Kovalev-Ward Undercard Roundtable Quotes

  

HBO Pay-Per-View® Televised Undercard
Media Roundtables Quotes

 

 

Curtis Stevens   “Training camp was excellent. I did the first half in Boca [Raton], Florida and the second half we did up in Oxnard. It was great. I brought in Cicilio Flores for strength and conditioning. Everything was great.”   “I need to go in there and let my hands go like I did in the Teixeira fight. I don’t look at this fight as another step towards the big fight. A fight is a fight. He is coming to win and so am I.”   “This is the road back to GGG. I am the only one that wants a rematch because I gave him his toughest challenge so far. I know I can beat him. I just gotta let my hands go.”   “I am glad that de la Rosa took the fight because before him no one else would take a fight with me. This is the biggest fight of the year so this is the stage. The world is gonna be watching.”   James De La Rosa   “We worked on it in training camp. You know this is a big fight for me, we asked for this fight coming off the two losses but I talked to my manager I wanted a big fight. “I told my manager, what would be a better opportunity to be on the undercard of this (Kovalev-Ward) and whoever they have I will fight.”   “I have nothing bad to say coming in as a fighter you know I don’t bash nobody I don’t talk down on nobody unless they come at me like that. I have nothing but respect for every fighter that gets in the ring. It takes a lot to get in there.”   “I think what hurts boxing is that everyone waits so long to fight each other why wait a year, why wait two years, why wait? You know for me when I was always coming up I started boxing at 8 years old that’s all I wanted to do is fight and as I turned pro that was the same thing. I want fights, I’ll go to peoples’ back yards, it didn’t matter to me. I believe like my 8th or 9th pro fight I fought someone in their back yard and knocked them out. You know that’s all I wanted to do, I always wanted to go in and be the underdog, nothing to lose, everything to gain”   Oleksandr Gvozdyk   “I’m very excited and I had good preparation and I understand that the opponent is very hard and we will see what happens on Saturday night. He is the best opponent in fights so far.”   “It’s normal every fighter is supposed to be nervous before a fight and if you’re or maybe you’re crazy or maybe your blind you know of course but not so much it’s just regular for me.”   “I like Oxnard. I like our gym you know now we have big boxing gym Egis like brought all the fighters, now it’s like a lot of people in the gym its funny. It’s not boring.”    “I know him (Lomanchecko) for a while maybe since 2009 I knew him before but I know him personally like 2009 we was from the same Olympic national team. We were at the world championships together. He is my very good and close friend.”   “You know I just going to do my same job just try to keep him and not get hit with punches.”   Isaac Chilemba   “If you are asking about power, you are asking the wrong person. Power doesn’t bother me. When I go into the fight I don’t think about how much power my opponent has. I might get hit but I don’t take a minute to think about how strong my opponent is.”   “I will do whatever it takes to win. Roy Jones Jr. and me make a great team. Roy is a champion and I want to become champion. I watched Roy fight when I was younger. When I started boxing I tried to fight like Roy. I have really enjoyed working with him and I am really looking forward to the fight.”   “This is every fighter’s dream to fight in Las Vegas because this is where big fights are happening. I am really glad I am here. I am happy.”   “Camp was great. I had a really good time training with Roy. We worked on a lot of new things. I am stronger now.”   Maurice Hooker   “Darleys Perez is a good fighter. He’s a world champion and it takes a lot of hard work to get there. To me, he is a boxer, but I’m tall and long, and I will keep him to the outside and outbox him. He has someone who punches really hard like me. Perez is 32. He’s going to do what he has done to get himself here so far. Why change that now? If he does, I’m going to make him pay for it.”   “I’m so ready! My last two fights came as first round knockouts and this will be my third fight this year so why not go for another first round knockout? My first fight, this year, they said was a step up… I knocked him out. The last fight, they said was a step up… I knocked him out. Now, this fight is another step up, a real test… I’m going to knock him out.”   “I’m ready to show the world who I am. I’m Maurice Hooker… Mighty Mo Power! I’m excited to be on this card, it’s a big card… it’s a big fight, and I can’t wait to watch the main event between Sergey Kovalev and Andre Ward as well on Saturday night!”

