"Bivol cannot be defeated now, any opponent will be broken"
Former WBA, WBO and IBF light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev will retire very soon. The 42-year-old athlete will have his final fight on April 18 at the tournament. IBA.PRO 2 in Chelyabinsk. Kovalev's opponent will be 34-year-old Arthur Mann from Germany (22 wins, four losses). Kovalev prepared for the fight in Tashkent, where he gave an interview to Izvestia and Sport-Express before flying to Chelyabinsk.
The farewell battle
— How long has it been decided that this fight will be a farewell?
— The fact is that now there are no offers as such, because there is no title. And waiting two years for some kind of challenge, an offer to box is not an option. And he's already 42 years old, so I decided it was time to quit. Along the way, there won't be any such big fights anymore. And to make a farewell fight like this now, to tell everyone arividerci.
— You said that boxing helps you stay afloat. So you've already come out of the pit?
— Yes, boxing has fed me and is feeding me. But now I understand that I can live without boxing. Because there are certain investments, investments that work, that provide for me.
— Your most successful investment and the most unsuccessful?
— Successfully, unsuccessfully... The most successful investment is real estate. And to trust someone, to go with someone as a companion, an accomplice — it's all cotton wool. The babblers.
— How long has it been since you've been to America?
— Six months, probably.
— Are you planning to return there?
— Anyway, I plan to fly after the fight. Because there are certain things there.
— But the children are always with you, as I understand it, wherever you are.
— We live here now (in Tashkent. — Izvestia). I'm afraid of winter because there are certain health problems, certain chronic diseases that I'm not used to. For 15 years in America, I have not lived in the winter states, I have lived in the southern states — in California, in Florida. I was in Moscow at the end of the summer, and it's freezing... How's the frost? It was very cold for me. It reached 12 degrees. Literally two or three days, and I experienced certain problems. I realized that winter is not my thing. So far, I've been in Russia on the fly. As we adapt, we'll find out where we can park there.
View of Tashkent
— In general, it is more likely that you will spend your old age where it is warm.
— Yes, but there are warm places in Russia too.
— Sochi?
— It's just that Sochi is kind of, I don't know, a little bit there now... If I lived alone, I would certainly live in Russia. But I have a lot to do with my children and my family. Education and all those other things. Hockey, football. We thought that my son would play hockey, but he started playing football. And since childhood, he liked football, and I dragged him to hockey. There are many factors... We live where it's probably convenient. Now it is convenient for me [in Uzbekistan] for my profession, for boxing. Because boxing is at a very high level here. The Uzbeks have a very strong national team, they have someone to pair up with, and there are a lot of left-handers. That is, there is no such problem that a lefty is needed, but he is not. There is an assortment of boxers of different styles.
— Are you flying to America after the fight in Chelyabinsk because you have a green card and you have to stay in the United States for six months?
— It's not even because of the green card anymore, never mind this green card. We need to decide on housing there, there are some points that I can't ignore, so I definitely need to fly there and check them. And we will definitely return [to Uzbekistan]. We'll be back in the summer.
— You said that your car was stolen. But you even had two cars stolen in a short period of time.
— Well, yes.
"How so?"
— I don't know. That's how their street system works. It so happened that near the house... Our neighborhood is kind of quiet and peaceful, but if, say, you miss it, the car can leave.
— And how can you bury it?
— He didn't drive into the garage or left the door open. It turned out that I probably left the car open. And with the second car, as it were... You think, "Well, it couldn't be worse. The black streak is over.".. The second car was found, but it's still at the police station. I need to go there to pick her up, because the responsibility is on me. But I don't need it anymore — I've done 10,000 miles on it. The car has been around for six months. According to the insurance contract, 90 days are given for the search. And it was on the 90th day that they found her. And they call me, they say: "We found your car. Come and get it." I say, "I don't need her anymore." They say, "It's your responsibility, your car." I'm still paying for it, anyway. I'll have to come and pick it up and sell it, probably. The issue with her should be closed.
— Was this the only time in America when something was stolen from you?
- yes. And, God willing, the last one. And then I woke up, as they say. Underestimated it. I was wondering where a car could be stolen if they had police control everywhere. I underestimated, in short, the criminal moment — that they could hijack, dump somewhere, disassemble for spare parts. And now, as they say, I walk.
— In Russia, drivers are often rude to each other. And in America?
— Don't be rude. There are also many people driving around with guns. Therefore, it is better not to be rude. It's the opposite: "Be kind." There's no one cutting each other off, not even honking. There's no driving culture at all, to be honest. If, say, you're driving in the left lane, blinking at someone, they don't even realize that you're blinking at them. There's nothing there for him to step back, let you pass, and you drive on. That is, you drive there like this, in short. And if a policeman sees that you are starting chess like this, he will stop you and fine you for it.
"I believed in my jab when I broke Agnew's rib"
— About your legendary jab. How did you develop it?
