JOHN DAVID JACKSON ON ADONIS STEVENSON: "THE CHIN IS SOMEWHAT SUSPECT...I SAW THAT THE WILD SHOT MIGHT GET IN MORE"
By Percy Crawford | April 08, 2015
JOHN DAVID JACKSON ON ADONIS STEVENSON:
"The only fight I trained Stevenson for was the Darnell Boone fight, the first fight. He got stopped in that fight. The chin is somewhat suspect. He hasn't been stopped sense nor before that and Boone can punch, he really can. But it's not even so much his chin is suspect, but he has been stopped before. I saw that the wild shot might get in more than the straight shot. I wanted to see how the fight unfolded and if Bika was able to give him any problems at all. We'll measure it and see what we can do or see if any more weaknesses have been exposed if it comes to that if the fight ever materializes in September or no later than November," stated John David Jackson, world-class trainer of unified light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev, who shared his thoughts on the recent performance of Adonis Stevenson and how a future Kovalev vs. Stevenson fight will play out. Check it out!
PC: Congratulations on the win over Jean Pascal and all of the success that you and Sergey have been having. I'm sure you expected nothing but a tough fight from Jean.
JDJ: Thanks a lot. Yeah, I knew going in he was tough. He is a former world champion himself. You have to give him credit for that. Any man who had the ability to become a champion lets you know he is definitely someone you need to watch for. We knew he was dangerous going into the fight and he showed a lot of heart and a great chin to last the way he did; let us know that we were right in our judgment of him going in.
PC: Not to say that is the kind of fights you want to see Sergey in, and I'm sure it answered more questions for us than you because I'm sure you knew what he was capable of and capable of enduring, but do you think it served a purpose for him to be in a tough fight like that?
JDJ: Yeah because it answers all of the questions from the public and boxing fans in general. When he fought Bernard, people saw he had boxing skills and they knew he could go 12 rounds. And now they wanted to see him against tough opposition and see if he could take a punch from a worthy opponent. Jean Pascal presented that type of opponent and Sergey passed that test as well. He took the shots that Jean hit him with and came right back with his own. So that just answered another question about Sergey Kovalev and how good his chin was and how he would react once he got whacked on the chin by a very good fighter. He didn't go away. He came right back and even when Jean wouldn't go anywhere, he showed he is a true champion and when it gets hot, he don't fold.
PC: I told Kathy Duva that I felt Sergey was very underrated in listening and taking instructions well. You would tell him something in the corner or yell out during the round and you would immediately see him attempt it.
JDJ: That's a testament to his overall ability to learn as a fighter and absorb what I'm trying to show him. It's funny you mention that because there is an article that came out in Russia and it hinted towards the fact that I haven't been teaching him much. My work shows in each fight since we have been together. We have had 12 fights together now and he's improved in each fight. He's a good listener and willing to learn more and he's doing well. There are times where it doesn't seem like he's really listening, but then he goes back in camp and trains and he works on what I showed him that day. So it shows his ability to listen, learn, and apply what I show him. I always tell him, "Whatever I show you, you have to add it to your own style." That's the way that I did it. Take what I'm showing you and perfect it into your own style. You have to take it and use it the way that you want to and he's done that.
PC: With the language barrier, he knows English, but you can tell it's still not fluent. Is it tough sometimes to get through or does he pick up on what you're trying to relate to him fairly well?
JDJ: He and I have great communication. I'm not the type of trainer that demands things from my fighter. We work on certain things and I show them certain things, but I don't demand that you learn that day. Everything takes time and you're not gonna have a very good fighter, let alone a great fighter over night. I work with that as I'm teaching them and some days it may get repetitious because we do it over and over and over, and what that does is over the course of time, after a few months, you'll start doing it on your own. So what I do, I don't demand things from my fighter that day or make you do what I'm trying to show you. I tell every fighter, "Take what I show you, work it into your own style, and eventually it's going to come to you." It will click and work for you and that's what Sergey does. He works it into his own style and eventually it does work for him. You let them learn and absorb it and let them use it the way it works for them.
PC: Stevenson pretty much dominated Bika, and I know that's not a fight you can look at and personally take anything away from because your fighter is completely different from Sakio, but if Stevenson is next, what are you looking for or did you take away from the Bika fight?
JDJ: Well, Bika is a former world champion himself and he punches from all angles. The only fight I trained Stevenson for was the Darnell Boone fight, the first fight. He got stopped in that fight. The chin is somewhat suspect. He hasn't been stopped sense nor before that and Boone can punch, he really can. But it's not even so much his chin is suspect, but he has been stopped before. I saw that the wild shot might get in more than the straight shot. I wanted to see how the fight unfolded and if Bika was able to give him any problems at all. We'll measure it and see what we can do or see if any more weaknesses have been exposed if it comes to that if the fight ever materializes in September or no later than November.
PC: As his trainer and going through this process with Stevenson before, I know you don't want your fighter wasting time in the gym for someone he's not going to fight, so if it comes down to a certain time, will you advise his team to move forward?
JDJ: Well Percy, that's a great question. If for some reason the fight doesn't materialize this time around, I think at that point, then I think at least on Sergey's side, they would move on. Even though the fight with Pacquiao and Mayweather is finally happening, even though it's 5 years too late, it's happening. There is a lot of luster that has been lost and it's not what it would've been 4 to 5 years ago and I don't think that Sergey nor Stevenson would wait that long. Anything can happen in 4 or 5 years. I think it's been about 2 and Adonis is a little older. Will he be around in 5 years as a champion? I don't know, but if he doesn't fight Sergey in this fight, I think they may make him give up the title or maybe his brain trust is looking at the Ring Magazine belt and just wanna make the money that they can make. It's easy money out there to be made. So it all depends, but I hope that for the fans that the fight will materialize. The fans want it because it's a very interesting fight between two big punchers and people enjoy that. Hopefully it will come together now that Stevenson has gotten his fight out of the way and Sergey will complete his IBF mandatory here soon. Let's hope he signs on the dotted line and we can fight him this fall.
PC: I always look forward to chatting with you. You always speak your mind and I respect that. I wish you and your fighters the best of luck. Is there anything else you want to add before I let you go?
JDJ: Percy, listen, it's always a privilege to talk to you. I appreciate the job that you do and keep doing what you're doing because you are great at what you do. You're the best there and thankfully we have a gentleman like you who tells the truth. You don't sugarcoat it or hide it. Whatever is out there, you let it be known and we need more guys like yourself because in boxing, some of these guys don't want to tell the truth because they are afraid they might make a promoter mad or lose a media pass to the fight. The way the media is today, you don't have to have a media pass; you can always find out what's going on and deliver the story. It's just nice to have a gentleman like yourself who is not afraid to tell it the way it is and I appreciate that, I'm sure the fans appreciate it, and I know the fighters appreciate you. I encourage the fans to continue to read what you write.