Gvozdyk vs. Chilemba Scouting Report

Gvozdyk vs. Chilemba Scouting Report

50-50 Fight Between the Prospect and the Veteran

Las Vegas, Nevada:          Before they enjoy Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” on Nov. 19, the HBO Pay-Per-View audience will get to see another great 50-50 bout between the veteran and the prospect when Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba (24-4-2, 10 KOs) challenges Oleksandr “The Nail” Gvozdyk (11-0, 9 KOs) for Gvozdyk’s NABF Light Heavyweight Title at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The boxing world is split 50-50 on the outcome of this exciting match-up. Below is the scouting report:   Category Oleksandr Gvozdyk Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba Age 29 29 Record 11-0 (9 KOs) 24-4-2 (10 KOs) Strength Oleksandr has raw power in both hands, he does a good job of applying pressure on his opponents. He also has a good jab that remains at constant throughout the fight. Isaac is a tough, durable and crafty fighter with plenty of experience. He utilizes his jab well and has been in the ring with some of the best fighters in the division. Weakness He is inexperienced as a professional compared to Chilemba. This will be the biggest challenge of his career thus far. Also, he tends to stand directly in front of his opponents. In his last bout against Tommy Karpency this got him in trouble. After being caught by a shot, he got knocked down. “The Golden Boy” lacks adequate punching power and has a tendency to start slow. He may need to step on the gas early against Gvozdyk who has wasted little time finishing opponents thus far in his career. Experience Oleksandr has an impressive amateur background, but as a professional he lacks the big-fight experience that Chilemba has. Isaac has been in almost triple the amount of pro bouts as Gvozdyk. He has competed all over the world. In his most recent bout he competed on the biggest stage of them all when he came up short in a decision loss to titleholder Sergey Kovalev in Kovalev’s backyard. Power Gvozdyk has tremendous power and a devastating right hand when he lands clean. Chilemba is a technically skilled boxer, but lacks that initial pop that could change the momentum of the fight. Speed He has significant hand speed, especially when he puts his combinations together. Isaac has average speed, he keeps a steady and consistent pace throughout the fight. Endurance Oleksandr’s endurance is still in question. He has yet to fight more than six rounds in any of his pro bouts thus far. Chilemba has excellent endurance; he has gone a full 12-rounds on ten separate occasions throughout his career, including his most recent bout against three-belt champion, Sergey Kovalev. Accuracy Similar Chilemba, Gvozdyk is a very accurate puncher. He has a jab that is constantly in motion, and a right hand that very few have been able to avoid. Isaac is a very accurate puncher who chooses his punches wisely and times his punches well. He has an accurate jab that has been a key factor in taking his opponents out of their rhythm. Defense The Ukrainian’s offense has been his best defense thus far. He has managed to walk his opponents down and inflict damage at will. Chilemba is a defensive fighter with effective counter-punching skills. He has good foot work and moves around the ring well. Chin His chin is still a question; he was knocked down in the first round of his recent bout. However, he managed to get back to his feet and score a sixth round TKO. Isaac has never been stopped, he took some heavy shots and was knocked down in his most recent bout with The Krusher, but he managed to get off of the canvas and make it to the final bell. Style Oleksandr is an aggressive, in-your-face fighter who is always looking to finish the fight early. He is constantly putting his jab to work and picking his opponents apart during the process. Chilemba is an effective technical fighter with good counter-boxing skills. He likes to utilize his defense and a sharp jab to take his opponents out of their comfort zone. Intangibles Despite having only 11 professional fights under his belt, Gvozdyk is coming off of two dominant wins over former title contenders: Nadjib Mohammedi and Tommy Karpency. He clearly plans on wasting no time with meaningless tune-ups, as he is looking to make a statement in the light heavyweight division by taking on another former title contender, and also one of only two fighters to go the championship distance with Sergey Kovalev.  Isaac is coming off of consecutive losses for the first time in his career: WBC #1 contender Eleider Alvarez and light heavyweight kingpin Sergey Kovalev. At the young age of 29, Isaac has time to polish his game against lesser opposition before he is called upon for another major title implication bout. However, Isaac is a gamer and believes in his skillset, which is why he has decided to take on a top-five ranked contender and knockout artist in Oleksandr Gvozdyk. Crowd Support Gvozdyk may have an edge because he has competed in Las Vegas on four separate occasions, including his two most recent bouts. He also possesses a fighting style that may attract new fans. Chilemba has only competed in Las Vegas once in his career back in 2012. However, he raised a lot of eyebrows during his hard-fought bout against Kovalev in July so he may have gained some new fans in the process. The Match-up 1.       Will Chilemba be able to handle the power Gvozdyk has? 2.       Will Gvozdyk get frustrated with Chilemba’s boxing ability? 3.       Will both guys rise to the occasion with fighting on such a big stage?   According to Main Events’ matchmaker and 2015 NABF Matchmaker of the Year Jolene Mizzone, “This is the match that should be made more often in boxing. Gvozdyk is an up-and-coming boxer who could have passed on the fight to keep building his record but instead he opted to challenge himself against a fighter that no 175lber ever wants to fight, unless they have to. Chilemba just came off a hard-fought 12-round fight with Sergey Kovalev and could have opted for a tune-up fight before taking another big fight. Instead he wanted the challenge. This is your typical veteran against the prospect.  There is not one person who can say for sure who will win this fight and boxing needs more fights like this!”

