Can Whyte Continue To Build Momentum?

December 2024 in Boxing has seen the focus firmly planted on the Heavyweight division. With the highly anticipated rematch between undefeated unified WBO/WBA/IBO/WBC Heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk and former champion Tyson Fury still to take place on December 21 in Saudi Arabia, the month of December has seen potential challengers for whomever should emerge from that fight victorious, angling for position. We have seen former two-time world title challenger Kubrat Pulev take his next step by scoring a convincing twelve round unanimous decision over longtime contender Manuel Charr. Now, another former world title challenger looks to make his argument as longtime contender Dillian Whyte will return to the ring on Sunday, December 15th in Gibraltar at the Europa Point Sports Complex to face  contender Ebenezer Tetteh. 

The scheduled ten round Heavyweight bout, which can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN, will be Whyte’s third bout since coming up short against then WBC Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury in April 2022. Since that loss, where he was knocked out in the sixth round, Whyte has rebounded in his last two fights scoring victories over contenders Jermaine Franklin and Christian Hammer. In his previous fight in March, Whyte scored a third round stoppage of Hammer. 

While the story of this fight is a simple one to describe in a longtime top contender looking to put himself back into the Heavyweight championship picture, the subplot here will be what Whyte’s opposition will be on this occasion. Ebenezer Tetteh will come into this fight with a record of 23-1, with 20 Knockouts, is riding a four fight knockout streak. Tetteh does have power in both hands and should be viewed as a potentially dangerous opponent for the thirty-six year old Whyte. The one blemish on Tetteh’s record, however, came against the one recognizable opponent on that ledger in the form of current IBF Heavyweight world champion Daniel Dubois, who knocked him out in one round in 2019 when Dubois was a rising contender.

This could be interpreted in a few ways. Although Tetteh has bounced back since that setback, he has only fought four times since that loss in 2019. What this fight will come down to is whether or not Tetteh is ready for the step up that he was not ready for when he faced Dubois. There is also the aspect of what version of Whyte will be in the ring.

Dillian Whyte has been in many grueling battles throughout his career and like Tetteh, he is capable of ending a fight with either hand, there have been times where he has appeared sluggish, most recently in his bout with Jermaine Franklin in November 2022, where he won a twelve round majority decision in a fight that some thought Franklin deserved the victory. The question, which will likely follow Whyte for the remainder of his career is not only one regarding consistency of his performances, but also one whether the accumulation of a long career and those grueling battles will show itself.

Whether or not that will happen against  Ebenezer Tetteh remains to be seen. When a notable Heavyweight such as Whyte competes, however, it will draw attention. Especially when the goal of every Heavyweight not currently a world champion or a challenger for a world championship is to get themselves into that position. With Pulev having scored a convincing victory over Manuel Charr, it is now time to see whether Whyte can put forth a performance that might nudge him ahead in the pecking order of potential future world title challengers or if Ebenezer Tetteh will be able to score what some will view as an upset and move his own name into that discussion.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Whyte vs. Tetteh takes place on Sunday, December 15th at the Europa Point Sports Complex in Gibraltar. The fight can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 2:30 PM ET/11:30 AM PT. (*U.S. Times Only.*) For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times in your area, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

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Pulev And Bentley Score Big Wins In Europe

Saturday, December 7th saw two interesting bouts take place that shined the spotlight on Boxing’s European scene. In the long term, each outcome could also lead to something significant for the winners in terms of the world rankings in 2025. The first of these two bouts took place in Sofia, Bulgaria where top Heavyweight contenders Manuel Charr and former two-time world title challenger and hometown favorite Kubrat Pulev met in a scheduled twelve round bout where an Interim/Regular championship designation in the WBA Heavyweight ratings was at stake.

Outside of the designation, what looked over this fight in reality was an opportunity to become a mandatory challenger in the WBA ratings, which could lead to an opportunity to face the winner of the upcoming rematch between Unified World Heavyweight championship Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury, which will take place in Saudi Arabia on December 21st. 

