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SPORTS Monday 6 august 2018

Alvarez KO’s Kovalev to win 175-pound title in AC

By DAN GELSTON we worked on it in camp,”
AP Sports Writer Alvarez said. “I have always
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) practiced that in camp
— Eleider Alvarez rocked and we thought it would
Sergey Kovalev with a right work in this camp.”
that dropped the Russian Dmitry Bivol unanimously
on his rear. outpointed Isaac Chilem-
He never let up in his first ba to retain the WBA ver-
shot at the title. sion of the 175-pound title.
After three years of waiting There had been hopes to
for a light heavyweight title match Kovalev (32-3-1)
fight, Alvarez left Kovalev against Bivol in a unifica-
crumpled on the canvas, tion bout, perhaps later this
enveloped by a victory year.
celebration. He dropped Alvarez caught Kovalev,
Kovalev three times in a who hasn’t been the same
brutal seventh round and since consecutive defeats
won the 175-pound cham- to Andre Ward, and put
pionship by knockout at those plans on ice. His third
Hard Rock Hotel and Ca- knockdown left Kovalev on
sino on Saturday night. all fours, and he sat mo-
Alvarez ran his record to tionless on the canvas as
24-0 (12 KOs) and sprinted Alvarez took a victory leap
around the ring as Kovalev into his corner. Kovalev was
stumbled back to his cor- taken to a hospital.
ner. Alvarez got the KO at Alvarez had used wins over
2:45 in the seventh as the Jean Pascal and Lucian Sergey Kovalev, left, of Russia, goes down for a second time after a punch by Eleider Alvarez, of
sellout crowd of 5,642 at Et- Bute to earn a title shot he Colombia, during the seventh round of their 175-pound boxing bout Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018, in
ess Arena went wild for box- believed was years in the Atlantic City, N.J. Alvarez won by knockout in the seventh round.
ing’s newest champion. making. Associated Press
“I knew it was my chance “I wanted to show that I class champion Roy Jones could get a rematch — in New Jersey should only
and I wanted to take it right could stay strong and do Jr. in his corner, hung tight he was ahead on all three help the city land better
now,” Alvarez said. good things,” Alvarez said. and kept the fight from scorecards — but was cards.
Alvarez won the WBO light “His punches were not as completely getting away dazed in the seventh and Kovalev had a bit of a fol-
heavyweight title and end- hard as they were in the from him. He failed to throw never mounted a come- lowing in New Jersey — he
ed Kovalev’s latest reign beginning of the fight.” the power punches in the back against the right and fought in three different AC
atop the division. Alvarez, Bivol took it 116-112 on one later rounds he needed for a left hook. venues in 2014 — and had
who once had surgery scorecard, while two others a knockout to win the fight It was a thrilling ending rolled to a 30-0-1 record un-
on his right hand, found had it 120-108, in convinc- Kovalev walked through to boxing’s return to the til his career as derailed by
the power in that hand to ing victory. the arena to a rousing ova- boardwalk for the first time the losses to Ward.
level Kovalev with a right “Chilemba is a good fighter tion about two hours be- in four years. Kovalev also “I lost my mind when I start-
and send him to the can- and he had champion spir- fore the card was set to headlined that Nov. 8, 2014 ed to get famous,” Ward
vas. Alvarez, a Colombian, it tonight,” Bivol said. start on HBO, and Bivol al- card and beat Bernard said this week.
pounced and pounded Bivol, a Russian, worked the ready had his sights set on Hopkins in a championship Now, he lost his title.
away at Kovalev when body and caught Chilem- what would have been the bout on the last major night Kovalev was originally slat-
he beat the 10 count and ba in the sixth with a pair biggest fight of his career. of boxing in Atlantic City. ed to fight Marcus Browne
knocked him down two of quick jabs to the head. “If the fans want that fight, The sport was flattened as until legal issues with the
more times before referee But he was never in a hurry it will happen,” the 27-year- the casinos dried up — five challenger raised concerns
David Fields ended the to finish the fight and the old Bivol said. “I just want to shuttered over that span — about moving forward with
fight. restless crowd booed when fight the best fighters.” before a recent rebirth that the bout.
“It was a two (punch) com- the bout stagnated in the Who knows who he’ll get included the June opening Eleider proved quite the
bo that I have been throw- eighth round. next? of the Hard Rock. The le- super sub — and now,
ing my whole career and Chilemba, with former four- The 35-year-old Kovalev galization of sports betting champion.q