Two consecutive losses and Sergey Kovalev (30-2-1) still might be the best light heavyweight boxer in the world, though the man he lost to — Andre Ward — retired. Kovalev is trying to get back in the win column after a pair of fights with Ward, and he’ll make the effort against Vyacheslav Shabranskyy (19-1-0) live on HBO on Saturday.
Kovalev vs. Shabranskyy: Start time, TV schedule for fight at Madison Square Garden
Can Sergey Kovalev get back in the win column after his pair of fights with Andre Ward?
The card will begin at 10 p.m. ET and will also feature two televised undercard bouts along with a slate of untelevised bouts. The first televised bout will see Sullivan Barrera (20-1-0) taking on Felix Valera (15-1-0) in light heavyweight action while Jason Sosa (20-2-4) will face Yuriorkis Gamboa (27-2-0) in super featherweight action.
There are plenty of concerns for Kovalev, who is sitting at 34 years old and who recently replaced John David Jackson in his training camp. There many excuses coming from Kovalev and his camp following his losses to Ward, and if he’s not in the right mindset for Saturday’s bout, he could easily find himself on the losing end of an upset.
Shabranskyy has 19 wins as a professional, with his only loss coming to Barrera, one of the better boxers in the division. Barrera is hoping to fight one of the two main eventers if he can get out of Saturday with a win on his end. Still, despite his solid record, Shabranskyy has no huge wins of note and Kovalev is a major step up in competition for him.
All the more reason for him to take this fight, and all the more reason for Kovalev to avoid it. Saturday will tell us a lot about the future of both of these boxers, though a lot more is riding on the line for Kovalev, whose career cannot handle an 0-3 mark.
Below is all you need to know to watch Saturday’s event, including schedule, live streaming, full fight card information and more.
How to watch Kovalev vs. Shabranskyy
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City, N.Y.
Date: Saturday, Nov. 25
Time: 10 p.m. ET
TV: HBO
Kovalev vs. Shabranskyy full fight card
Televised
Light Heavyweight: Sergey Kovalev vs. Vyacheslav Shabranskyy
Super Featherweight: Jason Sosa vs. Yuriorkis Gamboa
Light Heavyweight: Sullivan Barrera vs. Felix Valera
Untelevised
Super Welterweight: Bakhram Murtazaliev vs. Carlos Galvan
Super Welterweight: Frank Galarza vs. Jaime Herrera
Middleweight: LeShawn Rodriquez vs. Alex Sandro Duarte
Middleweight: Meiirim Nursultanov vs. Eric Moon
Welterweight: Enriko Gogokhia vs. Jose Antonio Abreu
Middleweight: Ismael Villarreal vs. Race Sawyer
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