Eleider Alvarez vs. Sergey Kovalev: Fight Odds, Time, Date, Live Stream, TV Info

Sergey Kovalev needs a win in a bad way on Saturday night if he is to resurrect his flagging career. "Krusher" is 2-3 in his last five fights, and he will be looking to get back to championship status in his rematch with Eleider Alvarez at the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas. 

Last time out, Alvarez knocked Kovalev down three times in the seventh round to claim a TKO-win and earn the WBO world light heavyweight title he will be putting on the line Saturday. In case you forgot, or haven't seen it yet, here's a quick recap:

Kovalev was the champion in that match and, even with his two losses to Andre Ward not long behind him, still considered one of the most fearsome boxers around. But the undefeated Alvarez knocked Kovalev out of the pantheon, establishing himself as a fighter to be reckoned with in the process. 

Kovalev, 35, doesn't have much time left to re-establish himself as a preeminent boxer, and it's possible he won't get a chance at all, win or lose. He faces a felony assault charge from a June 2018 incident, two months before the Alvarez loss, where he allegedly punched a woman in the face. 

The rematch could turn out to be another blockbuster win for Alvarez.

Here's how to watch. 

Alvarez vs. Kovalev Fight Info

When: Saturday, Feb. 2 at 9 p.m. PT, 12 a.m. ET

Where: Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas

TV: BoxNation (UK only)

Live Stream: ESPN+, BoxNation.com (UK only)

Odds: Alvarez -175 (bet $175 to win $100), Kovalev +145 (bet $100 to win $145)

It wasn't all that long ago Kovalev was the dominant, world-beating force at light heavyweight. The slugger brutalized his opponents, at one point stopping 12 of 13 opponents, the only exception being a decision win against the great Bernard Hopkins. And then came the Ward fights. 

Kovalev lost the first fight against Ward in November 2016. He managed to knock Ward down in the second round, only to fade late, allowing Ward to pick up a close unanimous decision that some might argue should've gone to Krusher.

In the rematch, it was again back-and-forth until the eighth round, where a stunning right hand to the jaw and some bruising punches right at the belt-line proved to be too much for Kovalev to handle. The referee waved it off with Kovalev slumped against the ropes, exhausted and broken. 

So Kovalev had lost twice, but not terribly so, and this is Ward we're talking about. Maybe Kovalev was still a boxing god, but more like Hephaestus, working with a hammer but still slightly imperfect, and he had picked a fight with Zeus. 

A couple of stoppage wins led Kovalev to that loss to Alvarez, and now he looks like he belongs nowhere near boxing's current Olympus. 

Alvarez might not have the same level of fame as Kovalev, but he is a menacing fighter in his own right. He's yet to take a loss, and he has beaten tough fighters like Jean Pascal, Lucian Bute and Isaac Chilemba. The 34-year-old Colombian has staked his claim to fame beating Kovalev, but it doesn't mean he's necessarily the better boxer. Ward doesn't think so.

"Alvarez is not a better fighter than Sergey Kovalev," Ward said, per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael. "But he's got heart. He's got momentum. And he's emboldened." 

The boxing world will find out what, if anything, Kovalev has left to offer at the top level on Saturday night. If Alvarez beats him handily, Kovalev's time as a championship contender is all but over.

But then the next question will arise: What does Alvarez really have to offer? He will still have only defended his title once. It will take much more than that to reach the pantheon. 

Odds are courtesy of OddsShark and updated as of Thursday, Jan. 31, at 7 a.m. ET.