Kovalev in Limbo: Why He Won’t Win His Homecoming Fight

That successful period came after a short spell where Kovalev’s career was stuck in no-mans land, when a mouth watering unification clash with lineal 175lbs Champion Adonis Stevenson failed to materialize.

Whilst, in the viewpoint of many people, Stevenson avoided the Russian boxer by changing networks from HBO to Showtime and joining forces with Al Haymon. However, as Stevenson’s reputation continued to plummet, by accepting easy contests when big fights with the then two-belt titlist, Bernard Hopkins, and fellow Canadian-Haitian and WBC mandatory challenger, Jean Pascal were not made. Instead, Kovalev’s promoter Kathy Duva negotiated quickly to make these fights, and the “Krusher” won the bouts in both an entertaining and convincing manner, thus enhancing his reputation greatly, until the infamous failed WBC purse bid designated for Stevenson-Kovalev.

After campaigning for a purse-bid situation with the WBC, Duva and Main Events Promotions were simply outmaneuvered by the launch and the financial clout of Haymon’s PBC series. Fearful of losing the auction and facing the choice of Kovalev breaking his exclusive HBO contract or possibly vacating the belts, Duva withdrew Kovalev from the purse bid, to the disappointment of all and the derision of some. Kovalev’s career now seems stuck in a limbo moment.

As mentioned before, this isn’t the first time the WBA, IBF and WBO Light Heavyweight Champion was stuck in limbo. After claiming the WBO strap, away from home against Nathan Cleverly; few name challengers were willing to face the fearsome Kovalev for the budget that was available. The likes of Cedric Agnew and Blake Caparello were the best out of a disappointing list of options, and they were duly dispatched.

Now however, Kathy Duva has targeted a homecoming date in Russia of November 28th, with no opponent yet named. The problem Duva and HBO now have is finding, and presenting to the fans and media a respectable challenger.

The bout with Nadjib Mohammedi was unfairly criticized. It was a long-term mandatory enforced by the IBF. However, there are no such weak mandatories currently, but finding a challenger is difficult for two reasons. Firstly, the 175lb division is weak in depth, and secondly, many of the top fighters are either/and currently scheduled for an upcoming fight and managed by Al Haymon, and as most people know; Haymon and HBO do not do business.

HBO and Main Events were prepared to break HBO’s anti-Haymon stance, and offer the Haymon managed Artur Beterbiev the opportunity. A Kovalev-Beterbiev bout would have been an unrivalled super event in Russia alone. Unfortunately, despite Beterbiev’s promoter, Yvon Michel saying all the right things, Beterbiev’s team declined a very fair offer from Duva. Whether people believe Michel that Beterbiev needed one more fight, or believe that Haymon exerted his influence to decline is up to them. The fight isn’t made.

More recently, Kalle Sauerland in the lead of to secondary WBA titlist, Juergen Braehmer’s last defence suggested that Braehmer wanted to unify his straps. However, Sauerland warned: “In November, a fight with Kovalev will not happen. However, we certainly would like to organise this fight.” That was before he agreed for Braehmer to face the decent South African, Thomas Oosthuizen in Monaco on November 11th.

Amongst other contenders in action during the autumn are Andrzej Fonfara confronts Nathan Cleverly in October whilst Main Events stablemates Isaac Chilemba and Sullivan Barrera have unscheduled title eliminators planned in the short term. Lucian Bute and Eleidar Alvarez are Haymon clients, making them unlikely to participate with Kovalev in November.

Whoever stands opposite Kovalev in that ring in November will likely to be soft competition and instigate plenty of criticism regarding the Russian’s standard of competition. This is the second time that Kovalev has experienced this type of situation in his career, but like he did before, he can leave the state of career limbo to become a big star. There are big fights available for Kovalev, even if boxing politics prevent possible contests with Stevenson and Beterbiev. Whilst Bernard Hopkins and Jean Pascal assisting in raising Kovalev’s profile, likewise Pascal (again) and Andre Ward can increase his profile further during 2016, but for now, it is a waiting game.

That is why, Sergey Kovalev will not win in his next fight, at least in the minds of his critics, if like planned his Russian homecoming goes ahead. Even if he wins convincingly, he will not win many new fans, but will face heavy criticism for the weak opposition. But that criticism should be muted, and no one would be more frustrated at facing low-standard opposition than Kovalev himself. But he will be hoping that big things await in 2016, and that will silence all criticism altogether.