Q&A With Roy Jones Jr. as he Prepares Chilemba

 

&A With Roy Jones Jr.

Roy Jones Jr Prepares Isaac Chilemba to Face Oleksandr Gvozdyk on November 19

Pensacola, Florida:          As Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba (24-4-2, 10 KOs) prepares to attempt to reclaim the NABF Light Heavyweight Title from Oleksandr “The Nail” Gvozdyk (11-0, 9 KOs) live on the Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” HBO Pay-Per-View undercard from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada he will have former four-division world champion Roy Jones Jr. in his corner for the first time. Below Jones assesses the match-up and his observations of the young Malawi native:   Question:     Does Chilemba’s performance against Kovalev give him more confidence going into this fight?   Roy Jones Jr:         “Oh yes, most definitely. Kovalev had been crushing everybody and he didn’t get crushed so it has to give him confidence.”   Q:       Chilemba has almost three times as many fights as Gvozdyk. How big of an advantage is this?   RJ:     “It’s not a big advantage because Gvozdyk probably has three times more fights than Chilemba does in amateurs. These Eastern European guys have so many more amateur fights than we do. They fight from when they’re small and they go through schools and everything. These guys are very, very high-tech when it comes to being skilled in the ring in the sport of boxing so he probably has a little bit more experience if you add up the fights over the years.”   Q:       What must Chilemba do in this fight in order to win?   RJ:     “He’s got to disrupt Gvozdyk. He can’t let Gvozdyk fight at his own pace. He can’t let Gvozdyk constantly push him backwards so he’s gotta make Gvozdyk change, make Gvozdyk do things he does not like to do.”   Q:       What must Chilemba prevent Gvozdyk from doing or take away from him in order to win?   RJ:     “Chilemba must prevent Gvozdyk’s control of the power of the jab and setting up the big right hand.”   Q:       Do you think, now that you are working with Chilemba, if he defeats Gvozdyk he should be entitled to a rematch with Sergey?   RJ:     “Of course, of course he should. Chilemba deserves a rematch with Sergey.”   Q:       What are Chilemba’s biggest strengths and weaknesses. How are you working to correct them?   RJ:     “His feet are his biggest strength. His feet are very good, he can be very elusive. And his biggest tool is his straight right hand. His weakness is that he had a lack of punching power because he wasn’t turning his shoulder, turning his body with his punches. We are fixing that, working on it right now.”   Q:       As a former light heavyweight world champion, what are your observations on the Kovalev-Ward fight?   RJ:     “Very good fight. Best fight of boxing today. I look forward to seeing it. To me it’s one of the best fights we had in boxing in years as far as guys being in their prime, being the two best in the division. That is just a great fight. A great fight for boxing.”   Q:       How would you break down this match-up?   RJ:     “No I don’t have a prediction. Andre Ward hasn’t been beaten in a long time, and if there was a guy that could beat him, there is the guy, so…”   Q:       Which fighter, Kovalev or Ward, would have given you the best fight when you were 175-pound world champion?   RJ:     “Both of them would be really good fights, very hard fights to fight. Very different fights to fight. My hand speed maybe would be better against both of them but they’d be tough guys to fight. Kovalev because of the power and Ward because of his mentality, he’s a very smart guy in the ring. Very hard fights, but speed factor is probably what I would use to get both of them beat.”

