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| Photo by Scott Heavey |
Power is king and the Knockout reigns supreme as the most
definitive happening in all of sports. No touchdown, no home run, no hole in
one or buzzer beating basket can compare to the concussive annihilation of
one’s foe. As heavyweight great George Foreman articulated, “Boxing is the
sport to which all other sports aspire.” So one can understand how our collective
interests peak at the sight of a talent like Sergey Kovelev, even to the point
of hyperbole. He who possesses high light reel power tends to be referred to in
mythological terms. He and his abilities are exalted to ethereal status. Hence,
power is king, better yet in the sport of boxing power is god. This is the buzz
surrounding Sergey Kovelev and he’s smart enough to recognize it, which is why
one would have to commend his efforts to learn English. He understands that if
he can live up to the hype, he’s as good as gold and he’s going to want to
communicate with the English-speaking world where his pot of gold lies.
For the moment, Kovelev is all the rage, and the fury and
the glory. As Max Kellermen and his cohorts would have us believe, as they have
on so many occasions, with so many fighters that they’ve prematurely anointed
in a desperate attempt to erect a star for their network, this guy is the most dangerous man in boxing. I’ve heard that tune
and its remixes one too many times before, but, as the great George Gershwin
penned for the conniving character, Sportin’ Life in the classic Porgy &
Bess, “It Ain’t Necessarily So.” Indeed, Kovelev is a power puncher par excellence and purports himself with
an aura of unwavering assurance in his abilities. He makes for good bar stool
chatter and message board face offs, in addition to dutifully providing HBO
with reel worthy footage. Thus, the cock sure Kovelev has given them something
to believe in. Rumor has it that the
Superman, Adonis Stevenson may very well have found his Kryptonite and has
opted to stay far, far away. At least this is what Max Kellermen would lead us
to believe. And it looks as though Sergey has taken to his own hype, having
even called out Super Middleweight King Pin and most observers second Pound for
Pound boxer on the planet, Andre “S.O.G” Ward.
But, alas boxing always brings us back to the truth. No
matter the hype, no matter the anxious zeal of a network, no matter what a
fighter believes about himself, the truth will always find its way inside that
squared circle. Power is king, but this is still the Sweet Science, and if one
is going to be king he’d best acquire
and understand the full arsenal of his trade. Sergey Kovelev’s ambitions are
commendable, but he should be careful for what he wishes for.
© 2014
*Available at Boxing.com
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