Ward-Kovalev was no robbery and everything boxing needed

[Ruthless-RKO]

Boxing got what it needed Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena: fans clamoring for a rematch for all the right reasons.

Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev will meet again real soon, and figure their rematch to be bigger than their pay-per-view rumble Saturday night that ended with Ward capturing a unanimous decision and the WBO, IBF and WBA light heavyweight titles.

Plenty of fans and media believe Kovalev couldn’t have lost a fight in which he knocked down Ward in the second round and dominated the first half of the 12-round bout.

“I think I won this fight, but the decision was not on my side,” said Kovalev, who lost for the first time in 32 pro fights. “Everybody saw what happened. Look at his face and look at my face and see who is the winner.”

What the judges saw is Ward (31-0, 15 KOs) turning the fight in the seventh round and capturing just about every round the rest of the way toward a 114-113 edge on all three scorecards. The Post also scored the bout 114-113 for Ward, who had moved up to the 175-pound division after winning various world championships at 168 pounds.

Ward, an Oakland native fighting in Las Vegas for the first time, was on the defensive from the opening round absorbing hard right hands from Kovalev, who entered with 26 knockouts. Ward was dropped for only the second time in his career by a right cross in the second round. He survived the second, but was down by five points on two cards after six rounds.

America’s last gold medal winner in boxing (Athens 2004) subtly changed momentum when he landed a stinging left hand in the seventh. From there Ward began to connect with quick combinations, many of them during inside exchanges, that scored enough to win rounds.

Kovalev, who couldn’t miss early, had trouble connecting late in the fight. The Russian tired a bit and was a fraction slower. Except for judge Burt Clements giving Kovalev the 12th round, every other round from all three judges — Clements, Glenn Trowbridge and John McKaie — went to Ward from the seventh round on.

“I got off the canvas against the hardest puncher in the division and smiled,” Ward said. “I took the fight to him and closed the show.”

Judge for yourself Saturday night, when HBO airs a replay of the fight before Vasyl Lomachenko defends his WBO super featherweight title against Nicholas Walters from the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.

Kovalev’s camp made it clear it will exercise an immediate rematch clause. It complained about the scoring and the job by Hall of Fame referee Robert Byrd, who allowed for plenty of clenching, wrestling and headlocks.

“We’re going to get them back in the ring as fast as we can to right this wrong,” said Kathy Duva, Kovalev’s promoter at Main Events.

The rematch will be much-anticipated and not because the judges got it wrong. That can’t be said when all three had virtually the same scores from the seventh round on. They all saw the same fight from the best seats in the house. This was no robbery.

What’s worth seeing again is the gladiator chess match that took place, part boxing, part wrestling, plenty of determination and grit. It wasn’t pretty. But it was two world-class athletes doing everything they could to win.

“I slowly broke him down,” Ward said. “I felt like he was getting tired. Obviously, he didn’t want to be inside, and I tried to keep him there as much as possible. I don’t know if I would have won this fight if I didn’t have a good inside game. This is a notch under my belt. We got off the canvas and got stronger.”

Kovalev complained Ward either ran too much or held too much. Otherwise, he was gracious in defeat, knowing another multi-million dollar payday is ahead.

“The decision wasn’t on my side,” he said. “But next time I will do something much better.”

That’s why it’s worth seeing again.

[boxing_rocks]

Everything boxing needed ??? LOL. Boring hugger gets a gifted decision against an exciting boxer-puncher, and that is what boxing needs ???

GTFOH

[JeanClaude Van Damme]

The only robbery here is the original author's credit.

[SFW]

I disagree with the 2 douche combo that commented already, good write up.

[ldlamb]

Agreed. It was an exciting, close match between two of the best at what they do.

[Ilya Muromets]

The only robbery here is the original author's credit.

Yep. Even the US media is headlining the story of the robbery, like USA Today - see thread below.

[Ricky_]

Just because it was a close fight doesn't mean Kovalev wasn't robbed.

When the judges scored rounds 10 & 12, which they knew Kovalev had won, they robbed him of his title instead of giving him the win.

[Ruthless-RKO]

A close fight isn't a robbery. Had that decision gone Kov's way, a lot of Ward fans would be arguing too.. if the scores were wide. Then it': - robbery

[Tanzio]

A close fight isn't a robbery. Had that decision gone Kov's way, a lot of Ward fans would be arguing too.. if the scores were wide. Then it': - robbery

Give up while you are still sane. You are attempting to reason with the Wailing Wall.