Training Camp Notes: Gvozdyk

Training Camp Notes: Oleksandr Gvozdyk

“The Nail” Prepping for Isaac Chilemba in Camp with Krusher

Oxnard, California:       Oleksandr “The Nail” Gvozdyk (11-0, 9 KOs) is prepping for his upcoming fight with Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba (24-4-2, 10 KOs) for the NABF Light Heavyweight Title on the Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” HBO Pay-Per-View televised undercard, live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.   Oleksandr Gvozdyk Photo Credits: Craig Bennett/Main Events   Training for this upcoming bout with Chilemba, Gvozdyk has been in camp with Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev and had this to say about his preparation for this mega-fight:   “My training camp is going good. I am almost finished with my conditional part of preparation, where we are working on strength, speed and stamina. Next week I’ll be more focused on developing special skills and tactics. I’m satisfied with all results which I get during the preparation, and will keep following my game plan.”   A Ukrainian Olympic bronze medalist for Ukraine, Oleksandr hails from Kharkov, Ukraine, but moved to Oxnard with his wife and three children to pursue his professional career.  “The Nail” misses his hometown and tries to visit as much as possible.   Question: What have you learned sparring with Kovalev this training camp?   Gvozdyk: It is very great experience for me. He is a great fighter. When you train with a strong fighter you getting stronger.   Q: Oddsmakers have this fight 50-50. What do you think about the match-up?   OG: This is fight between intelligence and power. But Sergey is smart as well. Both fighters is tough. Both fighters have proved that they are the best. Now we will figure out who is the best pound for pound.   Q: You have never gone past the sixth round in a professional fight. Chilemba just went the distance against the Krusher. What is your game plan if you can’t stop him early on and the fight has to go the distance?   OG: I always train for the fight to go the full distance. This fight if I can stop him earlier it is ok but if not I will be ready to go whole distance.   Q: After his fight with Kovalev, Sergey said Chilemba was frustrating him because he was difficult to hit. How will you alter your plan if you can’t land the big shots?   OG: I will try to finish him if I can. If I can’t, I will try to box him and get the decision.   Q: Kovalev-Ward is arguably the biggest fight of the year. Is there added pressure fighting on this big stage?   OG: Not really. My only fight is against Chilemba. I am not going to fight against audience; I am going to fight against Chilemba.   Q: You were knocked down in the first round by Karpency. What turned the tide and allowed you to come back and stop him?   OG: I was in the first round and I came in without a game plan. It was just my mistake. I learned from this experience. I hope I will not repeat the same mistakes.   Q: Have you changed anything about your training camp to prepare for Chilemba?   OG: I am not change a lot. I try to prepare for each fight the same but I also try to include something or add something new. This camp was no exception. I added some physical work and some rounds in sparring. Little things.   Q: Chilemba has nearly three times as many professional fights as you. Do you think his experience will give him an edge?   OG: Maybe he has some edge in pro fights but I also have 250 fights in amateurs. So I think it can be even. We will see in the ring.

Training Camp Notes: Chilemba and Jones

Isaac Chilemba Teams Up with Roy Jones Jr.

As He Prepares for Oleksandr Gvozdyk

On Kovalev vs. Ward Televised Undercard

Saturday, November 19 from T-Mobile Arena

Presented Live by HBO Pay-Per-View^®

 

Pensacola, Florida (October 20, 2016):    As former light heavyweight title contender Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba (24-4-2, 10 KOs) gears up to face Ukrainian prospect Oleksandr Gvozdyk (11-0, 9 KOs) on the Kovalev-Ward HBO Pay-Per-View undercard, he will be training with former four-division world champion Roy Jones Jr.

