Chelyabinsk, Russia – One of the most feared punchers of the modern era, Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, will enter the ring one final time this Friday, April 18, live from Chelyabinsk, with fans around the world able to watch for free via Boxing News on YouTube and Facebook.
The former unified light-heavyweight world champion will face Artur Mann, a German-based Kazakh, as part of the IBA Champions tournament, closing the curtain on a career that spanned 16 years and defined an era of elite 175lb boxing.
The fight will air globally via Boxing News, the world’s largest independent boxing media outlet, beginning at 5:30pm UK time. Russian viewers can tune in on Match! TV.
MAIN EVENT RING WALK TIMES:
1:30AM (Chelyabinsk)
9:30PM (UK)
4:30PM (ET)
1:30PM (PT)Kovalev, now 42, leaves behind a legacy punctuated by high-voltage knockouts and unforgettable nights. From his 2009 debut to his emphatic destruction of Nathan Cleverly in 2013 that made him WBO champion, Kovalev quickly built a reputation as one of the sport’s most dangerous men.
He went on to unify world titles and defeat legends like Bernard Hopkins, while earning notable wins against Jean Pascal and Eleider Alvarez. His two closely contested losses to Andre Ward in 2016 and 2017 marked the beginning of a decline, but his name remained a feared one in the division.
Kovalev’s final outing will take place in his home region of Chelyabinsk – a fitting stage for the conclusion of a 35-5-1 (29 KOs) career. It comes nearly a year after his last appearance, a 10-round points loss to Robin Sirwan Safar in Riyadh.
Sergey Kovalev said: “I am looking forward to having the final fight of my career here in my home of Chelyabinsk. People are excited because it has been a long time since I have been in the ring. Artur Mann is a strong opponent for me to face, so I am also excited to put on a show for those who have supported me in my career.”
“I have been fortunate to travel and make many fans from around the world, so for my supporters in the United States and United Kingdom, it pleases me that they will see my final fight for free on the Boxing News YouTube channel.”
Al Siesta, CEO of IBA Pro and Promoter of Friday’s fight night, said: “IBA Pro is proud and honoured to showcase the final fight of Sergey’s legendary career. Sergey is a fighter who has always brought tremendous value and excitement to fans across the globe, which is why it was so important for us at IBA Pro to make this show available for free internationally on the Boxing News YouTube channel – so fans from all over the world can tune in and witness Krusher’s final chapter!”
“It is our great pleasure to bring this fight to fans, for free, through our international broadcast partners Boxing News. We have a full night of action in Chelyabinsk, featuring several of the region’s top emerging talent and some potential stars of the future, so watch this space! IBA Pro is here to deliver compelling, competitive match-ups for fans… and you can see that, for free, on Friday night on the Boxing News YouTube channel.”
FIGHT CARD:
SERGEY KOVALEV (35-5-1) vs ARTUR MANN (22-4-0)
TIMUR BIBILOV (7-0-0) vs JOSHUA WASIKE (5-0-0)
AKHMADSHOKH MAKHMADSHOEVS (3-0-1) vs ARTEM PUGACH (3-7-4)
ALBINA MOLDAZHANOVA (debut) vs NURIYAT ALIBEKOVA (debut)
WATCH LIVE:
Global: Boxing News YouTube & Facebook (from 5:30pm UK time)
Russia: Match! TV
Main Event Ringwalk: 1:30AM (Chelyabinsk) / 9:30PM (UK) / 4:30PM (ET) / 1:30PM (PT)
