The biggest thing on the horizon for WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev is not what could be a career-defining win against Benard Hopkins, it’s the new addition coming to the family.
With a scheduled Oct. 17 due date, Kovalev and his wife, Natalya, are expecting a son to be born into the world, making his Hopkins show down pale in comparison.
Despite his son’s arrival beig just weeks away, Kovalev is business as usual training for the Hopkins fight.
“I’m living for this fight. Only for this fight,” Kovalev said at his media day Thursday in Big Bear, California. “I’m leaving for Florida when my [first] baby is due. I’ll be in training camp in Florida because this is the most important thing in my life right now.”
Kovalev is scheduled to remain in Big Bear to finish his strength and conditioning work in big Bear until Oct. 9, giving him a little over a week leeway for his child’s expectant due date.
“The doctor says my baby is due October 17, but also said that we can plan one week early because in the last week the baby will be one pound more so for my wife it will be harder,” he said.
“Right now she’s very afraid she will stay alone in LA. She’s most worried that I won’t see him after [he is born] for one month. She says that for her it’s very important. I said, why? I will see a picture,” Kovalev joked. “I don’t understand yet, but maybe she is 100 percent right that I will see him Thursday and after that I will crush Hopkins. I need to see him first before I give him a name.”
With the chance of missing out on the birth of his child early there if his wife was to have the baby early, Kovalev explained that training for the big fight is important not only for him, but for his growing family as well.
“I have in my body, I have in my face, I have in my mind, the motivation that I need to get this win because it’s my future.” He added, “My goal still is to be undisputed in this division. This fight is two more titles, it’s my goal. I want all four.”
Despite potentially missing out on the birth of his son, Kovalev feels training for this fight is the most important thing he can do for his new family, “I have in my body, I have in my face, I have in my mind, the motivation that I need to get this win because it’s my future.
“My goal still is to be undisputed in this division,” He said. “This fight is two more titles, it’s my goal. I want all four.”
Although Hopkins has a bigger name than Kovalev, he hope the contrast in style will play to his favor and help him continue on is dominating ways.
“Our styles are different,” Kovalev said. “American and Russian boxers are from different boxing schools. Hopkins’ style is old school. He’s doing some things that nobody does. Nobody does it how he does it.
“This fight for me will be a big test. Hopkins is very good fighter. He is a very tough fighter and very smart. It will be a very good fight. His defense is incredible too. We’re working on everything. I have prepared for twelve rounds because I understand his strategy, what he wants to do and we’ll be prepared for anything.”
Kovalev is known for his incredible punching power he possess and despite his 23 knockouts in 25 fights, he insists that he doesn’t always plan to win via early stoppage.
“I don’t have a goal to knockout anybody. I just go into the ring and make a fight,” Kovalev said. “When it happens, it’s good for me. Less work, less job in the ring, more happy and more happy for my fans. I don’t have a goal that I need to knock him out.” He added, “When you want to knockout somebody, you can’t do it because your opponent can see your punch. I just go in to do boxing.”
