Is Kovalev The Best Light Heavyweight Since Roy Jones?

First topic message reminder :

Champions since Jones:

Johnson
Tarver
Dawson
Hopkins
Calzaghe
Pascal
Stevenson

I was a big JC fan, however I see his final light heavy days as little more than a couple of testimonial type payday fights. I think he thought Hopkins was old and Roy was shot, and whilst Hopkins made him work for the payday he hadn’t really bargained on that when he signed for the fight. As such, and despite what Hopkins has done since, I don’t really take JC’s his light heavy career seriously. If JC was now at the Hopkins stage of his career, but instead of a 40’s B-Hop waiting at light heavy there was Kovalev, would Joe have stepped up to take the challenge? I doubt it. No way either would have it easy but I suspect Joe would never have let us find out.

Since Roy, the talent has been reasonable but not spectacular, I think Kovalev takes the title as the best since. He’s done enough right now to outrank Stevenson, beaten Hopkins ( an old version but still a relevant win ) and Pascal, beat the man that beat Dawson, and I was never sold on Johnson or Tarver at the very top level. It’s not clear cut but right now I can’t make a case for anyone else.

hazharrison wrote:

TopHat24/7 wrote:

Rodney wrote:

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Calzaghe beat better fighters than this guy..

Plodder with a punch..

I hate nonsense like that comment Truss, a plodder with a punch wouldn't cream the top fighter in the division with relative ease. Seems if you don't do the shoulder roll, or throw razzle/dazzle combos you aren't classed as talented..

Cheers, Rodders

We all know it'd be different if Kov was north american, Rodders.  Truss is just stuck in the 60/70/80s and hates anything from 'the East', too much growing up in the US watching Rocky movies and eating up anything the Yank anti-communist PR machine fed him.

Whilst I don't think Kov is on the same level technically as GGG, to call him a 'plodder' is pathetic.  Surprised it wasn't preceeded by 'upright' or 'stand-up'.

Robotic at least?

I wouldn't call him robotic either, as to me that connotates stiff and repetitive, which he isn't. He's just not 'slick'. As someone else pointed out though, being able to do a shoulder roll and dance around a ring doesn't make you automatically a better boxer. Same as not doing either doesn't make you a pedestrian robot.

He wasn't suggesting he was robotic...he was adding it to your final sentence.

For someone who is always talking about reading comprehension...

Scottrf wrote:He wasn't suggesting he was robotic...he was adding it to your final sentence.

For someone who is always talking about reading comprehension...

Will wait for Haz to chip in then because it doesn't make sense if your interpretation is correct.