Sergey Kovalev vs Andre Ward Master Thread

[diddy]

There's gonna be a ton of talk about this fight going forward this year, so we may as well keep all the dialogue within one ginormous thread and see just how far we can stretch it.

I'm gonna be fascinated to see how Ward tries to pick apart and disarm this monster. I cant remember the last time either one of these guys even lost a round. Gonna be an outrageously good fight. Kovalev is just running everyone over and Ward makes everyone look stupid. Something's gotta give. Easily the best and biggest fight the sport has to offer between probably the #1 and #2 p4p fighters in the sport. No fight out there means more than this one will. I cant wait.

[Ricky_]

Ward's last fight was Paul Smith. A domestic level fighter in the UK who was nothing more than fodder for Groves and DeGale.

His next fight is against Barrera, who's experience consists of having fought 1 fight scheduled for 12.

Ward isn't fighting Sergey Kovalev. And if he did he would get badly hurt. You're only as good as the level you compete at, mismatch.

[Tarkus]

Its a bit too early to talk about it. Ward has a dangerous fight against Barrera, if it comes off at all. And Kovalev I have a feeling next will fight Chickenson. If both come through though Kovalev v Ward will be an absolute super fight.

[Boxerbeetle]

Ward won't fight Kovalev.

[Tarkus]

Ward won't fight Kovalev.

Are you saying he will retire? Because he has no other options.

[Boxerbeetle]

Ward won't fight Kovalev.

Are you saying he will retire? Because he has no other options.

He's semi-retired already.

[ikorolev]

Ward won't fight Kovalev.

Are you saying he will retire? Because he has no other options.

There is a law suit one, and there is fleeing to Haymon one.

[koolkc107]

The fight will happen.

It is basically a done deal.

And it is a win-win-win for all involved.

For HBO, it is the fight we get instead of the one a lot of us want- Kovalev/Stevenson.
HBO is still the main reason we wont get that one- they won't put up enough to win a
purse bid and they won't let Sergei out of his exclusive contract. This has nothing to do with
Adonis being scared and everything to do with HBO not wanting someone else to get the
financial windfall that fight is sure to be. So they give us Ward/Kovalev instead. And that aint bad
since, if both men continue to win convincingly, there will be little argument that the showdown
will be huge when it happens in late 2016 or early 2017.

For Krusher, it is big money-big prestige fight that has seemed to always elude him. Not his fault-
that is probably mostly on HBO and his promoter, Duva. And, as said before, a win makes him
an all-time type guy, not just a good era guy. It would be a signature victory, and coupled with his
domination of BHop, near murder (twice) of Pascal, and dominance over everyone else, makes him a shoe-in for the Hall.

For Ward, it is also the big money fight that has eluded him. But, it also shuts up a lot of his detractors, win or lose,
who have somehow gotten it into their heads that a man who didn't blink facing Abraham, Froch, and Kessler
actually might fear another dangerous guy in Kovalev. It goes without saying that a victory adds to an already
stellar legacy and cements the already certain "when and not if" to his Hall aspirations.

Barring something phenomenal from Chocolatito, the winner of this tilt is undisputed P4P #1 when it happens.

[Tarkus]

Ward won't fight Kovalev.

Are you saying he will retire? Because he has no other options.

He's semi-retired already.

Well, Barrera fight is the test. If he takes it then he takes on Kova as well.

[Tarkus]

Ward won't fight Kovalev.

Are you saying he will retire? Because he has no other options.

There is a law suit one, and there is fleeing to Haymon one.

Its too late to go to Haymon. Have not you heard he ran out of money. He cant afford a mega star of SOg's caliber

[Freedom2013]

There was VADA testing for Kovalev vs. Pascal 2, proving Sergey is clean as Jean Pascal mentioned in the post-fight presser.

Would Andre Ward ever be willing to do VADA testing? I doubt it.

[Bard of Boxrec]

It needs to happen. Who knows if it will. But I want Ward to show that he is capable of even competing with Kovalev at this stage. We know nothing about how that three years out has affected him. Personally I didn't think he looked all that great vs Smith. But whichever Ward shows up I pick Kovalev by KO. Too powerful, too unrelenting. Ward has no punch to keep him off and I question his constitution to survive the distance.

[Counter-puncher]

Barring something phenomenal from Chocolatito, the winner of this tilt is undisputed P4P #1 when it happens.

I love Gonzalez, but I'm not sure the fights are out there for him to match a ward-Kovalev winner in any p4p stakes. even beating the snot out of Inoue/AN Other decent fighter at 115, I'm not sure would compare.

[Deadendgeneration]

Barring something phenomenal from Chocolatito, the winner of this tilt is undisputed P4P #1 when it happens.

I love Gonzalez, but I'm not sure the fights are out there for him to match a ward-Kovalev winner in any p4p stakes. even beating the snot out of Inoue/AN Other decent fighter at 115, I'm not sure would compare.

Estrada 2 and Inoue would be enough for me. Doubt those fights happen though.

[Counter-puncher]

Barring something phenomenal from Chocolatito, the winner of this tilt is undisputed P4P #1 when it happens.

I love Gonzalez, but I'm not sure the fights are out there for him to match a ward-Kovalev winner in any p4p stakes. even beating the snot out of Inoue/AN Other decent fighter at 115, I'm not sure would compare.

Estrada 2 and Inoue would be enough for me. Doubt those fights happen though.

