After an impressive showing Saturday in a second round knockout of Blake Caparello, the man they call “The Krusher”, Sergey Kovalev earned his shot at “The Alien” Bernard Hopkins in November Main Events and Golden Boy announced Monday.
The fight will be held in the East Coast at a site and exact date to be determined, will be a light heavyweight heavy weight title unification bout.
In Kovalev’s 26 professional fights he has won 23 of those by way of knockout, giving him an incredible 88 percent knockout ratio.
Hopkins, who will be two months shy of his 50th birthday, will look to hand the hard-hitting Kovalev his first professional loss.
“Everything I do at this point in my career affects my legacy,” Hopkins said. “I’ve set and broken many records, but becoming the oldest undisputed light heavyweight world champion is the goal and Kovalev stands in the way of that goal. He’s another young, hungry fighter and just like the ones that came before him, he will leave the ring beltless.”
Kovlev is one of the most ducked fighters in the sport and he is impressed that Hopkins took the fight instead of dodging him like many have before him.
“I respect Bernard Hopkins for taking this fight,” Kovalev said. “When I came to America, it was dream to fight the best and now I am fighting, I have my chance. He says he is alien. He punch, I punch, then we see who is gonna go to Mars.”
In Hopkin’s last time out in the ring he broke his own record as the oldest figher to win a world title defeating Beibut Shumenov to nab the WBA light heavyweight title.
The fight will mark the first time a Golden Boy fighter will grace the air on HBO, as when Floyd Mayweather Jr. signed his six-fight deal with Showtime in 2012, HBO stopped working with the promotional company.
“Golden Boy Promotions has been crystal clear that we will make the best fights for our fans no matter who else is promoting it, where it takes place or what network broadcasts it; this is Exhibit ‘A’ of our keeping that commitment,” Oscar De La Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions said. “At 49 years of age, Bernard continues to electrify crowds with lightening quickness and impregnable defense; Sergey hits with thunderous force and is an early-round knockout threat every time he steps in the ring. With those two forces coming together, fans are in for a real treat.”
Main Events’ CEO, Kathy Duva, credits Hopkins and De La Hoya with accepting the fight, stating that they are game for any test in the ring.
“Throughout boxing’s history, great champions have always been motivated by fighting the best,” Duva said. “Bernard Hopkins and Oscar De La Hoya are both living legends who never back down from a challenge. Sergey Kovalev made it clear that all he wants to do is test his skills against the finest in the world. Main Events has always been able to deliver the biggest fights for its fighters and their fans. Since George Foreman defeated Joe Frazier in 1973, HBO has been synonymous with boxing at its highest level. It shouldn’t be any surprise that when you combine those elements, you get the most anticipated fight of the year.”
The bout will give the boxing world a clearer picture of just how good Kovalev is, as Hopkins is a big step up in competition for “The Krusher” and will give him a chance to show if he is ready to make that jump into the elite category of today’s best.
