WBC USNBC Light Heavyweight Champion Vyacheslav “Lion Heart Chingonskyy” Shabranskyy (19-1, 16 KOs) hosted a Los Angeles media workout at Westside Boxing Club ahead of his 12-round fight against former unified Light Heavyweight Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-2-1, 26 KOs) for the vacant WBO World Light Heavyweight championship. The fight will take place on Saturday, Nov. 25 at the Theater at Madison Square Garden and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Sergey Kovalev
Kovalev quotes for Shabranskyy fight
An energized, reinvigorated Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-2-1, 26 KOs) spoke with Southern California’s leading boxing journalists and websites and put on a show of skills at a media workout on Tuesday, November 14. The event also featured Kovalev’s new trainer, Abror Tursunpulatov; Kathy Duty, CEO of Main Events, and Egis Klimas, Kovalev’s manager. (Photo credit Craig Bennett/Main Events)
Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev – former unified light heavyweight world champion
Kovalev now trained by Abror Tursunpulatov
Former unified light heavyweight world champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-2-1, 26 KOs) did a lot of soul-searching after his controversial loss to Andre “S.O.G” Ward over the summer in Las Vegas, Nevada. He traveled back to his home in Russia for several months with his wife, Natalia, and his son Aleksandr and even spent time meditating at a monastery in Greece. After months of contemplation, he decided it was time to sever his relationship with long-time trainer, John David Jackson.
Jason Sosa vs. Robinson Castellanos added to Kovalev-Shabrankskyy card
Two of the most experienced fighters in the stacked 130-pound division will continue the heated Puerto Rico vs. Mexico rivalry when Jason “El Canito” Sosa (20-2-4, 14 KOs) takes on Robinson “Robin Hood” Castellanos (24-13, 14 KOs) in a 10-round super featherweight fight at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on the televised undercard for Kovalev vs. Shabrankskyy. The event takes place Saturday, Nov. 25 and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Hopkins says Canelo-Golovkin rematch will be Ward-Kovalev 2 reincarnated
Bernard Hopkins of Golden Boy says the rematch between Saul Canelo Alvarez and Gennady “GGG” Golovkin will be a “reincarnation of the Andre “SOG” Ward vs. Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev fight. Canelo will be Ward, and Golovkin will be Kovalev, says Hopkins.
Hopkins says Canelo (49-1-2, 34 KOs) will learn from the first fight against Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs), and he’ll use what he learned to expose him as not being the “boogeyman” that everyone fears.
Canelo didn’t look so great in fighting to a 12-round draw against Golovkin on September 16 in a fight televised on HBO pay-per-view at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Sergey Kovalev vs. Vyacheslav Shabranskyy press conference quotes
Kathy Duva, CEO – Main Events: All right, everybody, welcome. We are here today to officially kick off the promotion for a fight that’s going to take place at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, November 25. That’s the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev is going to fight Vyacheslav Shabranskyy in a fight that is going to be a little departure for what Sergey’s gone through lately. It’s going to be a fight where both guys stand in the ring and throw punches at each other.
Sergey Kovalev to return against Vyacheslav Shabranskyy on Nov. 25; Orlando Salido could feature on card
It has been confirmed by HBO how former light-heavyweight king Sergey Kovalev will make his ring return on November 25, against once-beaten contender Vyacheslav Shabranskyy of Ukraine. The bout will take place at Madison Square Garden Theatre and it’s possible Mexican warrior Orlando Salido could also return on the same card.
Kovalev, 30-2-1(26) is of course coming off back-to-back losses to Andre Ward, the second fight in June being a KO defeat for “Krusher.” Some people felt the Russian puncher would take a considerable amount of time off after being halted the way he was by Pound-for-Pound king Ward, but, no, he’s back less than six months on – and against a pretty good fighter.
Sergey Kovalev battles Vyacheslav Shabransky on 11/25
Former Unified Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-2-1, 26 KOs) returns to the ring Saturday, November 25 at The Theater Madison Square Garden to take on hard-hitting contender Vyacheslav “Lion-Heart Chingonskyy” Shabranskyy (19-1, 16 KOs) in a ten-round light heavyweight showdown. Kovalev vs. Shabranskyy will be promoted by Main Events and Krusher Promotions in association with Golden Boy Promotions, and televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Sergey Kovalev files protest, wants Ward defeat changed to a no contest
Former light-heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev is still unhappy over the way Andre Ward defeated him via stoppage in their June 17 rematch; itself a return meeting of a controversial decision victory picked up by Ward.
As fans know, the unbeaten Ward stopped Kovalev in the eighth round in the rematch, his body shots accounting for most of the damage. Kovalev and his team argued instantly, as they continue to argue today, that Ward’s body shots were in fact low. Referee Tony Weeks did not act accordingly, argue Team-Kovalev, who say the low blows were intentional.
Kovalev is Considering Moving to the Heavyweight Division; Virgil Hunter Offered Kovalev His Help
According to Kovalev’s promoter Kathy Duva, Sergey’s next fight would take place sometime this coming … read more