 

Chilemba, 29, originally from Malawi, but now residing in South Africa, is coming off the toughest fight of his career. On July 11, this road-warrior travelled to WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev’s home country of Russia to face the champion in front of a sold-out crowd in his own backyard. Despite the unanimous decision loss, Chilemba’s performance against Kovalev raised a lot of eyebrows in the boxing community. Chilemba managed to go the distance against the “Krusher” a distinction held only by one other fighter, future Hall of Famer Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins.

 

For a number of years, Chilemba had worked with trainer James “Buddy” McGirt but when McGirt was unable to make the trip to South Africa to train Chilemba for Kovalev, he needed to find another trainer. For his stunning performance against Kovalev, Chilemba trained with his manager, Jodi Solomon. The Kovalev fight gained the attention of former four-division world champion and Chilemba’s childhood hero, Roy Jones Jr., who contacted cut man Russ Anber and suggested the two work together going forward. Roy invited Chilemba and Solomon to his gym in Pensacola, Florida to discuss the opportunity of training together.

 

When asked about that initial meeting Solomon replied, “It was a very big deal for Chilemba because Jones was his childhood hero. The trip to Florida was a huge eye-opener. It was awesome to be in Jones’ gym and for Chilemba to see why he does the things he does and to understand his thought process. Chilemba loved every minute of it. Jones is very passionate about boxing. They connected and got along very well.”

 

Chilemba grew up watching Jones fight on television in Malawi and has tried to mirror Jones’ style throughout his own career. Chilemba is excited to work with his hero one-on-one now. He said, “For years I have been watching him and trying to learn some of his moves to make them to my own. Now I am very happy that I get to work with him. Jones is my favorite fighter of all time. Working with him is like a dream come true. When I was a kid growing up in Malawi, I used to watch him and try to fight like him. Now working with him is amazing. It is even better than what I expected. Roy Jones Jr. is a master and now I get to work with him and understand why he does what he does. I have always watched him fight and tried to copy him from watching him on the screen. Now I get to work with him in person. It is amazing!”

 

Roy Jones Jr. added, “It wasn’t just that fight against Kovalev that made me want to work with him. I have been watching Chilemba for some time. After that fight I said I would love to work with him. I saw Chilemba the first time he came to the United States and I realized he was emulating my exact style but he has never had a person who could fully explain it to him. Now he is shocked and amazed that he is able to integrate the nuances of my style. His opponent, Gvozdyk is a very good fighter. It is never easy to beat a fighter like him because he is a very smart guy. He was such a great amateur fighter. We do have our hands full but I am looking forward to seeing how Isaac takes the things that I teach him and uses them to break him down.”

 

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA Light Heavyweight World Titles, takes place Saturday, Nov. 19, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

On the Billy C Morning show- Kovalev Chilemba recap, Is Gennady Golovkin the Biggest Name In Boxing? – When Will His PPV Numbers Rise?

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Kovalev vs. Chilemba Press Conference Quotes

Kovalev and Chilemba Face Off Photo Courtesy of: Alexandr Safonov/Championat.com

Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev – WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion

 

“Hello to everybody here in my homeland of Russia. I hope you are all going to be here Monday night to support me. I thank God for all the opportunities he has given me and all the acquaintances he has made for me including Igor Altushkin who made this event possible. Thank you to everyone for their organization and for making this event for everyone who loves boxing. The hardest time of my training camp is past now and I am going to give you good show. My opponent, Chilemba, is very motivated and that is why he is so dangerous. But I am also motivated. There are a lot of fights in my future. Also I would like to give a special thanks for television channels which are going to televise the event, Match TV and HBO. Thanks to Kathy Duva, my promoter, and Titov Boxing Promotions. Also thank you to everyone who participates in these organizations and to all the fans of boxing. Your support is very important to me. I will be glad to see you all Monday night.”

