Cedric Agnew is without question the underdog in the eyes of boxing fans, media, and anyone else with an opinion on his Saturday night HBO Boxing After Dark main event against Sergey Kovalev, but the relatively unknown, 27-year-old Houston fighter doesn't feel like he's being given a fair shake.
"I don't see myself as an underdog. He's undefeated but so am I. I'm coming to this fight like I do each and every fight - looking to beat the man. ... I've fought guys with all kinds of power since the amateurs. It doesn't bother me at all if you're strong. ... I'm going to win by using my brain and outthinking him. The smarter fighter wins every time. I always find a way to win a fight."
Agnew (26-0, 13 KO) is indeed undefeated, but his best win is probably against Yusaf Mack in his last fight, which came in April 2013, and while Kovalev (23-0-1, 21 KO) may himself have a bit of a thin record, he's beaten guys considered top 10 (or at least fringe contenders) like Cornelius White and Nathan Cleverly.
White, another Houston fighter, tells the Chronicle that Kovalev's power is "remarkable." Kovalev stopped White in three rounds back in June 2013.