All the reports have been out, but Canelo Alvarez (52-1-2, 35 KOs) and Sergey Kovalev (34-3-1, 29 KOs) held an opening press conference yesterday to officially announce their November 2nd world title fight. On that day Canelo will move all the way up to the light heavyweight division to challenge Kovalev for his WBO title.
The full video with all the suits speaking can be seen above, but for the sake of the readers let’s just skip to what the fighters had to say.
When Kovalev took to the podium he offered these thoughts:
“Hi everybody. I very happy and glad to be here, back to Los Angeles. And thanks to God and thanks to Canelo personally, and his team to make this opportunity, to get this fight. I’m really thinks that this is a very big test for me in my boxing career because this is one of the best fighters in the world, in boxing right now. And I’m happy and I’m — sorry for my English — but I am excited. Really...God bless you, everyone.”
Canelo then took to the podium to express his gratitude to the fans:
“Thanks to everyone for being here, I’m grateful for all the fans, as always. I’m very motivated here, it’s an honor to me to share a ring with a fighter like Kovalev, whom I met in 2012. He used to be a four, six-round fighter and now we’re about to share the ring and make history here. I know it’s going to be the most difficult fight of my professional career. I’m aware it’s going to be a very difficult fight and that day I’m going to put all my strength and effort and give the best I have in the ring, and that day we can yell ‘Viva Mexico!’”