Notes: HBO to show Kovalev’s Russian homecoming fight

8:34 PM ET

A few notes from around the boxing world:

• When Main Events put together unified light heavyweight world titleholder Sergey Kovalev’s homecoming fight for July 11 at the DIVS Palace of Sports in Ekaterinburg, Russia, it was unclear if HBO, which has him under contract, was going to televise the bout. There are logistical issues and the fight is also on a Monday, the preferred day for the Russian broadcaster, as opposed to Saturday, HBO’s usual boxing day. However, HBO told ESPN.com on Friday that it is on board and will carry Kovalev’s defense against Isaac Chilemba (24-3-2, 10 KOs). The network, which will have personnel in Manchester, England, to cover the July 9 heavyweight championship rematch between Tyson Fury and Wladimir Klitschko, is still trying to figure out if it will air the fight live in the afternoon from Russia or on tape-delay a few hours later. If …

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