Report: Sergey Kovalev and Marcus Browne reach agreement for summer fight

According to an ESPN report, several sources has informed the outlet that WBO light heavyweight titleholder Sergey Kovalev (32-2-1, 28 KOs) and contender Marcus Browne (21-0, 16 KOs) have reached terms for a fight to take place this summer.

The sources wouldn’t speak on record as the fight hasn’t been officially signed just yet, but the bout is expected to take place between late June and July at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden with HBO on deck to televise.

Kovalev, 34, has appeared to successfully bounce-back from two consecutive — and hotly debated — losses to Andre Ward in late-2016 and mid-2018. Since then he went on to stop Vyacheslav Shabranskyy to win the WBO title Ward had vacated in retirement, and defend that title earlier this month against Igor Mikhalkin.

Meanwhile Browne, 27, is an undefeated 2012 U.S. Olympian most recently riding a three fight knockout streak. He last stopped Francy Ntetu in January and more notably stopped Sean Monaghan last July.

Kovalev will easily be Browne’s toughest assignment to date but Browne apparently likes the opportunity. He passed up a mandatory title shot with IBF champion Artur Beterbiev for this higher profile, more lucrative fight with Kovalev, and hopes it’ll pay dividends in the long run.

It would seem to me that Kovalev is just a little too experienced and polished for someone like Browne, but he has to take his shot at some point I suppose. And, realistically, Beterbiev is probably just as dangerous of an opponent, only with a smaller pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

So who do you like in this one?