Steve Marcus/Getty Images
Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev put together a well-rounded performance in his cruiserweight debut, defeating Tervel Pulev by unanimous decision on Saturday night in the main event of TrillerVerz V at The Kia Forum in Inglewood, California.
The judges scored the bout 98-92, 98-92, 97-93. The scorecards reflected the action, as the former world champion and knockout artist showed he can outclass opponents with a great jab and expert timing.
This was Kovalev’s first fight since suffering a brutal knockout at the hands of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in November 2019. He lost his WBO world light-heavyweight title in that fight, and rather than try to make another go of it in the division with an increasingly difficult weight cut, the 39-year-old decided a move up to cruiserweight might offer him a better shot at a late-career revival.
That appears to have been a sound decision. Kovalev weighed in at 196.5 pounds for his tilt against Pulev, comfortably within the division’s 200-pound limit. He carried the weight well, wasting little time in establishing the tempo of the bout. His attacks were disciplined, and he did a fine job of mixing up punches to the head and body.
Pulev, 39, struggled to keep up with Kovalev’s pace throughout the contest. When he did put together a couple of punches, Kovalev usually got the better of him anyway, sneaking in a trailing jab behind his right-handed shots. The Russian’s constant jab also served as a set-up punch and helped him maintain a comfortable distance.
Other than age and rust, the big concern for Kovalev coming into the bout was whether his chin would hold up against a bigger fighter. Kovalev was 4-4 in his last eight bouts coming into Saturday, with three of those losses coming by stoppage.
If “Krusher” is more susceptible to a KO at this weight, it will be up to another fighter to prove it. Aside from a couple of well-timed hooks scattered across the bout and a decent stretch in the 8th round, Pulev didn’t do much to rattle Kovalev.
Pulev’s inability to throw Kovalev off his gameplan shows that he might be stuck a rung below the titleholders and contenders in his division. While the Bulgarian was undefeated coming into this match, none of his previous opponent’s had a track record anywhere near that of Kovalev. The skill gap was readily apparent.
As for Kovalev, his performance and reputation might get him a shot at a world-title fairly soon. Thanks to his multiple world championships at light heavyweight and long history of highlight-reel knockouts, Kovalev is already the biggest name in the division. If he fights like he did against Pulev, he should make plenty of noise in the division.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