— It was at the training camp in Kislovodsk — I had just joined the adult Russian national team. It was the early 2000s. Then Gaidarbek Gaidarbekov was the first number of the national team in 75 kg, and I was paired with him. I was still boxing at 75 in those years. And he punched — he showed me with his right hand and stuck it in me with his left. I actually fell for that right one! It hurt so much! It hit my nose cleanly, and I started crying. And I was like, "Whoa..." I remember that punch—how he delivered it to me.
— Did you take an example from someone else?
—Not really... It's probably due to the coaching that I keep hitting left-left-left, bay-bay-bay. This is the merit of my coaches — Sergey Vladimirovich Novikov, my first coach, Vladimir Viktorovich Roschenko. When I was already working with Buddy McGirt, he also constantly told me to work with my left hand. It happened that the hand dried up. It was losing its power. I couldn't even steer. The hand was falling. And while I was driving home, I was steering with my right hand. By the time I got home, my left arm was resting a little and gaining strength back. It's come to this.
I ended the fight with Cedric Agnew with a jab to the body, breaking his rib. It was nonsense to me at the time. I thought, "Holy shit!" At that time, I believed in my jab, which could break a rib. He's bam! Then we found out that I had broken his rib. The manager told me about it: "He's currently with the doctors, they want to take him to the hospital." I was so surprised: "No way?! Are you kidding?" —No, I'm serious." There was that jab with the Yard. He's not tough from the outside, but I actually had a lot of desire! And it turned out to be the finish.
— What is your trick when throwing a jab?
— It all depends on the correctness of the execution. It is necessary to put all the weight into this blow. Not just throwing your arm out, but pushing with your feet. A wavy flow of energy from the feet. You push off your feet and insert it [the jab] simply. There's a fight ahead, let's see how much he's still working.
These long pauses have a very negative effect on my results. Before Pulev, I had a big break, after Pulev I had two years of rest. And now it's been a year off. It's hard to keep fit when you don't have the motivation. Another thing is when the fight is scheduled.
— Are you motivated to leave beautifully now?
— There is a lot of motivation now. How beautiful is it? Win the fight. If it's a beautiful victory, then it's even better. The motivation is not to win beautifully, but to win in general. But when I win, I always win beautifully. So it turns out! (laughs)
"Bivol has an incredible motivation right now"
— The WBC light heavyweight title was given to David Benavidez. What impression does he make on you?
— Well, it's enough to have a strong fighter who is also capable, with character, strong, enduring, tough.
— Will it be difficult for Dmitry Bivol to beat Benavidez if their fight takes place?
— I don't think Dima can win at all right now, because he's on such an emotional high... It seems to me that any opponent will be broken by Dima now. Dima caught the courage. He caught the courage after Canelo, and now he has won the title of absolute world champion. Now, it seems to me, he just has an incredible motivation. I think it's very hard to beat him.
Dmitry Bivol at the professional boxing evening in Riyadh, February 2025
— So Artur Beterbiev will also be broken? Because everything is heading towards their third fight.
— Now even Artur Beterbiev will have a hard time defeating him, because Dima is on guard. I think Dima didn't lose their first fight. There might even be a draw there. The third battle... I don't know, it makes sense, no... Who will finance it — this fight? Turki Al-Sheikh, if he takes it, then yes.
— They say that this fight will be in October. Maybe in Russia.
— This is a very interesting fight for Russia. Come and watch it live.
Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev's title fight at the professional boxing evening in Riyadh, February 2025
— And if there was a fight between Canelo and Beterbiev, who would you bet on?
— On Beterbiev. I didn't see anything serious or strong in the fight with Canelo, I didn't see any such problems at all. It's just that I boxed with him in such a state... Well, they drove me into such a framework. At that moment, I really had problems with weight training. I've been in agony all year 2018. And 2019 was a hell of a year for me. Although I regained the title at the beginning of 2019, it was just hard for me to do 12 kg. And after the Yard, such a hard fight, they didn't let me rest at all. Like, either you box, or we go to another one. Of course, there were finances. On the other hand, I've never given up on challenges that someone has thrown at me. Because if you refuse, then everyone will criticize you for being blown away by boxing. If I refuse challenges, then why box? We tried to postpone the fight for a month later. But they also understood that if I rested, it would be more difficult for them. In short, I agreed to what I agreed to, and it turned out what it turned out to be.
— In an interview with foreign media, you jokingly said that you would be ready to return if you were given a fight against Beterbiev or Bivol — for good money.
— Well, first of all, it depends on what weight, what conditions. For now, let's probably finish at the last fight [with Artur Mann], let's not overstep this fight. There will be suggestions, there will be thoughts, but now I don't want to be distracted by anything. And, to be honest, I'm tired of boxing, these are the breaks. I'm training now, and I understand that this is the last fight, which is good. If there is a desire, we will box, if not, then I think it's probably enough. As of today, I understand that this is the last fight, that's enough for me.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
