Alvarez stuns Kovalev; Bivol defends title
ATLANTIC CITY — You can forget about that all-Russian showdown between Sergey Kovalev and Dmitry Bivol for the unified light heavyweight championship. Kovalev doesn’t have a belt anymore.
In a stunning upset, Eleider Alvarez of Colombia claimed the WBO light heavyweight title with a seventh-round knockout over a badly damaged Kovalev on Saturday night at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Alvarez, behind on all three cards, dropped Kovalev three times in the round before referee Harvey Dock stopped it at the 2:45 mark. Kovalev didn’t complain.
The first major fight in Atlantic City in four years was competitive for the first six rounds, with both boxers having their moments. But Alvarez, who improved to 24-0 with his 12th knockout, slammed Kovalev with a right hand midway through the seventh, dropping Kovalev on the seat of his trunks. Badly hurt, Kovalev got up, but went down again when Alvarez exploded with a leftright combination.
Showing the heart of a champion, Kovalev struggled to get up again and staggered around the ring before Dock let the action continue. Kovalev was virtually defenseless as Alvarez closed in and finished him with another combination that put Kovalev down for the final time.
“Sergey seems to gas out after six rounds,” said Kathy Duva, Kovalev’s promoter. “He was great for six rounds and then he faltered. I assumed he got tired.”
Meanwhile, Bivol success- fully defended his WBA light heavyweight belt with a unanimous decision over Isaac Chilemba, who fights out of South Africa. There had been plans for Kovalev and Bivol to meet had they both won. Now that matchup has lost its luster. Duva said Kovalev has a rematch clause in the contact and could face Alvarez again soon.
“I’m ready for all the best fighters in my division and the best in the world,” said Alvarez, a virtual unknown until Saturday night.
Bivol improved to 14-0 with his fifth successful title defense. It was only the third time he went the distance, winning easily on the scorecards, 120-108 twice and 116112. Bivol was quick with jab from the start, landing it consistently enough to force Chilemba to react. The jab set up the rest of Bivol’s arsenal — hooks to the head and body, followed by a right cross to the temple.
Moments into the second round, Bivol had Chilemba (25-6-2, 10 KOs) on the ropes, popping him with quick combinations that forced the challenger to either take a beating or fight back. Chilemba, who had the legendary Roy Jones Jr. working his corner, fought back, standing his ground for the rest of the second round and into the third.
But by the end of the third, Bivol was starting to assert himself again, wrecking Chilemba’s body for hard shots and ending with a shot to the head once his opponent’s arms dropped. It looked like Bivol was headed to an early stoppage, but the Russian seemed content with scoring points and controlling bout.