Those expecting another spectacular Sergey Kovalev knockout went home disappointed. Credit the fortitude of Isaac Chilemba.
Kovalev stayed undefeated and retained the WBA (Super), IBF and WBO light heavyweight championships with a 12-round unanimous decision over the nails-tough Chilemba on Monday at the DIVS Sports Palace in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Scores were 117-110, 116-111 and 118-109, all for the “Krusher,” who improved to 30-0-1 (26 KOs).
Chilemba (24-4-2, 10 KOs) offered far more resistance than many anticipated. The 29-year-old Malawi native stayed close through six rounds, largely because of a stinging and consistent left jab, superb movement and a stout chin.