- Some experts expressed the opinion that Sergey Kovalev chose the wrong tactics for the fight with Saul Alvarez. Do you agree with this point of view? Why was betting on jabs made?

- No. Canelo constantly imposed melee on the opponent, since it was in him that he could show himself in the best way. There were no other options. But, in my opinion, Kovalev should get “five plus” for this fight. This is objective, I myself would choose exactly the same tactics.

- Was it worth the Russian to connect a direct blow to the right?

- He did it, but at the very moment when it was necessary. Perhaps from the outside it might seem that he was mistaken, but from the point of view of the boxer this is not so. It is worth noting that Alvarez is really strong. But Kovalev, in turn, did even more than he could. He approached the battle in very good shape. Look, in the 10th and 11th rounds, Sergey showered his opponent with blows. Yes, they were not accented, but there were clearly more of them than in any of his previous fights. Therefore, I repeat, the tactics were chosen correctly.

- Why Kovalev acted in the ring is not so active?

- I would not say that, he set a very high pace. Sergey always boxes as much as he can. And in this battle even more. It even seemed to me that Alvarez had lost his nerve at the end, as he was counting on a quick victory, on the fact that he would come out and ride the rink along Kovalev. But he didn’t succeed.

- Before the fight, coach Kovaleva Buddy McGirt announced that they had prepared some surprises for Alvarez. What do you think they were?

- I think that it was just about working with jabs with your front hand. Previously, he rarely inflicted such strikes in such numbers. In addition, Sergey moved very well both to the right and to the left. Honestly, I haven’t seen such a Kovalev yet.

- What else did Alvarez surprise you with?

“The power that he kept from the first to the last round.” But in general, I would not say that I saw something new in his actions. Canelo was himself, remained at his highest level. Honestly, even before the battle, I had the opinion that the myth of his invincibility was a little exaggerated. But now I saw that the Mexican has an inexhaustible charge of energy, which allows him to defeat any opponent. It is hard to imagine how this is possible.

- At what point did you realize that Kovalev still loses?

- Probably in the middle of the battle, somewhere in the sixth round.

- Do you agree that the Russian was inferior in points?

“Yes, of course, it's hard to argue with that.” In the last rounds, Alvarez clearly dominated, it was clear that Kovalev was already surviving, although he did it with dignity. He was at any moment ready to turn the tide of the battle.

- The last match of Kovalev - with Anthony Yard - took place just two months ago. Shouldn't he have spent more time preparing for the battle with Canelo?

- This is Kovalev’s personal choice, and no one had the right to decide for him. If he agreed to a duel, then he considered that he was ready for him.

- What are the future prospects of Kovalev? After losing the title, will Dmitry Bivol and Arthur Beterbiev agree to fight with him?

- Of course, this is a decision that he must make himself. But, frankly, in his case it’s already difficult to talk about prospects. In his weight category, he defeated a mass of strong rivals. I think that's enough for him.

- Does this mean that it is time for him to think about ending his career?

- Maybe yes. Sooner or later you have to do it. Of course, there may be different circumstances, as my example shows.

- Nikolai Valuev called Alvarez the strongest boxer in the light heavyweight category at the moment. Do you agree with this opinion?

- Everyone is talking about this. Saul has earned the recognition of the entire boxing community, so it's hard to disagree. But it is worth paying tribute to Kovalev. My former trainer Freddie Roach before the fight said that the Russian has no chance of winning. I did not agree with him, and that is exactly what happened. Sergei managed to withstand even in battle with such a strong opponent. In any case, it seems to me that Alvarez is much more comfortable in the current division. Previously, he constantly had to deal with weight loss, but now he feels at ease.

- Alvarez’s next rivals could be Bivol and Beterbiev. In what scenario will the battles with these opponents take place?

- The ring will put everything in its place. I think that Russians should not be written off. But in any case, it will be cool fights, since all three have similar boxing styles. Beterbiev can pacify the ardor of the Mexican, in which case they say "found a scythe on a stone." And Bivol will try to make out Alvarez in the same style in which Kovalev did it.