 

Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba – WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight Challenger

 

“Thank you. First of all, I want to thank God for life, strength and getting us all here today. I want to thank Main Events for standing by my team. I want to thank Sergey Kovalev and his team. I want to thank my team and HBO. I really appreciate it. For the last 10 years of my career, I got into a few title fights. I won IBO Super Middleweight Title. Since I moved to light heavyweight we have been chasing the WBC title. And we came up short three times. Now I have a shot at three world titles. I really believe God works in mysterious ways. This is my time. This is my destiny. I believe I was destined to be WBO, WBA and IBF World Champion. I want to thank the Russian people for the support and warm welcome. In my life I have been through a lot of obstacles. I stumble and fall and I know how to pick myself up. I have been through hell and made it back. Nothing can stop me. Thank you.”

 

Kathy Duva – CEO of Main Events

 

“It is a pleasure to be back here in Ekaterinburg. I want to thank our gracious sponsor Igor Altushkin and the Russian Copper Company. I would like to thank HBO and Match TV. Also I would like to thank German Titov and his staff. I have known Isaac Chilemba for as long as I have known Sergey. He has worked very hard to get his opportunity. I know he is coming to win this fight. However, I believe Sergey is the best pound for pound fighter in the world. I know he cringes when I say that, but he is special. We all know Sergey always comes to win too. As always we expect a tremendous fight on Monday night. I am not going to say the best man will win because they are both very good men. But the fans will win in the end because I know it will be a great event.”

 

John David Jackson – Trainer of Sergey Kovalev

 

“Thank you for being here. This should be a very entertaining fight for the fans. Hopefully it can be just that and you can enjoy the fight. Training camp was good for Sergey and he is ready to defend his titles. Thank you very much.”

 

Egis Klimas – Manager of Sergey Kovalev

 

“Hello. I would like to thank my fighter Sergey Kovalev. It is an honor for me to present one of the greatest fighters in the world. I would like to thank our main sponsor, Russian Copper Company. Also thank to HBO and Match TV for broadcasting this event to the world. Sergey Kovalev is going to show the world again on Monday night.”

 

Jodi Solomon – Manager of Isaac Chilemba

 

“I would like to thank Main Events for this opportunity and Sergey Kovalev and his team. I would also like to thank the people of Russia for the warm welcome we have received here. I really don’t like to give long speeches, but the magnitude of this fight compels me to say more than I am used to. Isaac and I started working together eight years ago and I was the only woman working in boxing in South Africa. As a result, most people in boxing decided I would never make it and neither would Isaac because he was working with me. In a matter of three years we proved them wrong when he won five titles during that time. I feel like now we have come full circle. For the first time in six years Isaac and I have trained in South Africa again. Again we are faced with doubters. Again we are going to prove them all wrong. Thank you very much.”

 

German Titov – German Titov Promotions

 

“I believe Chilemba is the best in top ten boxers in the world. This is a great opponent for Kovalev. Thank you Kathy Duva and Main Events.”

 

Alexsey Titov – German Titov Promotions

 

“I want to thank everyone. I am very thankful for the experience we got organizing this event. This is the top event in Russia. You will be amazed by the organization of the show. It is going to be highest level. The climax of this event is going to be Sergey’s performance. He is a very talented fighter. Let’s not look passed this show and be here.”

Kovalev vs. Chilemba Scouting Report

Ekaterinburg, Russia:      On Monday night “The Krusher”, WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion, Sergey Kovalev, will return home to Russia to face challenger Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba in a 12-round championship bout. These two fighters have very different style and when they clash on July 11 sparks should fly. Below is the scouting report for this exciting event:

 