[Ian1973]

Of course it was a robbery. Everyone knows who won the fight even the fighters judging by the post fight interviews. Ward with the politically correct "it was a close fight" bollx and Kovalev with the smile and shoulder shrugged "Political bullshit" attitude.

Two men fought for 36 minutes and Kovalev had the best of it. END OF STORY. Because three AMERICAN judges out of millions of people who watched the fight gave it to Ward doesn't mean he won. 3 people vs millions worldwide. Look at the general opinion.

Kovalev won.

[Tanzio]

Of course it was a robbery. Everyone knows who won the fight even the fighters judging by the post fight interviews. Ward with the politically correct "it was a close fight" bollx and Kovalev with the smile and shoulder shrugged "Political bullshit" attitude.

Two men fought for 36 minutes and Kovalev had the best of it. END OF STORY. Because three AMERICAN judges out of millions of people who watched the fight gave it to Ward doesn't mean he won. 3 people vs millions worldwide. Look at the general opinion.

Kovalev won.

The Wailing Wall will wail.

[Bard of Boxrec]

Of course it was a robbery. Everyone knows who won the fight even the fighters judging by the post fight interviews. Ward with the politically correct "it was a close fight" bollx and Kovalev with the smile and shoulder shrugged "Political bullshit" attitude.

Two men fought for 36 minutes and Kovalev had the best of it. END OF STORY. Because three AMERICAN judges out of millions of people who watched the fight gave it to Ward doesn't mean he won. 3 people vs millions worldwide. Look at the general opinion.

Kovalev won.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Of course it was a robbery. Everyone knows who won the fight even the fighters judging by the post fight interviews. Ward with the politically correct "it was a close fight" bollx and Kovalev with the smile and shoulder shrugged "Political bullshit" attitude.

Two men fought for 36 minutes and Kovalev had the best of it. END OF STORY. Because three AMERICAN judges out of millions of people who watched the fight gave it to Ward doesn't mean he won. 3 people vs millions worldwide. Look at the general opinion.

Kovalev won.

Excellent post, though I'm sure a German judge would take the offer too.

[TheGman]

Everything boxing needed ??? LOL. Boring hugger gets a gifted decision against an exciting boxer-puncher, and that is what boxing needs ???

GTFOH

X2

[Raff The Frenchman]

Wow...just wow...If this wasn't a robbery and was everything boxing needed I think I understand better why I almost stopped watching this sport and turned to MMA...
No seriously, this decision was a disgrace ! Robbery is an understatement, this was a fornicating heist ! Ocean's 11 all over again !

[crow]

Every poll i've seen has Kovalev the winner at 70%.
And that's exactly the split in the boxing scoring press from saturday.

The whole HBO crew didn't stop kissing Andre's ward ass during the bout, but even them had to concede - all of them- Kovalev won.

Ward got clearly hurt a dozen times; each time Kovalev's right landed.
In the last rd, he got hurt twice more and immediately clinched.
How many times did Ward's right land? How many times did he hurt Kovalev?

Andre had that look of someone who didn't want to be there; the look of a bullied, scared kid.

[Bard of Boxrec]

yeah it was pretty funny how alarmed Ward looked throughout the fight. he also claimed he wasn't hurt at any point, that Kovalev can't fight on the inside despite matching Ward there, and that Edison Miranda was a tougher fight

[greg]

Two men fought for 36 minutes and Kovalev had the best of it. END OF STORY. Because three AMERICAN judges out of millions of people who watched the fight gave it to Ward doesn't mean he won. 3 people vs millions worldwide. Look at the general opinion.

Kovalev won.

..just 3 people? you are SO unfair...you obviously forgot 8-9 more boxrec fans supporting this decision and making it a whopping dirty dozen, all told

[crow]

yeah it was pretty funny how alarmed Ward looked throughout the fight. he also claimed he wasn't hurt at any point, that Kovalev can't fight on the inside despite matching Ward there, and that Edison Miranda was a tougher fight

Talking about delusion.

It shows what category of fans Ward caters for.

[Tanzio]

Too bad (like PutinLand) boxing is not a democracy. This isn't dancing with the stars or who's the really emotive warbler.

Ward 114-113 x 3. Unanimous. The peanut gallery (including me) gets zero votes.

Krusher gets his rematch. Hopefully he will even things out. On second thought, given the Wailing Wall consisting of squealing piglets, I prefer Ward stops him after grinding him into blood sausage next time