Stevenson v Fonfara (spoilers innit)

Anybody know anything about Fonfara?

He stopped Nurse Tom Karpency, so Adonis could be in serious trouble.

On the face of things has a decent record beating a few gatekeepers in the division but nothing that really stands out, looks like he might be a decent puncher though.

Will admit not seen him fight so can't really give a better assessment.

The worst head movement I have ever seen. Record is nothing special, beat a couple of old names and has been TKOd by someone who went on to amass a 35 fight career with 13 KO's (which doesnt bode well when you're going in with a colossal puncher).

Early stoppage for Adonis, based on a few youtube clips and boxrec.

The universal law of 606 statehood that if you haven't heard of him, he's a bum. If he then wins, the defeated champion was a bum. The challenger of course, remains a bum.

That said, hadn't heard of this bloke until three odd months ago. Southpaw? Marauding knock out artist? does he have a tattoo? Vegan?

Here he is fighting glen johnstone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4aOed--JnQ&app=desktop

And mitchell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O_lbphGNyw&app=desktop

He looks like spud off trainspotting, skinny neck and chin.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V4EeaC3fMGke

I've visited boxrec, so now declare myself an aficionado on fonfara. On the plus side, he was only 20 when ko'd so will cut him some flack for that. In addition to beating Johnson he beat Campillo. Everyone raved over Campillo after he gave cloud a tough fight... And he was used as a yardstick to how great kovalev was. Given what Bhop and stevenson did to cloud, maybe that's now in context. He stopped nurse karpency, which the beast, cleverly, was unable to do.

He's clearly fairly heavy handed. On the downside he was behind on points against most of the half decent guys he stopped.

Stevenson pretty easily, I'd have thought.

What has my life come to, when I spend my Saturday evening looking at the record of a guy I've never heard of, and writing a post about him with respect to a fight I don't care about and won't be watching.

You should take up an opiate.

Ring magazine have him at 10, so he can't be too bad. But they don't even have an image of him, and hes only been there for a week, which suggest GBP realised they needed to make this sound at least threatening

John Bloody Wayne wrote:You should take up an opiate.

Got any spare?

Get your own.

Anyone watching? Charlo shockingly down early but really boxing smart now.

The Charlo brothers have essentially the same name. Odd.

Yeah I found the Lemieux fight a bit more engaging. He's not got great stamina, he's limited but I don't care, he's fun.

To come back after taking so much punishment and actually take a round or two...herculean effort from the Pole.

Wow, this could be a HUGE comeback on the horizon

C'mon ref, don't let excessive holding ruin another fight!

Stevenson has showed grit tonight.

Although I believe Kovalev would end him.

Respect to Fonfara. I, for one, massively underestimated him. Adonis Stevenson probably did too, mind!

Wonder who's the first to say Adonis is a hype job, rather give give credit to Fonfara, having not seen the fight.

As an aficionado on fonfara   What a tough guy surviving those body shots and he came to win. At least he did for the first 10 rounds before my sky plus cut out again.

Stevenson looked a little slower than usual to me tonight... Anyone else think so? Age? Taking his opponent lightly? Milky talking ballcocks as usual?

3fingers wrote:Wonder who's the first to say Adonis is a hype job, rather give give credit to Fonfara, having not seen the fight.

Yup, I was thinking the same thing.

JBW pulls another all nighter, huge respect. It would have taken Stevenson to be in with kovalev for me to entertain the idea.

Stevenson looks a bit one dimensional. Can see why Hopkins wants to fight him. Hopkins would never get hit by those big single shots, even at his age. Think Kovalev does a job on him in quick time too.

Last night was the first time, I could see hoppo having much of a chance against stevenson. He's fairly one dimensional but its a pretty useful dimension and as we saw last night he can mix it to head and body, but isn't too difficult to hit himself. I think crusher would start favourite, but not a strong one in my book. I think stevenson's head and body attack would cause some serious problems to kovalev if he doesn't get him out early.

When live footage of a pimp and pole beating the hell out of each other is streamed live to my cave, the least I can do is delay the feeding ritual till it's over.

I too thought he looked just a bit predictable and not lightning fast, although I get the feeling he prefers opponents to stand off and box rather than come at him. Hopkin's final exhibition I reckon

I still think Hopkins beats them both, just a gut feeling telling me he does a number on the pair especially Kovalev who looks a tad too slow to trouble him.

See I was thinking it would be Kovalev's more constant and accurate power that would trouble him more. Stevenson doesn't look any quicker to me. I hope we find out for sure. Would be incredible if Hopkins actually did beat both.

