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A20 SPORTS
Thursday 31 OcTOber 2019

his promoter, Oscar De La Kovalev was also stopped out," McGirt said. "He's
Hoya. They wanted him to last year by Eleider Alva- smarter than people give
fight a third bout against rez before beating him by him credit for."
Gennadiy Golovkin but Al- decision in a rematch, and Smart enough to make a
varez refused, believing his he was in trouble against multimillion-dollar payday,
business with GGG has al- Yarde before coming back and possibly smart enough
ready been settled. to stop him. to win the fight. Kovalev
Faced with having to find Now he is back in the ring will have the advantage of
a name opponent to sat- for a huge fight just 10 being the bigger man and
isfy his 10-fight, $350 million weeks after traveling to being comfortable at 175
deal with the streaming ser- Russia to beat Yarde. pounds, but McGirt said
vice DAZN, Alvarez turned "I had a short rest since my Alvarez has an advantage
to Kovalev instead. last fight. But I think that's in not having to lose weight
"Obviously I wanted to fight better," Kovalev said. "My just before the fight.
Sergey Kovalev poses for photographers during a news confer- in September but couldn't," body feels really good, and "He's very dangerous now
ence Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2019, in Las Vegas. Alvarez said. "Things just I'm ready for this fight. This because he's younger and
Associated Press happen." fight will be very interesting. he's not losing the weight
Alvarez, whose only loss It has a worldwide intrigue." now, so he's not losing the
Continued from Page 17 beginning with his sched- was to Floyd Mayweather Kovalev is confident that he energy," McGirt said. "I just
Kovalev rebounded from uled 12-round fight with Al- Jr. in 2013, is a 4-1 favorite will continue his improve- think that they picked the
two losses to Andre Ward to varez. to beat Kovalev and stake ment under McGirt, whom wrong veteran to mess with
regain a title belt and then "This is the biggest fight of my his claim to the mythical he turned to after his losses when they picked Sergey.
stopped Anthony Yarde career," Kovalev said. "I've pound-for-pound title that to resurrect his career and They should have found
just two months ago in his never been in this situation, boxing fans love to argue refine his style. McGirt said somebody else."q
native Russia to move into where someone is coming about. Should he win he Kovalev got too comfort-
position for a lucrative fight from middleweight. I'm not would also add a title belt able while knocking almost
with Alvarez. going to make a predic- in a fourth weight class in a everyone out and trying to
There are questions about tion, but I am going to go in pro career that began as live up to his nickname of
his age (36) and the wear there and defend my title." a 15-year-old in Mexico in "Krusher."
and tear the fights with For Alvarez, the fight is later 2005. McGirt said his fighter is re-
Ward took out of him. But in the year than his normal But Kovalev has some discovering some of the
Kovalev can still punch Mexican Independence pedigree of his own, even boxing skills he let lapse in
and, armed with new train- weekend bout in Septem- if his stature was tarnished previous fights.
er Buddy McGirt, believes ber, and against an op- when he lost a close deci- "People underestimate his
he still has some good days ponent who wasn't the first sion to Ward and was then boxing IQ because he's al-
in the ring ahead of him — choice of boxing fans or stopped in their rematch. ways knocked everybody