While this fight was fought in relatively close quarters as both fighters were content to stay within punching range from start to finish, it was Pulev who was able to dictate the fight. In simple terms, Pulev’s approach in this encounter had an emphasis on fundamentals. By working behind a consistent jab and frequently throwing right hands, either straight right hands, or right hooks, he was able to establish a pattern for the combat that Charr was simply unable to break.

A pattern of being put on the end of Pulev’s longer arms and being unable to get his punches off first. The success Pulev had in being able to land his right hand behind the jab eventually opened a cut over Charr’s left eye midway through the scheduled twelve round bout. Although the pattern did not change as the fight progressed, the close parameters in which the fight was fought did allow for some heated exchanges throughout. Though Charr was able to have some success periodically in landing counter hooks on Pulev, he simply could not change the ebb and flow of the combat, nor was he able to consistently use head movement to try and avoid the right hand of Pulev. It was Pulev’s fundamental approach that ultimately resulted in his winning a wide and convincing twelve round unanimous decision on the official scorecards.  What may be ahead for both Pulev and Charr will be discussed at the end of this column. 

The second bout that took place during this day saw the action move from Sofia, Bulgaria to London, England where British Middleweight champion Brad Pauls made the second defense of his title against former British Middleweight champion Denzel Bentley in a twelve round bout. While British championship honors were on the line in this bout as well as bragging rights in terms of the British Boxing scene, the stakes of this fight were increased as the vacant European Middleweight championship was also on the line, which could serve as a springboard to a potential shot at a world championship.

What stood out to this observer was Bentley's ability to control distance and be a sharpshooter in the first four rounds. Bentley did this by putting an emphasis on lateral movement and keeping Pauls on the end of his jab, throwing right hands to the head and body, then using his legs to avoid Pauls.

This made things difficult for the British champion, but he did begin to close the gap in round five by becoming a bit more aggressive and gradually closing the distance between himself and Bentley. Pauls did this by trying to apply pressure and push Bentley back towards the ropes and corners of the ring. Although it was a gradual process, Pauls approach allowed him to incrementally pick up his punch output and he was able to land some solid hooks and straight right hands. 

The tempo appeared to be shifting slightly in the champion’s favor after eight rounds simply because he was able to adapt and change his approach. As the fight entered the tenth round, it appeared as though Pauls was potentially in the driver's seat, but just as the momentum seemed in his favor, he was forced to take a knee when Benley landed a jab that appeared to land on the eye. Pauls was able to get up, but in what appeared to be a close fight developing, the knockdown would prove to be crucial.

Following the knockdown, Bentley appeared to regain control of the contest in terms of being able to dictate the tempo as Pauls tried to reestablish what had been working for him prior to being knocked down. He was not able to, however, and Bentley was able to secure a convincing unanimous decision victory by sweeping the final three rounds of the bout. In terms of scoring, Bentley won by margins of 117-110, 116-111, and 115-112 on the three official scorecards. Bentley being able to score a 10-8 round in round ten because of the knockdown, as well as sweeping the final two rounds of the twelve round championship bout ended up sealing his victory.

For Bentley, what might come next could be a world championship fight in 2025. Not only because he won the European Middleweight championship by defeating Pauls in addition to regaining the British Middleweight championship, but more specifically because Pauls was recognized as the WBO’s number one contender heading into this bout, which now in theory puts Bentley into the number one mandatory challenger position for current unified WBO/IBF World Middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly. Whether or not Bentley gets that fight or might possibly look into a potential rematch with Pauls, which would draw much interest in the United Kingdom might come down to what the WBO and IBF decide what's next for Alimkhanuly in terms of his mandatory defense obligations.

As for the winner of the Heavyweight bout that took place on this Saturday in Europe, Kubrat Pulev might now be on a short list of potential challengers for the winner of the rematch between undefeated unified WBO/IBO/WBA/WBC world champion Oleksandr Usyk and former two-time Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury. Obviously, we will not know the outcome of that rematch until they meet on December 21st, but in reality both Pulev and Charr, who fought for the first time in two years when he faced Pulev after a lengthy period of inactivity caused in part by legal entanglements involving the WBA, could still have room to maneuver with no shortage of contenders, former world champions, and also current IBF world champion Daniel Dubois all lurking in the Heavyweight division. The attention, however, will move to Usyk and Fury before all the above likely decide what is next for them as they look to improve their position in the crowded Heavyweight landscape.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Will Charr Or Pulev Be In Position For Usyk-Fury Rematch Winner?

