Bivol predicts win for Kovalev over Shabranskyy in title fight News

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Bivol predicts win for Kovalev over Shabranskyy in title fight

By Daily Sports on November 25, 2017

Dmitry Bivol expects former light heavyweight champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev to emerge victorious this Saturday night with his fight against the tough Vyacheslav Shabranskyy in their clash for the vacant WBO 175 lb. title at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Bivol (12-0, 10 KOs), who holds the WBA World light heavyweight title, believes that Kovalev’s boxing skills and punching power will be enough for him to defeat the 30-year-old once beaten Shabranskyy (19-1, 16 KOs) in their fight.

Bivol doesn’t see Kovalev, 34, changing much with his basic fighting style.

Bivol would like to fight Kovalev at some point if he wins on Saturday night, but he doesn’t say when he’ll take that fight.

”He is one of the best and strongest fighters, so I want to fight him at some stage. He is the best,” said Bivol to skysports.com in talking about Kovalev. ”It will be very interesting to see this fight, because it’s his comeback.”

Bivol says he’s sparred with Shabranskyy in the past, and he rates him as a strong fighter. Bivol says Shabranskyy is a fighter rather than a boxer. That might work against Shabranskyy, considering that Kovalev does well against guys that come to slug with him.

Andre Ward used a mauling style to beat Kovalev in their first fight last year in November. In their rematch last June, Ward mostly boxed for the first 7 rounds until suddenly turning up the heat on Kovalev in round 8 and taking him out with a combination of head and body shots.

“I don’t think Kovalev will change much and because of the type of fighter he is, and the skills he’s got, it will be enough for him to win on Saturday night,” said Bivol.

•Photo shows Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev.

Source Daily Sports

Posted November 25, 2017