Sergey Kovalev wants another crack at Canelo Alvarez – what’s more, he is apparently willing to forgo any compensation for the opportunity.
In a post published on his Instagram account, the former Russian light heavyweight champion called out current WBA/WBC/WBO 168-pound champion Alvarez to a rematch, going so far as to say he would fight “for free.” Kovalev also claimed he was not in optimum condition going into their fight.
Alvarez (51-1-2, 38 KOs) stopped Kovalev (34-4-1, 29 KOs) in the 11th round of their light heavyweight title match in November 2109 in what was Alvarez’s first foray into the weight class.
“Canelo! @canelo @goldenboy @klimasmanagement @main_events,” Kovalev wrote, while tagging his own handlers, Alvarez, and Alvarez’s former promoter. “First of all, I’ll be honest…let’s make a rematch if you are [a] real champ and want to [prove] that [you are the] best boxer in the world. Right now [you have] a lot of choices of boxers who wants to fight you because [there is] a lot of money.
“But I’m ready [to] fight you in our rematch just for free to [prove] that you got me when I was [not at] my best condition. It’s for [the] most motivation fight in my life and my boxing career. And I’m sure that I will get victory under you. Let’s make this fight if you are the real man to [make] this fight.
“P. S. I’m here! Just call me.”
Kovalev’s (generous) offer comes as negotiations between Alvarez and WBO 168-pound titleholder Caleb Plant have reportedly ground to a halt. There is now talk of Alvarez possibly facing WBA light heavyweight titleholder Dmitry Bivol.
Kovalev, 38, has not fought since his loss to Alvarez. He was originally scheduled to face super middleweight Bektemir Melikuziev on Jan. 30 but ended up testing positive for a banned substance, thus scuttling the fight. It was the latest in a string of mishaps for the Russian.
After a remarkable rise to the top of the light heavyweight division in the early-to-mid 2010s, Kovalev has seen his name pop up in headlines for all the wrong reasons in recent years, including sexual assault allegations, DUIs, and public disturbances.