Former Trainer Reveals Why Canelo Alvarez Will Beat Sergey Kovalev

Kovalev’s former trainer unveiled reasons why Canelo Alvarez will win.

In Nov. 2, Mexican boxing superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is set to make history when he faces off against Sergey Kovalev from Russia. And while many believe that Canelo is the underdog because of Kovalev’s size advantage, his former trainer John David Jackson begged to disagree.

In a recent interview with Boxing Scene, Jackson stated what he believes is the reason why Canelo’s team handpicked Kovalev. As per Jackson, Kovalev is the “weakest” fighter in his division and Canelo has plans to exploit it.

“They saw his (Kovalev) last fights. They picked Kovalev 'cause he’s the weakest out of all of them in the light heavyweight division,” Jackson said.

Aside from regarding Kovalev as the weakest fighter in light heavyweight, Jackson also noted that his former pupil’s lifestyle outside the ring will likely be the cause of his defeat.

“What’s going on with him outside of boxing whether it’s the drinking or sentimental things it's put him at a disadvantage,” Jackson noted.

Jackson even recalled how tough it was to teach Kovalev. According to the veteran trainer, Kovalev wouldn’t listen to him when he tried to help the Russian boxer how to fight on the inside.

“He was stubborn also when I tried to teach him how to fight on the inside. Now he can’t deal with fighters when they go to the body,” Jackson recalled.

While Kovalev is still viewed as a dangerous fighter, Jackson predicts that Kovalev can only last 2 or 3 more years in boxing.

As for Canelo, Jackson thinks that the fight with Kovalev is very advantageous to the Mexican star. Based on his prediction, Canelo’s legacy will not be affected even if he loses.

“If Kovalev beats him, he can go back down and say he was too big,” Jackson pointed out.

Kovalev’s size is arguably his best asset towards the fight with Canelo. In fact, Canelo’s long-time promoter Oscar De La Hoya believes that size difference could be the main reason why his fighter will lose.

In a recent interview with DAZN, De La Hoya even sounded as if he was being a bit biased with Canelo. When De La Hoya tried to tease the fans about the fight, his way of describing Kovalev’s size advantages may have been a little sarcastic.

“Come Nov. 2, will we see history in the making, or will we see Kovalev walking through Canelo because of his height, his weight, and his power?," De La Hoya noted.