Sergey Kovalev stops Cedric Agnew in seven, Dulorme decisions Mayfield

Sergey Kovalev stops Cedric Agnew in seven, Dulorme decisions Mayfield

In what might be constituted as the biggest mismatch in an HBO main event ever (in terms of betting odds), 60-to-1 favorite WBO light heavyweight titlist Sergey Kovalev continued to make a statement as he stopped the lightly regarded and largely unknown Cedric Agnew in seven mostly lopsided rounds in Atlantic City, NJ.

Agnew got credit in the early rounds for not crumbling at the first landed punches from Kovalev. Agnew boxed reasonably well in the early going, but Kovalev began to find his range for his power punches in the second, dropping Agnew at the end of the round.

Kovalev was extended past the sixth round for the first time since Main Events picked him up, and though he showed a porous defense at times, it mattered little against Agnew.

Kovalev wore down Agnew, dropping him again in the sixth before a jab to the body spelled the end in round seven. Agnew reportedly suffered broken ribs, only furthering the myth of Kovalev’s punching prowess.

In the co-feature, Thomas Dulorme handed Karim Mayfield his first defeat, winning a ten round unanimous decision in what was the Gatti-Ward of excessive clinching. Dulorme won on cards of 98-92, 97-94, and 96-93.

-Mark E. Ortega / @MarkEOrtega

-Managing editor at www.BehindTheGloves.com