SPECIAL COLLABORATION

When Sergey Kovalev (34-4-1, 29 KOs) steps into the Los Angeles Forum ring on May 14, it will be exactly 924 days since he faced a rival and he will have celebrated its 39th birthday a month earlier, on April 2.

We finally found the opponent of the former light heavyweight champion. This is Tervel Pulev (16-0-0, 13 KOs).

Pulev was born in Sofia, Bulgaria and is the brother of ex-champion Kubrat Pulev, who previously unsuccessfully challenged the world crowns of Wlaldimir Klitschko and Anthony Joshua.

What’s left in Kovalev’s tank?

In his last fight against Canelo Alvarez in November 2019, Kovalev was doing relatively well enough until Canelo put him to sleep in the 11th round.

It should however be remembered that at the time of the knockout, judge Don Trella saw the fight draw 95/95 while Julie Lederman and Dave Moretti presented records of 96/94 for Canelo.

This time, “Krusher” will fight at light-heavyweight, that is to say at 200 pounds. He claims he feels much better at this weight. “I have more energy… I eat my fill, without restriction,” he says. In light heavyweight, I was no longer at ease. »

Although he fought three times on American soil, little is known about Pulev. It’s true that he was never defeated and he won a bronze medal, at heavyweight, for Ukraine, during the 2012 Olympics in London.

Since entering the pros, he has kept a clean sheet, albeit against second-class rivals. In short, it is against Kovalev that we will know exactly the value of his talent.

Kovalev’s case has not been easy since the pandemic. He was first to face Sullivan Barrera in April 2020. This match had to be canceled because of the Covid.

Then, in January 2021, it was announced that the “Krusher” would face Bektemir Malikuziev, but Kovalev, on the strength of a $12 million purse following his loss to Canelo, tested positive for a prohibited substance. So the match fell apart.

A dazzling start

After taking the honors of 30 wins since the start of his career, Kovalev started to struggle from 2016. He lost by decision to Andre Ward and then in contrast to Ward he was beaten by K. -O. technique in the eighth round.

He eluded his light heavyweight title in August 2018 against Eleider Alvarez, to everyone’s surprise. Then, he regained his crown against the Colombian to finally lose it in 2019 at the hands of Canelo Alvarez.

I can’t wait to see him fight at 200 pounds, as long as he doesn’t come into the ring with a little beer belly.

A little thought for Steve Rolls

When we say that a guy is not afraid of people, a few names immediately come to mind. And one of those is Toronto Canadian boxer Steve Rolls.

Saturday evening, at Madison Square Garden, Rolls will bear the brunt of the final against a rare pearl by the name of Edgar Berlanga. And if I trust the statements of the American, he is enraged.

After sticking 16 K.-O. straight, all in the first round, early in his career, he’s had to settle for decisions in his last two fights, and he’s enraged. He wants to take the easier way back by knocking out his rivals.

Rolls is a good boxer, but he is 37 years old. In 2019, he had good moments in the second round of his match against Gennady Golovkin. But in the third, things started to go wrong and finally in the fourth round, GGG had had enough and sent him off to dreamland.

Since entering the professional world in 2016, Berlanga has rightly been described as a diamond in the rough, and if we trust the experts, he should be champion within a year.

He’s still young at 24, but when faced with two veterans totaling 53 wins to just five losses, he had to settle for wins by decision and go to the 18-round limit for the first time in his professional career.

Rolls is the one who will force Berlanga to give his best. If he loses by K.-O., it will be a sign that Berlanga has regained his magic touch. If he has to go to the decision, we will continue to ask questions about his talent

Prediction: Berlanga by K.-O. before the 5thand round

She becomes him…

The last time she stepped into a ring, in June 2016, her name was Megumi Hashimoto. And she had just suffered the decision loss to Naoko Fujoka, in Tokyo, Japan.

She decided to retire following this setback. She therefore retired with a record of (16-4-0, 11 K.-O). But she still capped the world flyweight crown for women…

Now 34, she has decided to return to competition, but this time for men under the name Shindo Go.

He claims that in 2017 he underwent the operation that changed him from a woman to a man and it is only natural that he continues his career with men. Besides, he is now legally married to a woman named Ayuka.

Don’t worry about him. It is claimed that in the gym he trains with men and several times knocked out a couple.

A lot of

Five men have been arrested and charged with the 2012 murder of Hector “Macho” Camacho in Puerto Rico.

Three of the suspects were already serving federal prison sentences, a fourth was being held in Puerto Rico and the fifth was apprehended in the Bayamon district.

Like father, like son

Two sons of former world champions made their debut at the end of the week. Jimuel Pacquiao, the son of his famous father Manny, won by decision in an amateur match while Giovanni Marquez. the offspring of ex-world monarch Raoul Marquez launched his professional career, also winning by decision.

Happy birthday Claressa

Claressa Shields12-0-0—2/KO), the four-time women’s middleweight champion, celebrated her 27and birthday on March 17. She is expected to face the only boxer who has defeated her in the amateurs, Savanah Marshall, over the summer.

April 2nd

Speaking of Savanah Marshall (11-0-0, 9 KOs), she will defend her WBO middleweight crown on April 2 in New Castle, England. She will then face Femke Hermans (12-3-0-5 / KO)

In a wheelchair

I don’t know if he’s really messed up or if it’s just to be more pitiful, but the last time we saw an article on Adrian “The Problem” Broner (34-4-1, 14 KOs. ), he was sitting in a wheelchair. He has been inactive since February 20, when he won the victory over Jovanie Santiago (14-1-0, 10 K.-O.).

Tony Luis in action

The Canadiens, from Cornwall, Ontario, Tony Luis (29-4-0 10 KOs) will face John Bauza (16-0-0, 7 KOs) this Saturday at the Hulu Theater in Madison Square Garden, of New York, in the undercard of the match between Edgar Berlanga and Steve Rolls.

Rozicki, back

After an absence of five months, since his setback by decision against Oscar Rivas, Ryan Rozicki resumes the collar on Saturday, March 19, against a certain German Barcia. The game will be played at the Convention Center in Hamilton, Ontario.

Prediction: Rozicki by K.-O. before 4th round

Happy boxing!