The month of December has been looked forward to by Boxing fans due in large part to the much anticipated rematch between undefeated unified WBO/IBO/WBA/WBC Heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk and former two-time World Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. A rematch that could in some ways signal the end of an era, or perhaps potentially lead to a third chapter between the two future Hall of Famers.

While there is still much to be resolved between Usyk and Fury as well as unanswered questions as to what may follow after that fight, it is worth remembering that the politics that be in the sport is one reason why that second bout between Usyk and Fury is for a unified portion of the World Heavyweight championship and not the Undisputed championship, which was determined in their first fight earlier this year. Such political aspects also inevitably also create scenarios where others in a division are looking to maneuver themselves into position to potentially face the winner of a rematch. 

One such scenario could be taking shape as Heavyweight contenders Manuel Charr and Kubrat Pulev will meet on December 7th in Bulgaria as each look to put themselves into a position to challenge Usyk or Fury. As simple and straight-forward as that should be for anyone to understand, this fight, which will be broadcast on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN, will have an Interim/Regular championship designation in the WBA’s Heavyweight ratings, a designation held by Charr.

Although in reality this fight is simply two contenders looking to take the next step towards a shot at a world championship between one fighter in Charr, who has held an Interim/Regular label for several years, but has never fought for a world championship, and Charr, a longtime top contender who has fought for a world championship twice, the fact that there is an Interim/Regular label attached here does not mean much in the overall picture. The story, however, of this encounter should be whether either fighter will be able to make a strong argument for himself as being the next potential challenger for the winner of Usyk-Fury 2.

Both Charr and Pulev have been top contenders in the Heavyweight division for many years, but the question that should surround this fight is whether inactivity will be a factor. Specifically, the inactivity of Charr, who will be competing for the first time in two years following several legal entanglements involving himself and the WBA as well as visa issues, which has prevented him from traveling for competition.

Frankly, it would take likely several columns to go over each specific issue Charr has had to deal with in recent years, which have included fighters petitioning the WBA for fights with Charr among other issues which have led those aforementioned legal entanglements, so out of respect for the reader, this observer will move forward to simply discussing the issue of inactivity 

Charr’s last fight took place on December 21, 2022 when he scored a second round knockout of Nueri Seferi. While Charr fought three times that year, which is fairly more active by today's standards for a top contender or world champions, now he finds himself in a position where the subject of “Ring Rust" is very real simply because he has been inactive. 

In contrast, Kubrat Pulev, a former European Heavyweight champion and former two-time world title challenger is coming into this fight off of two straight wins and last fought in March of this year in scoring a twelve round unanimous decision over Ihor Shevadzutskyi. Pulev will also have two other advantages going into this fight in addition to being the more active of the two fighters.

Pulev is the naturally bigger fighter standing nearly 6’5 and has a near eighty inch reach. While Charr is only giving up two inches in reach, if Pulev can establish the tempo of the combat and keep Charr at distance with his longer reach, it could pose difficulty for Charr as the fight progresses if he cannot get inside of Pulev’s reach. 

Although the weight of the two fighters is likely to be similar as both have tipped the scales in the 240lb. range in their recent fights, it will likely come down to who is able to implement their tactics between two boxer/punchers. Some may argue, however, that whom will take the next step towards a shot at a world championship may not be necessarily determined by who wins and who loses, but rather whether the winner will be able to put on a quality performance in order to drum up the type of buzz that will support the victor as the next challenger for Usyk or Fury. We will have to wait and see if Manuel Charr or Kubrat Pulev will be able to make a strong argument for themselves.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

