BETHLEHEM, PA – Unbeaten Russian KO king Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, 20-0-1, 18 KOs, not only has his sights set on Cornelius “Da Beast” White, 21-1, 16 KOs, in their upcoming 12-round title elimination bout on June 14th, at the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, PA. The fast-rising light heavyweight contender is also aiming to keep his impressive knockout streak alive when he meets White in the nationally televised match.
The fight is part of a big boxing triple header to be televised live by NBC Sports Network on the next edition of Fight Night. Also on the bill is a 10-round heavyweight bout between Bryant Jennings, 16-0, 8 KOs, and Andrey Fedosov, 24-2, 19 KOs, and a 10-round welterweight battle between Ronald Cruz, 17-1, 12 KOs, and Ray Narh, 25-2, 21 KOs. The broadcast begins at 8PM ET. Â
Kovalev has made quite a name for himself over the past year with a collection of showy KOs that have not only disposed of top-shelf opponents and attracted many fans, Krusher’s big knockouts have also pushed him up the 175-pound rankings at a speedy pace. One more win on June 14th, and Kovalev will be so close to title shot that he’ll be able to taste it. And what better way to win the critical bout than with another knockout.
Undefeated, Kovalev has dispatched eight of his last nine opponents by KO.
In his last outing, Kovalev destroyed former world champion Gabriel Campillo in just three rounds on another Fight Night program. The skilled Campillo could not keep the raging Russian off him, suffering three knockdowns before the fight was stopped. Kovalev may have been favored to win the bout, but no one expected such a dominant performance.
Prior to that, Kovalev halted Buffalo’s Lionell Thompson in just three rounds on Fight Night last September. Sergey dropped Thompson twice in the second round and finished the job by sending Thompson on another trip to the canvas just 14 seconds into round three.
Although there were others who recently wilted under Kovalev’s artillery, it is these two fights that carved Sergey’s reputation as a dangerous puncher and a true title threat. But like any fighter in the spotlight, you’re only as good as your last fight. So the pressure is on Kovalev to put his heavy hands to use and continue to exceed expectations by sending opponents home early.
Sergey’s latest opportunity to make another statement comes on June 14th, and Cornelius White is the next man on the Kovalev hit list. After this 12-round elimination fight the winner becomes the No. 1 challenger for the IBF crown, currently held by Bernard Hopkins, of Philadelphia, PA. With so much at stake fans can be sure to expect an explosive battle.