I might be stereotyping Kovalev but he just looks slow and a bit stand up whereas Stevenson is far quicker and a more dynamic.

Kovalev was puffing a bit the night he beat up Cleverly. I don't think he can sustain that all out attack for more than a few rounds. Surviving his early onslaught is the problem though.

I haven't picked up on any stamina shortcomings with Kovalev but then again haven't seen too much of him as yet. The difference for me is Stevenson not robust enough to take Kovalev's best, whereas I think Kovalev could take Stevenson's best. If Kovalev gets Stevenson hurt he'll despatch him in fairly emphatic fashion I would have thought. But I think it's more likely to be Hopkins facing the Russian. I don't think Bernard is distancing himself from a fight with Kovalev, now that Oscar and Bob are talking, I think something can be worked out.

I still think Stevenson and Kovalev will be too powerful for the aged Hopkins, either of them probably stops him late or beat him by a wide decision. Lets be honest its a long time since Hopkins has fought anyone even near as good as them and seeing how Dawson handled him gives me little hope that he beats the top men in the division anymore.

Herman Jaggery wrote:I haven't picked up on any stamina shortcomings with Kovalev but then again haven't seen too much of him as yet. The difference for me is Stevenson not robust enough to take Kovalev's best, whereas I think Kovalev  could take Stevenson's best. If Kovalev gets Stevenson hurt he'll despatch him in fairly emphatic fashion I would have thought. But I think it's more likely to be Hopkins facing the Russian. I don't think Bernard is distancing himself from a fight with Kovalev, now that Oscar and Bob are talking, I think something can be worked out.

See your point hermy. Always a bit sceptical about sparring stories, but kovalev has admitted to being dropped with a body shot by ggg. We've (I've) never seen him under fire from a banger. So I'd say the jury is out on how well he handles stevenson's fire power.

I'm with Hogey though, I never write the old dog off but stevenson and kovalev are a step up from the guys Hoppo's been toying with of late

The way to beat old man Hopkins is to pressure him for 12 rounds like Dawson and Calzaghe did. I could see Kovalev doing this, but not Stevens. Stevens would be fighting in spurts and loading up on his shots too much - bread and butter for old Bernie.

A good, enjoyable fight this one. Kudos to Fonfara for making a much better go at it than I thought he would.

Stevenson, as far as top-level fighters go, is very, very one-handed; but what a hand it is. His attack was a bit repetitive (letting that one-two go whenever Fonfara waded in close enough) but until about the 9th round when the power seemed to have sapped from his shots, that left looked as if it could put Fonfara in a world of trouble whenever it landed, be it to head or body.

Credit again to Fonfara for sucking it up, because aside from the two knockdowns he was also in serious, serious bother in the sixth. Stevenson's chin isn't glass but there were encouraging signs for some of the would-be contenders in the division as I thought that, even outside of the knockdown he suffered, there were times when Fonfara's left hand over the top of his jab seemed to stiffen him a little. Stevenson's right is pretty open and exposed when he leads off.

Stevenson-Kovalev is the fight at 175. I'm miffed that we're probably not going to see it.

Bellew had quite an interesting take on who'd win it and how. He said he hoped he was wrong, as he finds everything about Stevenson and the way he carries himself abhorrent whereas Kovalev, who he's met a couple of times, is apparently a gem of a bloke and good company - but that Stevenson's lack of belief in his chin will oddly enough work in his favour and allow him to win the fight.

He reasoned that Stevenson is happy to let the other guy get on the front foot and come to him (as he did for the first three quarters of the fight against Fonfara) because he's boxing with fear due to the fact he knows he can be stopped, as it's happened before. He can afford to be cagey and on the back foot because, invariably, it only takes one of his big counter shots to turn a fight well in his favour. Bellew went on to say that, in this case, Kovalev being more confident and being more willing to open up with big combinations is what'll cost him - he doesn't realise yet that he can be taken out and so, after dominating early, Bellew reckoned that this would cause him to be walked on to something big, which he won't recover from.

Interesting take, that in this case it's more about the mind sets of the pair. Anyway, I hope Bellew is wrong as well!

Interesting thoughts Chris - I tend to side with Stevenson, myself - but not for the reasons Bellew states.

Kovalev and Hopkins fight differently to Fonfara. And I'm not sure a 50-year old Popkins rides out the thrashing Fonfara received in the first four-six rounds, I don't think Kovalev has the self-preservation to ride out that sort lf fight