LAS VEGAS – Sergey Kovalev is blunt and effective.
Mostly, he’s predictable.
If you want subtlety, pick another Russian game. Chess, maybe. It’s full of a lot of pawns, which is what every light-heavyweight has become when faced with Kovalev.
Nadjib Mohammedi was just the latest on a board that Kovalev continues to rule with impunity. Andre Ward looks like a challenger. Maybe, Adonis Stevenson. But those are only fights to imagine, talk about. For now, it’s Kovalev’s empire.
“I wanted to make him look like a clown,’’ Kovalev (28-0-1, 25 KOs) said. “I wanted to make him look like a fool.’’
At 2:38 of the third round Saturday night, that’s exactly what Mohammedi (37-4, 23 KOs) looked like. He was down, finished by a right-left combination that left the Frenchman with a damaged left eye.
“I wanted it to continue,’’ said Kovalev, who also put Mohammedi on all fours with a crushing right hand that is as long as it is lethal. “I wanted more rounds.’’
Kovalev didn’t say so. But he might have wanted more time to drive home a point to his ex-trainer, Abel Sanchez, who was in Mohammedi’s corner.
Sanchez and Kovalev split in 2010 for reasons that remain unclear. What is clear, however, is that Kovalev has not been happy with the circumstances. The Russian never forgets. But he did serve up some cold vengeance in taking down Mohammedi.
Sanchez, Gennady Golovkin’s trainer, tried to explain the one-sided loss.
“It was Mandalay Bay, the bright lights, the pressure,’’ Sanchez said in the middle of the ring during the bout’s immediate aftermath.
Noticed, he never mentioned Kovalev.
The bout, which took place in front of lot of empty seats at Mandalay Bay, will quickly be forgotten. Kovalev will move on, presumably to a show dwon with Ward sometime next year. His immediate plans are for a bout in Moscow on Nov. 28. His promoter, Kathy Duiva of Main Events, said she will offer the bout to Artur Beterbiev, another Russian. Trouble is, Beterbiev is advised by Al Haymon, a Duva rival.
Next pawn, please.
Maybe, Jean Pascal.
Pascal (30-3-1, 17 KOs) ducked repeated sledge-hammer rights and, in the end, ducked an upset in winning a narrow decision that had many in the crowd crying foul and Yunieski Gonzalez (24-3-2, 10 KOs) crying tears. It was unanimous, but only the scorecards..
ON THE UNDERCARD
The Best: Joel Diaz, a junior-welterweight from trainer Abel Sanchez’ Summit Gym in Big Bear, Calif., flashed a prospect’s credentials with double-edged power.
Diaz (19-0, 15 KOs, scored two knockdowns of Alejandro Rodriguez (24-18-1, 14 KOs, in the second round, the first with a right and the second with a left. He finished Rodriguez, of Guadalajara, with a beautiful right hand for a TKO at 39 seconds of the fourth.
The Rest: Unbeaten light-heavyweight Sullivan Barrera (16-0, 11 KOs) of Miami was bleeding, looked tired and appeared to be near defeat when he railed, fighting with urgency in the seventh and energy in the eighth for a TKO of France’s Hakim Zoulikha 21-8, 10 KOs), who was one the canvas early in the eighth and finished when he absorbed a succession of blows at 1:34 of the round.
The show opened with a KO, delivered by Connecticut heavyweight Cassius Chaney (3-0, 2 KOs), who knocked Eduardo Ramirez (1-3, 1 KO) of Yuma, Ariz., unconscious and onto the canvas with a left hand at 1:35 of the first round.
Rodney Hernandez (8-2-1, 1 KO), heavyweight from Modesto, Calif, got a six-round, split decision over Brice Ritani-Coe (4-4-1, 3 KOs). Ritani-Coe, of San Pedro, Calif., shook his head in disagreement. But it was hard to know if anybody agreed with him. The arena was empty when the scores were announced.
