Kovalev made his mark in boxing by winning multiple world titles at 175 pounds. He held the IBF, WBA, and WBO belts and beat big names like Bernard Hopkins and Jean Pascal. He also fought in high-profile bouts against Canelo Alvarez and Andre Ward.
But when asked about his toughest fight, Kovalev didn't mention any of these stars. In a recent interview with Talksport, he said:
"Darnell Boone. I fought him in fight number 10 I believe. That fight was very tough for me, I had just come back from Russia and for a long time I hadn't fought. My manager gave me this opponent and he was like 17-15, I was very tired in this fight."
The fight happened in October 2010, and Kovalev won by split decision. But he barely remembers the later rounds:
"I don't remember the fight after round number five, the fight was eight rounds and for three rounds I fought without my memory. It was very tough and I was very tired. I won the fight but Darnell Boone didn't agree I won."
Kovalev and Boone fought again in June 2012, with Kovalev winning by knockout in the second round.
The Russian boxer's career includes 35 wins, 5 losses, and 1 draw. His last fight was in May 2024, where he lost to Robin Safar on points. Safar knocked Kovalev down in that bout, which took place on the undercard of Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk.
Kovalev plans to have one more fight before retiring. He'll face Artur Mann in a 10-round bout at the Yunost Arena in Chelyabinsk, his hometown.