Charr vs. Pulev takes place on Saturday, December 7th in Sofia, Bulgaria. The fight can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 1PM ET/10AM PT (*U.S. Times Only.*) For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms,Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times in your area, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

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Revenge: Chisora Upsets Pulev In Rematch

 

Longtime Heavyweight contender and former world title challenger Dereck Chisora avenged a split decision loss six years ago to former world title challenger and top contender Kubrat Pulev in a rematch by scoring his own twelve round split decision on Saturday night at the 02 Arena in London, England. In contrast to the first fight where Pulev was able to keep Chisora on the end of his punches with his longer reach for the majority of the fight, this time Chisora had head movement in his favor working from the outset and that allowed him to get in close and launch a consistent attack to the body of Pulev.

 

It was this consistency that carried the fight. As the fight progressed, Pulev was able to have periodic success in landing his right hand on Chisora, but in the middle and late rounds, Chisora began to land regularly with his own right hand to the head of Pulev. This was no doubt was a result of the body work that Chisora kept landing on Pulev throughout. With both fighters fighting fatigue in the latter rounds, Chisora landed his right hand on Pulev frequently off the ropes and was able to hang on earning the decision victory on two of three official scorecards. Official scores were 116-112, (Pulev) and 116-112, 116-114 in favor of Chisora. Dereck Chisora advances to 33-12, with 22 Knockouts. Kubrat Pulev falls to 29-3, with 14 Knockouts.

 

Also on this card:

 

 A Jr. Middleweight rematch billed as a final eliminator for the WBA Jr. Middleweight championship between undefeated top contender Israil Madrimov and former world title challenger Michel Soro ended in a three round technical draw. The first encounter between the two ended in controversial fashion last December when Madrimov was declared the victor by ninth round stoppage even though punches that landed on Soro that led to the stoppage occurred after the bell ending the round. This time it appeared as though Madrimov was on the verge of scoring his second stoppage of Soro, as he had the former world title challenger hurt in the second round after connecting with a flush overhand right to the head. Shortly after the start of round three, Soro suffered a gushing cut over the left eye as a result of an accidental clash of heads. The bout was halted immediately on advice of the ringside physician.  Official time of the stoppage was :05 of round three. Israil Madrimov advances to 8-0-1, with 6 Knockouts. Michel Soro advances to 35-3-2, with 24 Knockouts.

 

Undefeated Women’s Jr. Featherweight Ramla Ali scored an eight round decision over a very “Game” Augustina Rojas. Ali landed the cleaner shots over the course of eight rounds, but Rojas did bring the fight to her and was periodically successful in landing hooks throughout. As all non-title bouts held in the United Kingdom that do not impact regional or world rankings are scored solely by the referee officiating a bout, Referee Chas Coakley scored the bout 80-72 in favor of Ali. Ramla Ali advances to 6-0, with 1 Knockout. Augustina Rojas falls to 6-2, with 0 Knockouts.

 

In his Jr. Middleweight debut, unbeaten prospect Caoimhin Agyarko scored a dominant ten round unanimous decision over veteran Lukasz Maciec. From the opening bell, Agyarko, who previously competed in the 160lb. Middleweight division, showed that his movement and angles were as present in the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division as they were at Middleweight. Agyarko displayed a full range of offense and lateral movement to consistently keep Maciec on the defensive. Agyarko’s attack consisted of a mix of offense to the body and the head often being thrown in combination. Maciec periodically caught Agyarko with looping right hands, but was unable to land anything to really cause concern of the undefeated prospect. Despite appearing as though he may have been on the verge of being stopped at times due to the effect Agyarko’s body punches were having on him, Maciec was able to go the distance. Official scores were: 100-90, (On two scorecards) and 99-93 in favor of Agyarko. Caoimhin Agyarko advances to 12-0, with 7 Knockouts. Lukasz Maciec falls to 28-5-1, with 5 Knockouts.

