A discussion opened up in the immediate aftermath of Canelo’s amazing knockout of Sergey Kovalev which saw the Mexican star become a four-weight ruler.
The talk was aimed at the possibility Kovalev may have taken a dive, an astounding accusation and demonization of the Russian’s character.
Even more shocking was that some high-profile boxing personnel and famous fans were involved in the debate.
One of the first to comment just minutes after Canelo stopped Kovalev in the eleventh round was rapper and movie star LL Cool J.
Pulling no punches, LL Cool J simply asked: “Was that a fix?”
Answering back was former world champion, Showtime commentator and Canelo compatriot Raul Marquez, who replied: “That’s (the) first thing I thought. You know boxing.”
Several others gave their views, including another ex-world title holder in Cornelius Bundrage. K9 stated: “It did look strange I was tweeting because the fight looked dull than all of a sudden Kov was (in) La La Land.”
Canelo vs Kovalev
Veteran pro, Ashley Theophane added: “They couldn’t afford it going to the cards. Canelo was losing that one.”
When one fan told LL Cool J ‘he’d been in Hollywood too long, he fired back: “Yeah I forgot. They only fix matches in the movies… ha ha.”
“Not sure but it seems like a (money bag emoji) grab.”
Further responses to Canelo’s win on social media posed more questions than answers.
They included:
“This fight was a fix!! I’ve seen Kovalev get hit with harder punches and managed to avoid being knocked out! Probably a nice paycheque for his last fight!”
“The fix was in the whole time. OBS! Canelo barely touched Kovalev and he crumpled like a paper bag. No count.”
“Kovalev could’ve hurt Canelo if he wanted to try maybe not win but def our up a real fight. That was an obvious fix.”
However, others chose to rule out conspiracy theories. For example:
“If you think that was a fix, prime Kovalev is too embedded in your brain. This is what happens to fighters clearly at the end. Kovalev was fighting not to get hurt but couldn’t stay away.”
“Kovalev always fades late, is known to be a heavy drinker. Kovalev was ahead, but Canelo’s pressure caught up with him, as did the drinking. A shot fighter at this stage. Team Canelo caught him at the right time. No fix.”
“I don’t understand why ppl think it was fixed? Have they not seen Kovalev fight the past 3 years? He gasses after 6 and has trouble taking a punch. How did they think this would go? I don’t get it.”
NUMBER ONE
Canelo’s victory put the 29 year-old back on top of the WBN Pound for Pound Top 50 after a mere few weeks of being toppled by Vasyl Lomachenko.
Constantly adding new feat and belts has been a mainstay for both fighters, who are certainly the top two in the sport right now.
For Kovalev, ending his career with a bad knockout against a fighter moving up two divisions will certainly not be the way he wants to go out.
Furthermore, a potential attempt to become a two-weight champion in a weak cruiserweight class could be worth a shot for ‘Krusher’.
