Top Rank, Golden Boy, Dibella all passed on signing Sergey Kovalev

Sergey Kovalev's manager Egis Klimas brought to attention some interesting information in regards to Sergey Kovalev's past yesterday at the press conference announcing the Kovalev-Mohammedi fight. Klimas said that he first brought over the hard hitting knockout artist from Russia it was very difficult to get him recognized, stating that the biggest promoters in the game were not interested at the time. Klimas thanked Main Event's Promoter Kathy Duva for believing in him.

"I brought Sergey in 2009 from Russia I put him in Don Turner training camp in North Carolina which is in the middle of nowhere. The closest store is about five miles away. All around there are corn fields, bugs, bears, snakes and he stayed where Don had built his boxing gym. At that time I had many fighters going to that camp and besides Sergey and Gradovich I would say the longest somebody was there was like three months before they would call me and tell me they were done. They would go to New York or Chicago and today they are nobody and I have not even heard about them. Some are taxi drivers now but this gentleman stayed there and didn't complain a single word for a year and a half.

"I used to go to Don's camp, me and Don would jump in a van and drive around the country just to get the fights. I saw big talent and Don Turner saw big talent in him but I could not convince any of the promoters. I talked to Top Rank. I talked to Golden Boy. I talked to Lou DiBella. I talked to everybody about giving him a chance until one day Don Turner introduced me to Kathy see said she would try and see what is going to happen."