Category	Sergey “The Krusher” Kovalev	Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba
Age	33	29
Record	29-0-1 (26 KOs)	24-3-2 (10 KOs)
Strength	Kovalev has solidified his position in the sport as one of its most devastating punchers. He possesses knockout power in both hands.	Chilemba is a crafty fighter with good technical skills. He is an effective counter-puncher with great endurance and strong defense. He is also very accurate and uses his jab well.
Weakness	Sergey tends to leave openings in his guard allowing himself to be hit. He has been knocked down before but not hurt. He will have to pick his shots wisely in this bout when facing a good counter-striker in Chilemba.	“The Golden Boy” does not possess much punching power in either hand; he has only recorded one knockout victory since 2011. He also has a tendency to be a slow-starter in the ring, which can cost him immensely if The Krusher is able to land one early.
Experience	While Isaac has plenty of experience, Kovalev has been just as active and has been in the bigger fights throughout his career.	Isaac is very experienced and has been steadily active throughout his career.
Power	“The Krusher” has tremendous power in both hands; he throws every punch with bad intentions and puts together very effective combinations.	Isaac is a technically skilled boxer, but lacks the initial pop that could change the momentum of the fight.
Speed	Kovalev has average speed that picks up once he smells blood and goes for the finish.	Isaac is quick on his feet. He moves around the ring well making it difficult for his opponents to connect at times.
Endurance	Sergey showed the world that he can go a full 12-rounds when he earned a unanimous decision win over former titleholder and future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins, but he has only been past 8 rounds once.	Chilemba has excellent endurance; he has gone a full 12-rounds on nine separate occasions throughout his career.
Accuracy	Sergey shows great accuracy with the long-range aggressive style that he utilizes. He throws very accurate and powerful body shots as well.	Isaac is a very accurate puncher who chooses his spots wisely and times his punches well. His accuracy and timing have been effective in taking his opponents out of their rhythm.
Defense	Sergey’s strength is his offense, which he has established as his best defense thus far. However, his aggressive style has allowed past opposition opportunities to land shots as well.	Chilemba is a good defensive fighter who utilizes effective counter-punching skills. He exhibits impressive foot work and moves around the ring well.
Chin	Kovalev has been knocked down twice in his career, but he has risen to the occasion both times to finish the fight and earn the victory.	Isaac has never been stopped, and was able to get off the canvas to earn a win over previously unbeaten Maxim Vlasov after overcoming two knockdowns in the fight.
Style	Sergey is an offensive fighter who likes to walk his opponents down and go for the finish. He utilizes a long-range aggressive style and does not take his foot off the gas throughout the match.	Isaac is an effective technical fighter with good counter-boxing skills. He likes to utilize his defense and a sharp jab to take his opponents out of their comfort zone.
Intangibles	Kovalev will compete in his backyard for only the third time in his professional career. Rather than provide his fans with a tune-up bout to improve his chances of earning a victory at home, he will instead face a fighter in Isaac Chilemba who can pose a problem for anyone in his division, and who has never been stopped.	Chilemba is coming off a controversial loss in a title-eliminator bout against current top contender Eleider Alvarez. Rather than request a tune-up bout to get back on track and polish up any mistakes from his last bout, he opted to seize an opportunity to take “The Krusher’s” titles in his own backyard.
Crowd Support	Sergey is fighting in his homeland of Russia and grew up not too far from the site of the bout. Expect a packed house all rooting for their hero.	He is in his opponent’s backyard and has never competed in Russia thus far in his professional career. However, Isaac has proven he can be a road-warrior.
The Match-up	1.    Will Sergey be looking past this fight to his fight in November against Andre Ward? 2.    Will Isaac be able to handle Sergey’s power? 3.    Sergey will be fighting near his hometown for the first time as the light heavyweight champion, will he be able to handle the additional pressure? 4.    Will Isaac be able to handle fighting in Sergey’s backyard?

Training Camp Notes: Isaac Chilemba

Ekaterinburg, Russia:       Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba (24-3-2, 10 KOs) is in for the fight of his life against the world’s fiercest light heavyweight Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (29-0-1, 26 KOs) on July 11 in Ekaterinburg, Russia but the 29-year old from Malawi is no stranger to fighting in enemy territory. The grudge match between Kovalev and Chilemba will be for the WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Titles.

 

Chilemba grew up in Malawi, one of the world’s poorest countries but in order to make it as a professional fighter he left Malawi for South Africa. According to Isaac, “As a professional I have never fought at home in Malawi. I have fought mostly here in South Africa which is a foreign land for me. I have also fought in the UK, Canada and the US. That has made me who I am.”

 

Isaac Chilemba Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

 

This road warrior attitude has contributed to Chilemba’s confidence as he prepares to fight “The Krusher” in Kovalev’s backyard. He said, “I love fighting in someone’s home. That is where I can prove to the world that I am not just a fighter in the ring but I am fighter in my spirit and my soul. I can go to someone else’s hometown and defeat them in their backyard.”

