Ahead of the light-heavyweight rematch between Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev, we asked Nathan Cleverly to give an insight into what it is like to face the fearsome Russian.
Having reigned at super-middleweight, Ward moved up a division and narrowly edged out Kovalev to claim the WBO, WBA 'super' and IBF light-heavyweight world titles last November and will once again face 'Krusher' this Sunday morning live on Sky Sports.
Current WBA 'regular' light-heavyweight champion Cleverly lost his WBO world title and unbeaten record when he was stopped in the fourth round by Kovalev in 2013 and the Welsh star has revealed his experience of sharing a ring with 'Krusher'.
What was your plan to beat Kovalev?
My game plan was to keep it tight. I knew he was a big puncher, so I wanted to block a lot of shots and let him punch himself out, then I would capitalise on that in the second half of the fight.
But it was easier said than done and he found a cracking right hand early on that rattled me and I couldn't recover.
Is he simply just a power puncher then?
No. Of course, his punching power is very good, but his all-round boxing ability is underrated. He is very strong and he has world-class distance and timing - the elite fighters have that.
His footwork is brilliant and the way he moves in and out of range is very impressive. He's a top fighter in all departments.
Does 'Krusher' have any weaknesses?
I think the fight before the first Ward one against Isaac Chilemba showed that he is beatable and obviously Ward edged him out. Kovalev didn't look himself against Chilemba - an awkward and slippery opponent - and was a bit lacklustre.
What is the Russian's best shot?
For me, his right hand stands out - it's a tremendous shot. He sets it up from a long jab or from his left hand and then loads up with a long hurtful right hand that can do a lot of damage.
Is Kovalev the biggest puncher you've faced?
Definitely. Throughout my career in the amateurs and pros where I've fought and sparred a lot of big guys and big punchers, Kovalev's power stands out as elite and special. He has proved that time and time again by knocking out world-class fighters.
I couldn't recover from the early right hand he threw against me and after that, he's like a predator in trying to look for an early stoppage.
Paul Smith vs Tyron Zeuge is live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 9pm on Saturday, then Andre Ward vs Sergey Kovalev II is live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 2am on Sunday morning.