Sergey Kovalev became the champion WBO

Russian Sergei Kovalev won the battle for the world champion according to the World Boxing Organization (WBO) in the weight category up to 79.38 kg. In a 12-raundal match in the capital of Wales Cardiff, he won an unexpectedly easy victory over the previous owner of his belt British Nathan Cleverli with a technical knockout in the 4th round.

From the first seconds, the enemy tried to take possession of the center of the ring, but Kovalev almost immediately forced Cleverly to go into defense and work as a second number, on counterattacks. Most of the first round was a tactical positional struggle, in which the Russian had an insignificant advantage.

About 50 seconds before the end of the third round, Cleverli was in Knockdown for the first time, and in 20 seconds in the second. After that, the Briton looked so helpless that the judge could already stop the duel, but he gave a chance to the owner of the ring and allowed him to hold out to Gong. Cleverly sank into the chair almost without strength.

Already at the beginning of the fourth round, the Briton, after the opponent’s attack, could not resist his feet again, and this time the judge decided to stop the duel. Thus, the Russian won a very convincing victory and now discovered his way to highly paid fights in the United States.

“Here no one believed that I would win the champion, while the rest of the world was already known about me,” ITAR -TASS Kovalev quotes. “I assumed that Cleverly would not be able to cope with my strong blow. It is also very important for me that the battle was shown in the USA on HBO.”

In the track record of Kovalev, who performs in the United States, there are now 22 victories (20 knockout), not a single defeat, one draw. Moreover, out of 20 early victories, he won in the first four rounds, including in the last five battles. And with a knockout he completed 10 out of 11 previous fights. Cleverly suffered the first defeat in his career at 26 victories (12 knockout). He owned the WBO title since 2011, having carried out four protection.

Kovalev became the fourth Russian Russian Russian Russian Russian champion in prestigious versions after Evgeny Gradovich (IBF, weight 57.15 kg), Khabiba Allahverdiev (“temporary” title according to WBA, weight 63.5 kg) and Alexander Povetkin (“regular” WBA title, heavy weight).