Robin Safar delivers the performance of his life, beating Sergey Kovalev

It looked easy. Too easy. Robin Safar knew what was being said prior to his 10-round cruiserweight fight against Sergey “The Krusher” Kovalev. The undefeated Swedish cruiserweight was supposed to be fodder for the returning 41-year-old former WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight titlist.

On Saturday in a 10-round fight on the Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk undercard from the Kingdom Arena, in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, Safar proved otherwise.

Safar (17-0, 12 knockouts) took a dominating, unanimous 10-round decision, knocking Kovalev down in the final round and possibly ending the future Hall of Famer’s career.

Judges Howard Foster (99-90) and Victor Loughlin (97-92) saw it comfortably for Safar, though English judge Lee Every somehow had it 95-94, meaning Safar needed the 10th-round knockdown to win on that scorecard.

“This means everything. I have been training my whole life for this,” Safar told The Ring from Saudia Arabia. “I feel like I could have done a lot better. I feel like this was my first time on a big stage like that and I didn’t use my jab as I usually do, but we got the win, and that is all that matters.

“The (knockdown) was totally instinct. I was working to the body a lot and wanted to work my way back up to the head. It’s just going to go up from here. I’m going to take a little break down right now, and come back.”

Kovalev (35-5-1, 29 KOs) was in the ring for the first time in just over two years and was making his second overall appearance in five years.

He looked every bit his age.

At the outset, Safar was the aggressor, coming at Kovalev. He did not show “The Krusher” much respect. Kovalev looked sluggish. With 1:15 left in the first round, Safar bounced a two-punch combination on Kovalev’s midsection. With 41 seconds left, Safar nailed Kovalev with a right to the body.

After one, it seemed apparent Safar was going to chop away at the inactive Kovalev’s body to see what was left.

Kovalev started the second better, poking out the jab. Still, Safar was the one coming forward. Safar ended the round with a couple of straight rights to the body.

But it seemed Kovalev was in a slower gear than he was in the past.

With 1:53 left in the third, Safar nailed Kovalev with a left hook to the chin, which The Krusher took well. With 33 seconds left, Safar gave Kovalev a jolt, forcing the former light heavyweight titlist with another shot that Kovalev was not able to see coming.

In the first half of the fourth, Safar kept plowing away at the body. With 1:12 left, Safar stunned Kovalev with a right in the face, which wobbled him. Kovalev’s left eye was beginning to swell, and with 18 seconds left in the round, Safar came back up top with a left hook to the chin.

After four, Safar appeared to be in control.

When Kovalev did land his signature right, it did nothing to Safar. He hit Safar with a right uppercut that had little on it with less than two minutes left in the fifth.

Safar, meanwhile, continued stalking, continuing to wear down Kovalev, who was more active than the previous four rounds and appeared to win the round.

With 1:47 left in the sixth, Safar nailed Kovalev with a left hook. He was backing up Kovalev and slamming his shoulders into the older fighter. With 44 seconds left in the sixth, Safar’s mouthpiece came out. When he put the shield back in, it was evident he was breathing as heavy as Kovalev was.

Safar went back to digging to the body with 1:51 remaining in the seventh. Safar had let up in the previous few rounds, and possibly fearing the fight was getting away from him, he kept coming to Kovalev. With 29 seconds left in the round, Safar bounced a big right off the side of Kovalev’s head.

After seven, this was not a showcase performance for Kovalev. He had looked every bit of his 41 years.

Safar was bruised under his eyes, though he showed no fear of the once-powerful former titlist. Kovalev’s reflexes were off. In the final 10 seconds, Safar closed the eighth with two rocking shots to Kovalev’s head.

With 1:25 left in the ninth, Safar dug a right to the body. Kovalev tried to hit with Safar with a left hook, which had no effect. Safar opened the pressure in the last minute, snapping back Kovalev’s head. Safar closed the round by bouncing a one-two through Kovalev’s high guard.

As the 10th was about the begin, it was easy to see it as the last round of Kovalev’s amazing career. With 2:06 remaining in the round, Safar hit Kovalev with a right, and he took what small offense Kovalev could muster. With 1:06 left, Safar turned Kovalev with a hammering right. It did prove Kovalev could take a punch.

With 8 seconds left, Safar dropped Kovalev with a blunt right, set up wonderfully with a left hook.

Safar returned to his corner to hugs from his team.

Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Magazine/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
Follow @JSantoliquito

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