By Dan Ambrose: IBF/WBA light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins (55-6-2, 32 KOs) thinks he’s going to make history next week in his unification fight against WBO champion Sergey Kovalev (25-0-1, 23 KOs) at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Hopkins, 49, thinks his years of clean living will help him beat back the younger and stronger 31-year-old Kovalev in this fight.
Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev opened up his camp to the media today in preparation for his Nov. 8 light heavyweight unification bout with Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ and live on HBO World Championship Boxing®.
Question: How do you study Hopkins?
Sergey Kovalev: “I don’t study anybody. It is better to go to the gym to do some work for my shape or spend time to cook my breakfast or sleep in my bed. Why I need to spend the time?”
Q: Other than your power, what could be your strength against Hopkins?
With just a little over a week until fight night, Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins worked out in front of a packed media contingent that traveled from far and wide to see the 49-year-old ageless light heavyweight champion train for his Saturday, Nov. 8 light unification bout against Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City live on HBO World Championship Boxing®.
President and founder of Golden Boy Promotions, Oscar De La Hoya was also in attendance to talk to the media and watch Hopkins train. Here is what the participants had to say.
By Allan Fox: IBF/WBA light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins (55-6-2, 32 KOs) wants WBO 175 pound champion Sergey Kovalev (25-0-1, 23 KOs) to remember to bring his World Boxing Organization title with him on the night they fight on November 8th in less than two weeks at the Boardwalk Hall, in Atlantic City.
By Dan Ambrose: WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev’s trainer John David Jackson has been saying that Kovalev will prove that the 49-year-old Bernard Hopkins (55-6-2, 32 KOs) is an old man and will beat him with pressure when they get inside the ring on November 8th at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
Jackson has been teaching Kovalev things he learned from his own fight against Hopkins back in 1997 when Jackson was knocked out in the 7th round.
“John David Jackson definitely can’t fight for him. John David Jackson had his chance. John David Jackson got knocked out, I believe, in the ninth round,” Hopkins said. “So, to me how can a teacher teach a student and the teacher flunked the test too?”
By Dan Ambrose: WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev (25-0-1, 23 KOs) says he’s going to kick IBF/WBA light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins’ backside on November 8th in their fight on HBO and then give his win over the 49-year-old Hopkins to his young son Alexander.
Kovalev is coming into the fight with no real battle plan other than going to war, and fighting as he’s always fought. He plans on attacking Hopkins and looking to hurt him. Kovalev will push the pace and try to KO the nearly 50-year-old Hopkins with every shot he throws.
PHILADELPHIA (October 23, 2014) – There is one thing that virtually every professional athlete born in 1965 has in common – retirement from professional sports. The only exception is current IBF and WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins. On November 8, just two months shy of his 50th birthday, Hopkins will defend his titles against WBO Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ live on HBO World Championship Boxing®.
By Jim Dower: IBF/WBA light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins (55-6-2, 32 KOs) says he doesn’t plan on running from WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev (25-0-1, 23 KOs) in their fight on November 8th on HBO Championship Boxing at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The 49-year-old Hopkins says he’ll take away Kovalev’s offensive weapons.
By Dan Ambrose: In less than three weeks, WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev (25-0-1, 23 KOs) and IBF/WBA light heavyweight champion Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins (55-6-2, 32 KOs) will be facing each other in a unification match on November 8th at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Kovalev says he wants to help the 49-year-old Hopkins retire by beating him to the point where it convinces him that it’s time to hang up the gloves permanently. Hopkins will be turning 50 in three months on January 15th, and Kovalev plans on making sure he still isn’t fighting when he reaches that birthday.
By Dan Ambrose: WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev (25-0-1, 23 KOs) sees his upcoming match against 49-year-old IBF/WBA light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins (55-6-2, 32 KOs) as being a potentially easy fight for him when he steps inside the ring next month on November 8th on HBO Championship Boxing from the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA.
Kovalev feels that as long as he does what he’s done before in his fights and in terms of preparation, then this could very well be as easy fight for him as it’s been in the past.
Kovalev hasn’t had a fight go to decision since 2011, and it’s going to be tough for Hopkins to try and go the distance with him.
“If everything is the same, it will be an easy fight,” Kovalev said to the nypost.com.
Kovalev will likely start off fighting in a relaxed manner like he does against a lot of his opponents, but once Hopkins tried to push the pace then Kovalev will start to unload on him with his ammunition.