By Allan Fox: In a surprise move, WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey ‘Krusher’ Kovalev (32-2-1, 28 KOs) will be facing unbeaten #1 WBC contender Eleider ‘Storm’ Alvarez (23-0, 11 KOs) next rather than #1 WBO Marcus Browne (21-0, 16 KOs) in the summer on HBO Boxing at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York, according to Dan Rafael.
The date for the Kovalev vs. Alvarez fight is still yet to be determined.
Alvarez gave up on waiting for his title shot against WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis ‘Superman’ Stevenson. Alvarez has been the mandatory for Stevenson’s WBC 175 lb. title for ages, and yet he never did get a crack at the title. The last mandatory defense that Stevenson made was in 2013 against Tony Bellew.
Alvarez didn’t help himself by choosing to step aside on a couple of occasions. He could have gotten the title shot against Stevenson, but he stepped aside when had the chance on two occasions.
What’s interesting is that Kovalev, 35, had recently been looking to defend his WBO title against WBO Marcus Browne (21-0, 16 KOs) next. Browne gave up an IBF mandatory title shot against IBF light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev in order to face Kovalev.
A lot of boxing fans assumed that it was a done deal for Kovalev and Browne to face each other next, but it looks like the Russian fighter’s promoter Kathy Duva of Main Events has changed her mind about making that fight. According to Dan Rafael, Browne was arrested recently for a charge of domestic violence. Duva, for whatever reason, decided to go in another direction in matching Kovalev against Alexander. Rafael says Browne’s camp could create a lawsuit. With Browne’s number 1 ranking with the WBO, he’s going to get a title shot sooner or later anyway. If the WBO orders the fight, then there won’t be any problem. It’s just unfortunate that Browne passed up the fight with IBF champion Beterbiev, because now he’s been passed over by Kovalev’s management.
Browne would have been a very dangerous fight for Kovalev. In going in the direction of Alvarez, Kovalev is increasing his chances of keeping his WBO title for a little while longer.
The 34-year-old Alvarez has inked a contract to face Kovalev in what would be the Russian fighter’s second title defense of his World Boxing Organization 175 lb. strap that he won last November in beating Vyacheslaev Shabranskyy by a 2nd round knockout. Kovalev made his first defense of his WBO title in stropping and over-matched Igor Mikhalkin in the 7th round on March 3 at Madison Square Garden. Kovalev was heavily criticized by boxing fans for taking such a soft opponent for the fight instead of one of the more interesting contenders like Anthony Yarde or Marcus Browne.
2008 Olympian Alvarez has recent wins over Jean Pascal, Lucian Bute, Norbert Dabrowski and Robert Berridge. Alvarez looked good against those guys, but he struggled to beat Isaac Chilemba by a 12 round majority decision in November 2015. Alvarez is a good fighter, but he hasn’t stepped it up after nine years as a pro. Alvarez is about to turn 34, and he’s getting up there in age for someone who has never taken on the sharks in the division. Alvarez’s wins over Pascal and Bute came when they were long in the tooth.
Kovalev has won his last two fights against Mikhalkin and Shabranskyy after he suffered back to back losses to Andre Ward in 2016 and 2017. Kovalev’s first loss to Ward in November 2016 was a controversial one that he arguably should have won. The judges gave Ward a close 12 round unanimous decision despite the fact that Kovalev appeared to win six rounds. With the knockdown Kovalev scored in the 2nd round, he should have won the fight. In their rematch, Ward appeared to hit Kovalev with three consecutive low blows in the 8th round that doubled him over. The referee Tony Weeks then stopped the contest. It was a very strange ending to the fight.