though the Colombian “Storm” has already bagged WBC light heavyweight silver, he wants to engage in some hardcore action, notching up his skills and title.
34-year-old Colombian artist had to initially face Adonis Stevenson to don WBC light heavyweight belt, but he stepped aside as Stevenson paid him some amount. Up till now it remains unclear why didn’t the two lock horns, but its boxing’s legacy that most of its affairs lack clarity. With all the mayhem safely behind the back, Alvarez is geared to make his première shot as a ferocious title challenger in Atlanta.
Fight Preview – Sergey Kovalev vs. Eleider Alvarez
Although Kovalev comes with greater influence amongst the two fighters, it is not a safe bet to take Alvarez lightly. Ranked at 5th number for light heavyweight category by Ring Magazine, Alvarez has some solid skills and an impressive caliber that has helped him stay atop his 23 fights thus far. The Colombian artist boasts a bigger reach by 3 inches over his opponent.
But, there is no denying that Kovalev would be the favourite to look out for at Saturday night’s affair. With his unmatched subduing skills, the Russian artist poses some serious threats to anyone who tries to mess with him. With an astounding record of 28 KO’s from his 32-fight record, Krusher is amongst pound-for-pound best internationally.
It can expected that the Russian will inherently work towards another KO win, but with his opponent’s tuned technical skills, he will not only be able to evade Kovalev’s nasty shots, but will also make him struggle to keep up with his speed.
RDX Prediction: The champion will show why is he worthy of the belt. Kovalev via UD.