 

Undefeated Heavyweight Fabio Wardley scored a second round knockout of an overmatched late substitute Chris Healey, who took the bout on twenty four hours notice. Wardley scored knockdowns in rounds one and two each with a short right hand to the head. After the second knockdown early in round two, Healey’s corner threw the towel in to prevent their fighter from further punishment. Official time of the stoppage was :40 of round two. Fabio Wardley advances to 14-0, with 13 Knockouts. Chris Healey falls to 9-10, with 2 Knockouts.

 

Heavyweight Solomon Dacres moved to 4-0 in his career by outworking veteran Kevin Espindola over eight rounds to earn a decision victory... Referee Mark Bates scored the bout 80-72 in favor of Dacres. Solomon Dacres advances to 4-0, with 1 Knockout. Kevin Espindola falls to 7-5, with 2 Knockouts.

 

Unbeaten Jr. Featherweight Yousuf Ibrahim began the evening by scoring a four round decision over veteran Francisco Rodriguez. Ibrahim dominated the fight with lateral movement, picking his shots and throwing combinations. Rodriguez was simply not quick handed enough to land the type of punches that would have turned the ebb and flow in his favor. Referee Chas Coakley scored the bout 40-36 in favor of Ibrahim. Yousuf Ibrahim advances to 2-0, with 0 Knockouts. Francisco Rodriguez falls to 1-7, with 1 Knockout.

 

A scheduled ten round Middleweight bout between unbeaten Felix Cash and Vaughn Alexander was cancelled prior to the card due to Cash coming down with an undisclosed illness. As of this writing, there is no word as to when or if there will be an attempt to reschedule the bout.

 

In previewing the rematch between Dereck Chisora and Kubrat Pulev, this observer questioned whether there could be a different outcome this time around compared to when these two met for the first time over six years ago. Although Chisora was coming off of three straight losses and by all appearances appears to be nearing the end of a fine career, he was able to turn back the clock and produced what some might call a career-defining performance. The primary difference between this rematch and their first encounter was Kubrat Pulev never seemed to get into a rhythm.

 

In the first encounter, Pulev was able to keep Chisora at distance with his jab and frequently landed his right hand throughout. Although much like the first fight, the rematch ended in a split decision, Chisora’s head movement and body punching were the key components that catapulted him to victory. For his part, the thirty-eight year old Chisora said shortly after being declared the winner that he does not have too many fights left in him, he has proven that no matter what a fighter might go through in terms of setbacks inside the ring, they are always one fight away from revitalizing their career. For Dereck Chisora, the twilight of his career could well lead to further opportunities at or near the top of the Heavyweight division.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

 

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison

 

Pulev-Chisora 2: Can There Be A Different Outcome?

If one is a student of Boxing they are likely familiar with the idea that in just about every division there are always a short list of fighters that end up being associated with the era they fought in for their ability to remain in the discussion of fringe and top contenders for many years. While such fighters are not always defined by the world championships they are able to obtain during their careers, others are defined by being contenders who may have come up short in challenging for world titles.

Two such fighters are longtime Heavyweight contenders and former world title challengers Kubrat Pulev and Dereck Chisora. Two fighters that have spent most of the last decade at or near the top of the contenders pool of the Heavyweight division. Both men, former European Heavyweight champions are also no strangers to each other. For it was in May 2016 when the two met for the then vacant European Heavyweight championship. 

On that evening, it was Pulev, who put on a disciplined Boxing performance to earn a twelve round split decision. A major key to Pulev’s success was how he strategically found ways to land his right hand on Chisora and to be more specific, how he was able to keep him at distance for lengthy periods throughout the fight. 

As the fight went on, Chisora did have sporadic success in landing punches on Pulev, but often those punches were thrown singularly and not in combination. The frustration for Chisora eventually mounted where he seemingly elected to sit on the ropes in the later rounds and thus gave up more ground to Pulev in terms of the scoring of the fight.

Although the result of the bout ultimately was a split decision in favor of Pulev, this observer felt that he out boxed Chisora clearly. Now over six years later, Pulev and Chisora have found their way back to each other as they will meet in a rematch on Saturday, July 9th at the O2 Arena in London, England.

