Suddenly the future of Sergey Kovalev is in doubt. While it has been assumed that he would return later this year or early next year on HBO, the Russian star now says he is considering retirement following his two losses to Andre Ward. This would be a major loss to the light heavyweight division and the sport as a whole.
Sergey Kovlaev (30-2-1, 26 KOs) is beyond question one of the greatest Russian fighters in the history of the sport. Though he lost twice to Ward, definitively the second time, he remains widely considered the sport’s second best light heavyweight and one of its most exciting fighters. His loss would leave a huge hole in the sport.
Though it seems unlikely that Kovalev will actually retire given the money yet to be made, the idea that “his mind is not in boxing” going forward is a concerning one. This is a brutal, unforgiving sport that demands full attention and commitment. If the Russian Krusher starts to take half measures going forward, his standing in the sport and physical well being will suffer. You don’t get to phone it in the fight game.
Hopefully this is just lingering frustration with how the pair of Ward fights went. When it is time for Kovalev to fight again, here is to him being all there mentally and physically.
