Kovalev vs Shabranskyy: Previewing Sergey Kovalev’s world title fight with Vyacheslav Shabranskyy
Written by News on 26/11/2017
Sergey Kovalev faces Vyacheslav Shabranskyy for the vacant WBO world title in New York, live on Sky Sports, as the fearsome Russian looks to return to his destructive best.
Background
It has been a year to forget for Kovalev, having lost to Andre Ward twice, but now ‘Krusher’ has the chance to rebuild his standing and re-establish himself at the summit of the light-heavyweight ranks.
Ward ripped three world titles away from the Russian, but with the American now retired, Kovalev can pick up the WBO strap and fire out a message to his new rivals. The 34-year-old is on a mission to again unify the division, but will he be the same destructive powerhouse of old?
The 175lb landscape now has a fresh look to it and after fellow Russians Artur Beterbiev (IBF) and Dmitry Bivol (WBA) claimed world honours, Kovalev will want to give a reminder that he is still the number one. Shabranskyy will have other ideas and the Ukrainian, who only has one defeat on his 20-fight record, is determined to grasp his opportunity.
What the fighters say
What the experts say
What the rivals say
The weigh-in…
Sergey Kovalev: 12st 6lb
Vyacheslav Shabranskyy: 12st 7lb
The time draws near…
Watch Sergey Kovalev vs Vyacheslav Shabranskyy, from Madison Square Garden, New York, in the early hours of Sunday, November 26, live on Sky Sports.
(c) Sky News 2017: Kovalev vs Shabranskyy: Previewing Sergey Kovalev’s world title fight with Vyacheslav Shabranskyy
