Three-time light-heavyweight world champion Sergey Kovalev has shared the ring with some of the best 175-pounders to ever grace the ring.

During an illustrious career stretching back to 2009, ‘Krusher’ locked horns with Canelo Alvarez, Andre Ward, Bernard Hopkins, Jean Pascal, and Anthony Yarde, to name a few.

But the toughest opponent he ever faced was American journeyman Darnell Boone.

Boone retired from professional boxing in 2018 with a 24-25-5 record after a punishing career that included bouts with several world champions.

In 2010, he shocked the boxing world by stopping future WBC light-heavyweight title holder Adonis Stevenson.

And he nearly pulled off another upset when he duked it out with Kovalev later that year.

“It was a guy called Darnell Boone, I fought him in fight number 10, I believe,” Kovalev told talkSPORT.com when asked who his toughest opponent was.

“This fight was very tough for me. I had just come back from Russia after not fighting for a long time.

“My manager gave me this opponent, he was 17-15, and I was very tired in this fight, and I don’t remember the fight after round number five.

“It was an eight-round fight, and for three rounds I fought without my memory.

“It was very tough. I was very tired, but I won the fight, and then Darnell Boone did not agree that I won and asked for a rematch.”

Kovalev eked past Boone via split decision in a bout that was contentious enough to warrant a rematch two years later.

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Boone retired with a losing record but proved to be a tough test for several good prospects[/caption]

This time, Kovalev didn’t leave the result up for debate as he blasted out Boone inside two rounds.

“Our rematch was later in fight number 19,” Kovalev added.

“Katy Duva made this rematch, and she said if I won this fight, she would sign a contract with me.

“For 18 fights, I didn’t get any money for the fights. Egis Klimas, my manager, paid for my food and the rent for my apartment, and he paid for the opponents.

“We tried to find promoters, and I got the attention on me after fight number 18 in a fight against [Roman] Simakov, who died.

“After this fight, it got attention on me, and my manager called me, and I was in Russia…

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Kovalev enjoyed three separate reigns as light heavyweight world champion[/caption]

“Three months after that fight, I was already thinking about not fighting again because of the crazy situation [against Simakov]…

“When I came back to the US, she made a rematch with Darnell Boone, and I stopped him in round number two, and she signed a contract with me, and I got my first $5,000. I was very happy.”

Watch the full interview with Sergey Kovalev below.