 

For the past several years, Chilemba has trained in the United States. However, for this training camp he decided to stay in South Africa. Isaac explained, “This is a new chapter for me. This is turning a new page. We have been chasing this dream for a long time. I came up short three times. This is not an eliminator fight. I am going straight for three world tiles. In order to win this fight, I believe I needed to be here. I needed to train here. I have all of the spirit right here. This is where it all started. I have got everything I need at my fingertips.”

 

Chilemba is coming off a controversial majority decision loss to Eleider Alvarez in Quebec late in 2015. Many believed it could have gone either way and one judge scored the contest a draw. After the tough decision Isaac believed he would need to start over again so he was surprised when he was offered this opportunity. He said, “This is something that I didn’t even dream of especially coming off a loss in Canada. I thought after that I was going to have to start at the bottom again and instead God blessed me with the opportunity to fight for three world championships. I thank God and my team for always believing in me and making this happen. I thank Main Events for standing up for me and never giving up on me even after a loss and still offer me such a big opportunity.”

 

Both Kovalev and Chilemba are promoted by Main Events. CEO Kathy Duva said, “Isaac Chilemba is a legitimate top ten light heavyweight contender and he’s coming to win. He won’t be intimidated by the crowd. We know he is focused on the biggest opportunity of his career and we’ll see if he can capitalize on it.”

Training Camp Notes: Krusher Kovalev

Krusher Kovalev Prepares for Chilemba in Armenian Mountains

 

Ekaterinburg, Russia:      WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev recently completed the first phase of his training camp in the mountains of Armenia as he prepares to face Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba on July 11 in his first fight in his home country of Russia since 2011. The champ will return to the DIVS Sports Palace in Ekaterinburg, Russia to defend his three titles as part of the opening night ceremonies for the International Industry Trade Fair “INNOPROM-2016.”

 

Kovalev Training in Armenia Photo Courtesy of: Sergey Kovalev

 

The event, sponsored by Russian Copper Company and Igor Altushkin and presented by Main Events and Krusher Promotions in association with German Titov Promotions, will be televised in the United States at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT (same day tape-delayed) exclusively on HBO.

 

This is the first time Krusher has trained outside the United States since he won his first WBO crown against Nathan Cleverly in 2013. For his much-anticipated Russian homecoming, the 33-year old from Chelyabinsk, Russia opted to change-up his training camp in preparation for Chilemba. According to Sergey, “I try to look for mountainous regions which provide the right elevation and terrain for my conditioning training (biking, running). Armenia is well-known for their mountains and terrain, plus it was also a good opportunity to get away from the attention, to focus solely on training.”

 

Kovalev was not alone in Armenia. He said, “The Russian Boxing Olympic team had their training camp in the same area (Tsaghkadzor, Armenia) as well, so I had good company around me, the right training mentality and focus level. Help from the local trainers and Russian national team boxers was quite handy with finding the new trails for my runs and biking.”

 

Kovalev Overlooking Armenian Mountaintop Photo Courtesy of: Sergey Kovalev

 

Although Sergey changed the location of training camp, his team and routine remains the same. He added, “I am known for sticking with my plans, for adhering to the established system that works for me. New places, but old routines. I will have my trainer, John David Jackson, joining me in Ekaterinburg’s sport base “Kurganovo”, along with my long-time friend and training assistant Eduard Abzalimov from Chelyabinsk and massage therapist. I will have my sparring sessions (will have three partners for that) and mitt work.”

 

It has been a long-time dream of Sergey’s to return to Russia and bring his belts home to his fans. He is grateful to those people who helped make his dream a reality. He said, “The main sponsor of the event, Igor Altushkin of “Russian Copper Company”, manager of the sport base “Kurganovo”, Vitaliy Kochetkov, and the governor of Sverdlovskaya Oblast, Evgeniy Kuivashev, have all put a lot of effort in exceeding all of my expectations with making the training atmosphere as comfortable as it could get. I am very thankful for their involvement with the preparation and making my team and I feel very welcome in Ekaterinburg. It truly feels as if the entire country is behind my back in this fight! I can tell I’m fighting at home. This support means a lot for me.”