Sergey Kovalev thinks Canelo Alvarez is a better fighter than Andre Ward. The former light heavyweight champ shared his view after facing both men in the ring.
Kovalev, known as "Krusher" for his aggressive style and powerful punches, held multiple world titles at light heavyweight. He fought Ward twice, losing a close decision in 2016 and then getting stopped in the rematch in 2017. In November 2019, Kovalev lost his WBO light heavyweight belt to Canelo when the Mexican star knocked him out in the 11th round.
In a recent chat with FightHubTV, Kovalev said Canelo is "100%" better than Ward. He explained:
"Because Ward was maybe better at super middle, but not light heavy. Canelo fights everybody, he has stamina, good legs, he has speed, IQ, everything."
The Russian boxer also said he respects Canelo's approach to the sport:
"Yes, because his mentality is closer to my mentality. He follows his dreams and takes the risk."
Canelo has proven himself as a four-division champion, with recent wins over Edgar Belanga, Jamie Munguia, and Callum Smith. There's talk of potential fights with Terence Crawford or David Benavidez in his future.
Ward, on the other hand, retired after beating Kovalev for the second time. Kovalev believes Ward was stronger at super middleweight than at light heavyweight.
As for Kovalev himself, he's still active in the ring. He returned to action in May 2023, moving up to cruiserweight, but lost a unanimous decision to Robin Sirwan Safar.
While Kovalev's career might be winding down, his experiences with both Canelo and Ward give his opinion some real weight. It's clear he sees something special in Canelo's all-around abilities and mentality.
