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SPORTS Saturday 3 March 2018

Kovalev headlines MSG's light heavyweight title doubleheader

By BRIAN MAHONEY
NEW YORK (AP) — For
someone who was one of
boxing's feared fighters,
Sergey Kovalev didn't look
so intimidating.
He threw his arm around his
opponent for a hug, tak-
ing time to chat and pose
together for photos like old
pals.
They are. Kovalev figures
he's known Igor Mikhalkin
since he was about 17,
back when they were am-
ateur teammates in Russia.
Come Saturday, that will
mean nothing.
"We were like friends, but
only friends can beat on
each other and don't be
upset at each other," Kova-
lev said.
They meet in the Theater at
Madison Square Garden for
the WBO light heavyweight
title that Kovalev (31-2-1,
27 KOs) regained in his last
fight after dropping it in the Boxers Sergey Kovalev, left, and Igor Mikhalkin pose for a picture during a news conference in New York, Wednesday, Feb. 28,
first of his consecutive losses 2018. Associated Press
to Andre Ward.
Kovalev has changed plen- what would have been a reer," Mikhalkin said. "This is a rare few take an honest to my goals," Kovalev said.
ty since then, but "Krusher" matchup between fighters the greatest opponent I've look at the way they are Perhaps those could in-
wants to show his punishing whose only losses were to ever fought." doing things, they change clude a match against
power hasn't gone any- Ward. Instead, he took less But it was a damaged one what needs to be changed the winner of the other
where. money for the shot at Bivol's after the losses to Ward, and no matter how diffi- championship bout on the
"Saturday night will be an belt and Kovalev ended up the first by a narrow deci- cult, no matter what you card, which takes place in
interesting fight because with Mikhalkin. sion but the second when have to give up to do it. This the shadow of the heavy-
we will beat each other They went separate ways Kovalev was stopped in the is hard. Sergey is not afraid weight title fight between
very, very hard," Kovalev since their amateur days, eighth round. He easily won of hard, as we all know." Deontay Wilder and Cu-
said. with Kovalev, 34, mov- back the WBO belt that Now trained by Abror Tur- ba's Luis Ortiz across town in
The match against Mikhalkin ing on to win three light Ward vacated after retir- sunpulatov, Kovalev be- Brooklyn's Barclays Center.
(21-1, 9 KOs) is one of two heavyweight titles and ing when he stopped Slava lieves rededicating him- Kovalev has already been
title fights in the 175-pound fight in major bouts in the Shabranskyy at MSG in No- self could bring him to a a star. For Mikhalkin, Bivol
division on Saturday's card, U.S. Mikhalkin, now based vember. But he realized he level he hadn't reached and Barrera, it's a chance
which will be televised by in Germany, stayed behind still needed to re-evaluate even when he was rolling to become one.
HBO. Dmitry Bivol (12-0, 10 to do his fighting in Europe, his training and travel. through everyone in front "I train like every fight is my
KOs), another Russian, de- and now he has a chance "To lose after being world of him. last fight because every
fends his WBA belt against to make a worldwide name champion, such a domi- "I am motivated for the fight is the most important
Cuban Sullivan Barrera for himself if he can knock nant world champion, is a new chapter in my boxing fight," Bivol said. "On Sat-
(21-1, 14 KOs) in the other. off Kovalev. bitter blow. Some guys nev- career, and I showed in the urday night, the fans will
Barrera was initially offered "This is most likely the most er recover from that," pro- last fight that I am back get to see what I am all
the fight against Kovalev in important fight in my ca- moter Kathy Duva said. "But and now I am on my way about."q