An argument can be made that both fighters are in similar positions as they were going into this rematch, which can be seen globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN, as they were prior to their first fight in 2016. Both men have the ultimate goal of trying to position themselves for another opportunity to fight for a world title.

Perhaps the difference going into this fight however, is both fighters might be at different stages in their careers. While Pulev went on to challenge for a world title for a second time in 2020 and is coming off a ten round unanimous decision two months ago over contender Jerry Forrest in his one bout since being stopped by Anthony Joshua, Chisora is coming off two losses to former world champion Joseph Parker. The second loss to Parker saw Chisora take a beating, but did manage to go the distance.

Some might say that this bout could represent what might be viewed as a last chance for Chisora in terms of being a perennial contender. Having said that, a fighter is always one fight or in some cases one punch away from bouncing back from a down period in their careers. 

The question that I have going into this fight centers on Dereck Chisora and just how much he has left in him as a fighter. It is important to remember however that a significant period of time has passed since Pulev and Chisora last saw each other inside the ring and both have had highs and lows over the course of that time.

A question that some may ask is after forty-four professional fights, suffering twelve losses over those bouts, and coming off of two losses just how much Chisora has left to give. Given how the first fight was fought between the two, perhaps another question that should be asked is can there be a different outcome in the rematch?

At his best, Dereck Chisora is a pressure fighter that moves his head in a similar manner as former World Heavyweight champion Joe Frazier. While this style can effectively close distance against taller fighters like Pulev, Chisora was not able to close the gap consistently and was kept at distance by Pulev’s reach.

While it is a task that is easier said than done, Chisora must find a way to close the distance between himself and Pulev. Although Chisora much like his opponent has the type of punching power that can turn a fight in his favor at any time if he lands cleanly, he must also avoid throwing punches singularly. Simply put, Chisora needs to throw more than one punch at a time when he lets his hands go if he wants to be successful in this fight. 

In contrast to Chisora, the task that faces Kubrat Pulev is to attempt to repeat his performance from 2016. Although he dominated the first fight, he must not become complacent and must be as disciplined as he was in the first encounter because Dereck Chisora is the type of fighter that can take advantage of any openings that an opponent might leave. As such, Pulev needs to box and try to keep Chisora on the outside of his reach. Beyond this, one tactic that worked to Pulev’s advantage in the first fight was as Chisora gradually became frustrated and began to lunge forward with wide hooks in an attempt to land something significant on Pulev, Pulev was able to use his legs to move back at an angle as well as move his upper body to evade those punches. Pulev should look to use this tactic once again. While such tactics do not always translate into the most entertaining bouts to watch if you are successful, if you are a fighter you do what you need to in order to win and such an approach when executed can be quite successful.

Although there will likely be discussion as to what may loom ahead for the winner of this fight, neither fighter should be looking beyond this rematch. After all, the most important fight a fighter should be concerned about is the one that is directly in front of them. Will the rematch have a different outcome? We will find out on Saturday, July 9th.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Pulev vs. Chisora 2 takes place on Saturday, July 9th at the O2 Arena in London, England. The card can be seen globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 12:30PM ET/9:30AM PT with Before The Bell, which will feature a portion of undercard bouts. The remainder of the undercard, which will be followed by the main event, will begin at 2PM ET/11AM PT (*Main Event tentatively scheduled to begin at 5PM ET U. S. Times Only.)

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times in your area, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison 

What Does Kovalev Have Left?

 

One of the most common storylines that is associated with the sport of Boxing and by extension all combat sports that most can identify with is one of a former world champion trying to re-emerge into competition after a lengthy absence. A storyline is most commonly known as “A Comeback.” 

 

While there are certainly no shortage of comeback stories that range from highly successful to at times tragic in the sense of the outcome of a planned return, each comeback story has its own unique circumstances. In the case of former three-time World Light-Heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev, his career has seen several highs and lows that often come with a long career in the sport. In his last bout in November2019, Kovalev's third reign as a Light-Heavyweight world champion came to an end when he was knocked out by Saul “Canelo” Alvarez for the WBO world championship in eleven rounds. Since then, Kovalev has been inactive due in part to testing positive for banned substances for a second time, which derailed a planned return against Bektemir Melikuziev in January of last year. While obviously the circumstances of the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic likely has also contributed to Kovalev’s inactivity,  now at age thirty-nine he prepares for the next chapter in his career. 

