JOHN DAVID JACKSON: "SERGEY DID EXACTLY WHAT I ASKED OF HIM...THAT JAB TOOK IT OUT OF HIM"
PC:
Congratulations on a hell of a performance from your fighter Sergey Kovalev. Did that fight go as you expected it to?
JDJ: Yes! Sergey did exactly what I asked of him and the plan that I laid out and it worked. In training, I had been in a couple of camps with Bernard and I told him, whatever you do, do not fight this kid because this kid is the truth. You know Bernard being Bernard and his ego being what it is; this kid was strong and can box and that kind of ended up being Bernard's downfall. I figured it would go the way it went and I'm glad Bernard didn't get knocked out because that's not what he needed at this stage of his career. He went out on his shield and he fought the best that he could fight and he just didn't have what it took to keep this kid off of him at this stage in his life.
PC
: Your last sentence is interesting because when we first talked about a Kovalev/Hopkins fight years ago, you told me Bernard won't be able to keep Kovalev off of him. Was that the game plan going in, to just stay in his face and make him fight even when he didn't want to?
JDJ: Exactly! Bernard is used to setting a pace that works for him. It's a slow, methodical pace where he punches when he wants to and he sets traps that allows him to make the fight slow and to his pace. Well, this kid with his style, he kept Bernard busy. He made Bernard move, he made Bernard slip, and he kept Bernard going. He didn't allow Bernard the time or the space he needed to punch or set his traps. Going in, I knew this kid was going to be a better boxer than they thought he could be and it worked to our advantage. After the first knockdown, Bernard realized, "Damn, this is going to be a long night of work here." This kid definitely hit him with some power he didn't know he had.
PC:
It can be a good and bad thing to score that early knockdown. Against Jean Pascal, we watched Bernard fight himself back into the fight when Pascal started head hunting. For you as a trainer, how did you keep Sergey calm where he didn't turn into a head hunter?
JDJ: Well, all throughout camp, I stayed in his ear telling him if you drop this guy, don't get crazy and just start headhunting because Bernard is only gonna get shot one time. Bernard will not get shot with that same shot again right away. He landed a nice shot on Bernard. Now he knows your power is the real deal. Now let's go back to boxing and touching that body. Sergey got a jab that is unreal. When he throws that jab to the body, it drains you of all of your power. In the middle rounds, we were jabbing Bernard to the body and it was sucking all of the life out of Bernard. It really made Bernard just feint and think because once he started landing that jab to the body, it wasn't no coming back because that jab took it out of him. He was worried about the next punch coming. It just nullifies his whole game. Bernard wasn't going to throw combinations with what Sergey was hitting him with, so I just felt like the fight would go the way it went. The only thing that surprised me is I thought if it went the distance, Bernard would at least win 3 rounds. I didn't think he would get shutout the whole fight. I thought he had enough in him to at least win 3 good rounds and maybe lose a 9-3 decision, but a shutout, that surprised me.
PC:
One thing that surprised me is I don't think I've ever seen a Hopkins fight where he either didn't want to or attempt to clinch and make it a rough fight. In order to do that, he would have had to get close to Sergey and there was danger there.
JDJ: I knew that once he tasted the power, it was highly unlikely for Bernard to try to get inside for at least 5 or 6 rounds. I knew it would take awhile for him to figure the riddle that is Sergey Kovalev. Most people thought that the kid would die out after round 6 or round 8, but what I kept telling people and they didn't realize is this kid is a tremendous boxer. When we are in camp, we train for 12 hard rounds. People don't realize, we don't train for 8 rounds; we train for 12 rounds because one day we gonna have to go that distance and that day was November 8th. We trained for that and it allowed us to do what we had to do to make that night work in our favor. But I think once Bernard got hit, it changed his whole game plan because he realized this kid can really punch. And when he got dropped... Bernard is a very proud fighter and I think when he got up, he had it on his mind that he wasn't getting knocked out. "No matter what happens, this kid is not gonna knock me out." And he kind of went into a survival type mode, which was good and I give him credit for that because he didn't get knocked out. I mean, it was sad seeing him get knocked down, so I didn't want to see him knocked out at this stage. But I think once he realized I can't deal with this kid, it made him fight the best way he could to make it without getting knocked out.
PC:
Would you like to see Bernard walk away as a fighter?
JDJ: Yeah! Right after the fight, I told him he has had a wonderful career. I told him there is no shame in walking away right now rather than you fight somebody that's not even in your league and they end up either knocking you out or stopping you. Why would you go through that of being stopped by somebody that doesn't even belong in the ring with you. It's best to just walk right now. He didn't get knocked out. He could walk away. He may have lost, but he didn't lose fans. He walks away right now, it will still be looked at as if he was on top of his game and that's the best way to do it.
PC: I
s it imperative for you guys to land the Adonis Stevenson fight, or since Sergey is looked at now as the man at 175, that fight doesn't need to happen in your opinion to solidify any status?
JDJ: That fight now is kind of like Mayweather/Pacquiao. You know, 3 or 4 years ago, that fight was the fight that everybody wanted to see. They have taken so much time and for them to not make the fight, there really isn't anymore excitement to that fight any longer. The fight with Stevenson and Sergey was supposed to happen last November, so after a year...it's still intriguing to the fans, but as the years go by and the fight doesn't materialize, Sergey's stature is more of that than it was last year when Stevenson was the guy. Now Sergey is the guy and the tables are turned. So now if Stevenson wants the fight, the terms have changed a little bit. Sergey has 3 belts and now he is in a position where he is the man at light heavyweight. And the thing is this, it's not that Sergey would do that. Sergey wants the fight first and foremost. He is a fighter. He wants the fight. He won't let all of those things stand in the way. But he's in a position now where he can call the shots. Last year, Stevenson wanted to call all the shots. He wanted the money, he felt like he was the draw, he wanted this and he wanted that. You can't call the shots now because Sergey is in a better position. If it materializes, Sergey is all for it. It's up to Stevenson and his people to make it happen.
PC:
How soon would you like to see Sergey back in the ring?
JDJ: The word is HBO is saying March because now that he has 3 of the 4 belts, he's gotta make his mandatories and satisfy the sanctioning bodies. So he will fight in March and hopefully 3 or 4 times next year. He has to defend those belts that he has by the sanctioning bodies. He may fight 4 times; get his 3 defenses in and then get the winner out of Stevenson and Pascal. So he may fight 4 times next year.
PC:
That's a good deal. Congrats again my man. That was a great performance by Sergey and I wish you guys the best of luck. Is there anything else you want to add before I let you go?
JDJ: I want to thank all of the fans that watched the fight and supported Sergey, and for those who didn't, maybe now you will realize at 175, he is a true threat. And maybe next year, we can get a super fight with Ward or this kid from Canada. So maybe next year, we can get that and I want to just thank all of the fans again for supporting. Thank you Percy for letting me voice my opinion. I appreciate it man and you are a true asset to boxing. We need more guys like you that tell the truth and let guys speak their minds.
