Kovalev Trainer JDJax Loves Kovalev Over Adonis and Ward

So, John David Jackson, coming off your career best win as a trainer, what do you think is the right direction for your Russian puncher-boxer, Sergey Kovalev, who holds three belts at 175?

Sanctioning body mandatories will likely factor in, before big tickets outings against marquee hitters, like Adonis Stevenson, and Andre Ward, Jackson told me in Wednesday phoner. “Ward first, or Adonis first, it don’t matter,” said the Colorado-born trainer, who grew up in Washington and now lives in Florida.

We’d all love to see Ward-Kovalev, heck, it would be nice to remember what Ward looks like in shorts and ring boots, period. Now, I see him as a master pugilist, in a league with Hopkins, frankly, regarding ring smarts. Does JDJax share that high opinion?

“No, he’s not in Hopkins’ league,” the trainer stated.

And what of Adonis, who Hopkins trainer Naazim Richardson told me has some possible edges over the Russian. “Nah, he can’t box better than Sergey, he’s one dimensional. I trained him, for one fight (his only loss, to Darnell Boone, in April 2010). He’s a one handed fighter, has a tremendous left hand.” They did a five week camp, and JDJ, yes, got to know Adonis’ upsides and downsides.

On fight night, he was looking down at his bucket, right after yelling for Stevenson to watch out for the Boone right. Then, he heard that certain brand of roar, and voila, Adonis tasted an L, a TKO2 off a nasty right.

They parted ways, no big deal…but are likely to get reacquainted sooner or later.

When I used the term “one trick pony” to describe a fighter with one overwhelming weapon, JDJax laughed and said, “Yeah, but it’s a helluva trick.”

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