 

This chapter for Kovalev will begin on Saturday, May 14th when he faces undefeated Tervel Pulev on a Triller promoted Boxing card at The Forum in Inglewood, CA. The bout, which will be the main event of the card will be broadcast on Triller's TrillerVerz digital subscription-based streaming platform through FITE. The fight for Kovalev will also mark his debut in the Cruiserweight division. 

 

Although the 190lb.-200lb. Cruiserweight division has traditionally been lightly regarded as it has never been thought of as a career destination for most boxers, the division has served a purpose either as a stepping stone for lack of a better term for fighters who want to test the waters before moving up to the Heavyweight division or as a fall back option either for smaller Heavyweights who feel that they may be able to compete more effectively at Cruiserweight or for Light-Heavyweights who either cannot make the 175lb. Light-Heavyweight limit or simply want to seek opportunities in a division that normally seems to lack mainstream attention. For Kovalev, his notoriety is such that if he is successful in this fight, he may be able to springboard himself right into contention for a world title shot in the division based largely on his name recognition alone. 

 

An obvious question as this fight approaches is what does Sergey Kovalev have left to give as a fighter. In addition to a lengthy layoff, it is important to remember that much of the last decade in the Light-Heavyweight division saw Kovalev in one way or another in the role of a division cornerstone in compiling three separate reigns as a world champion over the course of that time. While a lengthy absence out of the ring might be viewed negatively by some, three of Kovalev’s four career losses including his last bout against Saul Alvarez came via knockout. Though the potential of ring rust is very real and should not be dismissed, there are times where a long layoff can allow a fighter to recuperate from not only the effects of a loss, but also the wear and tear that comes from a long career. 

 

What does Tervel Pulev bring into this fight? The younger brother of multi-time Heavyweight world title challenger Kubrat Pulev, who will also coincidentally be fighting on the undercard, is unbeaten in sixteen professional bouts having scored knockouts in thirteen of those fights. While Pulev will be at a disadvantage when it comes to big fight experience as compared to Kovalev, the advantage at least theoretically that Pulev should have going into this encounter is that he is a natural Cruiserweight and has been more active than his opponent. 

 

Although Sergey Kovalev will always have a Boxing style that should be respected due to it often being a style where the objective is seek and destroy, regardless of how long he has been out of competition, it will be interesting to see if Pulev attempts to impose his will on the former world champion early. While Pulev should approach Kovalev with caution at least early in the fight, he needs to find a way to establish himself as the naturally bigger fighter and cannot be awed by the occasion of fighting someone of Kovalev’s caliber. 

 

As someone who has covered Sergey Kovalev’s career extensively through the years, my gut instinct suggests that we are likely to find out what he will bring with him into this fight sooner rather than later in the sense that he likely will not be interested in going the scheduled ten round distance. Even though it is tempting to say that a loss for Kovalev at this stage of his career could bring retirement, this observer would not feel comfortable in suggesting that at least until we see how he looks both after the lengthy layoff as well as now fighting in a new weight class. There is little doubt however, that the pressure will be on Kovalev and whether he wins or loses this fight, it might be how he performs that will determine how he will move forward in his career. 

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.” 

 

Kovalev vs. Pulev takes place on Saturday, May 14th at The Forum in Inglewood, CA. The fight can be seen globally on digital combat sports and entertainment streaming network FITE as part of Triller’s Trillerverz digital subscription streaming platform beginning at 9PM ET/6PM PT. (U.S. Times only.) For more information about Triller, Trillerverz, and to subscribe please visit: https://www.fite.tv/join/ and click the Trillerverz Pass tab. FITE is available on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs. For more information about FITE including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices/platforms/smart TVs, event availability in your area, local start times in your area, and for instructions on how to download the FITE app on your device of choice please visit: www.FITE.TV.  

 

 

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