Jermall Charlo advises Kovalev to bully Canelo

Image: Jermall Charlo advises Kovalev to bully Canelo
By Boxing News - 09/26/2019 - Comments

By Sean Jones: WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo says he thinks Sergey Kovalev needs to use his size by towering down on the smaller 5’8″ Saul Canelo Alvarez to bully smaller man in their November 2 fight on DAZN. Charlo (29-0, 21 KOs) says if he were fighting Canelo Alvarez (52-1-2, 35 KOs, he’d use his size to beat him.

Canelo will be fighting out of his weight class in moving up two divisions to challenge WBO light heavyweight champion Kovalev (34-3-1, 29 KOs) at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, Nevada. There won’t be a catchweight involved in this fight, which means Canelo is going to have to deal with Kovalev’s full size and power without the benefit of him draining.

Kovalev’s size could make a difference say Charlo

“Canelo is short, and styles make fights,” said Jermall Charlo to Fighthype in analyzing the Sergey Kovalev vs. Canelo fight. “I’m a taller fighter so I’m like Kovalev on the outside. Stylistically wise, head movement is going to be a big key, and I feel the weight and the size with him towering down on Canelo, it would make a big difference.

“That’s how I would fight him too though. I feel like Kovalev has got to bully him, and be the bigger man,” said Jermall.

So many boxing fans are writing off Kovalev, it would send people into shock if he destroys Canelo like he’s done with 29 of his opponents during his career. Some fans forget that Kovalev has already beaten a guy that is arguably tougher than Canelo in Jean Pascal. That fighter is as rugged as they come, and Kovalev knocked him out twice.

The shots that Kovalev landed on Pascal would do the same amount of damage to Canelo. It’s not as if Canelo is a robot that can’t be hurt. Gennady Goovkin hurt Canelo twice in their rematch last September, and that was with him loading up on a lot of single shots.

Charlo has good advice for Kovalev

Jermall knows what he’s talking about in telling Kovalev to keep the fight on the outside. He can’t let the shorter Canelo in close so he can throw his body shots, and counter punches. There are fighters that would do well fighting Canelo on the inside, but Kovalev isn’t one of them. IBF light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev would make Canelo miserable fighting on the inside against him, because that guy punches with incredible power in close.

Canelo wouldn’t be able to take more than a few rounds of Beterbiev’s shots on the inside before he toppled over. The fact that Canelo chose not to fight Beterbiev is a good indication that he knew what he would be up against if he fought him. Canelo is an opportunist. He saw Kovalev, an aging fighter showing vulnerability, and picked him to fight. Canelo didn’t pick Beterbiev or Dmitry Bivol. But Kovalev can still win if he makes sure keeps the shorter 5’8″ Canelo as far as possible.

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