Canelo vs Kovalev: Tale of the Tape

Canelo Alvarez is set to move up to light heavyweight tonight to take on Sergey Kovalev, as the Mexican star looks to win a world title in a fourth weight class.

Here’s the Tale of the Tape:

Alvarez is giving up some height and a little reach to Kovalev, but he’s also younger and Kovalev had a little trouble making weight on Friday. Things could get interesting in this matchup for a number of reasons.

Kovalev’s height and reach advantages, plus the fact that when he uses it he has a strong jab, could help him keep the smaller Canelo at distance, which is exactly what Alvarez and his team don’t want, as the common idea is that he’ll want and need to get inside and bang to the body. It’s thought that Kovalev is particularly vulnerable to the body, and to fatiguing late in fights as he’s in his mid-30s now. In that sense, Canelo will also probably want to push Kovalev to use up energy, which isn’t necessarily his normal style, as he tends to fight at a more methodical pace.

One way or another, this is looking like a very interesting fight on paper. Is Canelo trying to go too high in weight? Is Kovalev the right opponent at the right stage of his career?

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