Sergey Kovalev likely to return Nov. 25 on HBO

Sergey Kovalev, who is coming off of back-to-back losses to Andre Ward, is set to return this fall on HBO, according to Dan Rafael of ESPN.com, who reports that a November 25 date at The Theater at Madison Square Garden is likely.

Kovalev (30-2-1, 26 KO) doesn’t have an opponent as of now, but there are some intriguing potential options out there. One name we’ll likely hear, at least from fans hoping for a good fight, is Sullivan Barrera (20-1, 14 KO), a contender whose only loss is also to Andre Ward.

Barrera has won three straight, and impressively so, since dropping a decision to Ward in 2016. He knocked off hyped prospect Vyacheslav Shabranskyy late last year, followed that up with a win over Paul Parker, and most recently dominated Joe Smith Jr on HBO.

The 35-year-old Cuban would surely still be the underdog against Kovalev, 34, but it would be a legitimate return to action instead of just a “get-well” fight, which nobody wants to see headlining an HBO card.

Who do you want to see Kovalev face in this next outing?