I considered Estrada, and think highly of him, but I really think a Ward-Kovalev winner is big enough to outweigh pretty much any other fight or combination of a couple of fights that i could think of.

[wreckman95]

Ward isn't so godlike like you think... let's start from his gold medal win which was a joke, the judges gave him a false win over Utkirbek Haydarov in the SEMI-finals. Secondly his chin is quiet weak he has been knocked down in the amateurs and during his pro boxing career (if Kovalev conects Ward goes down) 3rd he has lost a lots of rounds in his pro career and his defence isn't impregnable like you think. I am not saying that Ward is bum but for me and every reasonble boxing fan ward has limited chances of getting alive from a possible clash with Kovalev

[caldo2025]

Did anyone notice how patient and poised Kovalev was Saturday Night? 3 fights ago, he was getting suckered into the corner by Pascal and paid for it a few times. Saturday night, he was snapping that tremendous and much improved jab straight down main street and when he got Pascal to cower in the corner, he let up and kept his distance. This version of Sergey Kovalev is so much better than any version of Andre Ward we've ever seen. Now take into account the fact that Ward has not really fought in the last 3 years AND he's moving up to light heavyweight after never really having big punching power at Super Middleweight, this is a horrible move for Andre Ward.

If they fight this year, Kovalev is going to knock Ward out and seriously hurt him. From the start though, I knew Ward would find a way out of this fight so I'm not even getting my hopes up.

[Ian1973]

Did anyone notice how patient and poised Kovalev was Saturday Night? 3 fights ago, he was getting suckered into the corner by Pascal and paid for it a few times. Saturday night, he was snapping that tremendous and much improved jab straight down main street and when he got Pascal to cower in the corner, he let up and kept his distance. This version of Sergey Kovalev is so much better than any version of Andre Ward we've ever seen. Now take into account the fact that Ward has not really fought in the last 3 years AND he's moving up to light heavyweight after never really having big punching power at Super Middleweight, this is a horrible move for Andre Ward.

If they fight this year, Kovalev is going to knock Ward out and seriously hurt him. From the start though, I knew Ward would find a way out of this fight so I'm not even getting my hopes up.

I noticed.

Kovalev was absolutely magnificent. He controlled everything, a vast improvement on the first Pascal fight. Every fight he is maturing. I struggle to see anyone beating him unless they are significantly bigger. Ward is a fantastic technician but he's not beating Kovalev.

[SFW]

Kovalev looked great but Pascal was a stationary bag, offering lil resistance. Ward is a master of distance, timing. Sergei is getting better and better but he'll struggle with Ward. He's too easy to hit. Ward can win, no doubt. But will he I dunno. It's a fascinating fight.

[ikorolev]

Kovalev looked great but Pascal was a stationary bag, offering lil resistance. Ward is a master of distance, timing. Sergei is getting better and better but he'll struggle with Ward. He's too easy to hit. Ward can win, no doubt. But will he I dunno. It's a fascinating fight.

Kovalev may be easy to hit, but what can Ward's feather punches do to him ? On the other hand, he will hurt Ward badly even with his jab. No way Ward lasts 12 rounds unless he manages to land a good headbutt.

[SFW]

Ward can land then tie him up. Kovalev isn't great inside he needs the distance to punch. I think Andre hits hard enough, But like you said taking Kovalevs shots is another story. I think he can.

[crusader]

Great fight and far more interesting to me than Ward-GGG.

I give Ward the edge but it's close.

[caldo2025]

Did anyone notice how patient and poised Kovalev was Saturday Night? 3 fights ago, he was getting suckered into the corner by Pascal and paid for it a few times. Saturday night, he was snapping that tremendous and much improved jab straight down main street and when he got Pascal to cower in the corner, he let up and kept his distance. This version of Sergey Kovalev is so much better than any version of Andre Ward we've ever seen. Now take into account the fact that Ward has not really fought in the last 3 years AND he's moving up to light heavyweight after never really having big punching power at Super Middleweight, this is a horrible move for Andre Ward.

If they fight this year, Kovalev is going to knock Ward out and seriously hurt him. From the start though, I knew Ward would find a way out of this fight so I'm not even getting my hopes up.

I noticed.

Kovalev was absolutely magnificent. He controlled everything, a vast improvement on the first Pascal fight. Every fight he is maturing. I struggle to see anyone beating him unless they are significantly bigger. Ward is a fantastic technician but he's not beating Kovalev.

Right? I was blown away. When I think about vintage Andre Ward, Super Six Era, and he was brilliant with the way he would utilize the clinch offensively. He'd score with a combination and clinch up to muffle the return fire and he'd do this from all different angles. The Froch fight was the best example, I think. Now do you give this strategy any possible chance of working against Kovalev? I surely don't. Kovelev is so much faster and stronger than Froch ever was.

I just see this being a one sided beat down of epic proportions honestly. I know that Andre Ward hasn't lost a fight since he was 12 years old but this is a whole different animal we are talking about here.

The only knock on Kovalev was that he could walk into something heavy because he gets careless during an all out attack. I didn't see any of that on Saturday night and you could see it in Pascal's eyes that he had no chance and that this version of Kovalev was way better than the last.

I think Kovalev is in the top 2 P4P right now behind GGG.

[ikorolev]

Great fight and far more interesting to me than Ward-GGG.

I give Ward the edge but it's close.

Hopkins disagrees with you:

http://boxingsocialist.com/news/hopkins ... andre-ward

[crusader]

That's fine. It's a very competitively matched fight and I expect reasonable opinions to differ.