Kovalev: Right Now It's 1-1; I Want a Third Fight With Ward

[Ruthless-RKO]

Sergey Kovalev knows it probably isn’t a realistic expectation, but he wants a third fight against Andre Ward.

Kovalev considers their series even.

“How I think is the first time is behind me ,” Kovalev told a group of reporters last weekend at MGM Grand. “The second fight is behind him [he won]. Right now it’s 1-1. And second fight [he won] with the help of the referee. OK, but 1-1. But let’s do like a third one.”

“I feel like Ward, he didn’t [finish the job], because the referee helped him,” Kovalev said. “Really, it was unfairly stopped. Better he stopped me himself and I go to the floor. OK, I’d say, ‘Yes, it’s done. I’m done.’ But I’m not done. I’m ready to fight again with him.”

[Enlightened-One]

Kovalev isn't getting a rematch.

Neither HBO nor Andre Ward would be interested, due to a third bout being commercially unviable. The ratings for their first two bouts weren't good and both men would inevitably expect to be paid handsomely.

I actually doubt that Kathy Duva's Main Events would financially back the promotion of an event that could potentially incur a financial loss.

Andre Ward is no longer contracted to HBO and Kovalev isn't in the mandatory challenger position for any of his belts either.

I'm not even sure if there are that many hardcore boxing aficionados that possess the appetite to see another Ward-Kovalev contest.

Sergey needs to rebuild his career and give the audience a reason to be willing to pay to see him participate in another marquee PPV bout.

[tigermoth87]

He could knock Ward cold and somehow the judges and the refs would find a way to give the fight to Ward.

[Ricky_]

He should go after Adonis Stevenson. After he knocks him out Ward will be skint and begging for a 3rd fight.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Too late.. Ward is 'leaving' boxing.

http://www.espn.co.uk/boxing/story/_/id ... ing-boxing

[RScarf1]

The fake pound for pound number one leaves boxing. That should be the title of any article about Ward's retirement.

[BAD INTENTIONS]

First fight was a tie.
Not only did Kovalev lose the 2nd fight,
everyone saw him give up in the 8th round.
Not in the 11th, in the 8th round.

If he would have gutted it out,
and lost a 8-4 decision, I'd take him serious.

Similar to Froch, Kovalev is still a great fighter.
Kovalev NEEDS the Stevenson fight next.
Similar to Froch/Bute, it's the only fight that'll get the taste of Ward/Kovalev 2 out of the public's mouth.

Hopefully Kovalev's inept and shamelessly selfish promoter Kathy Duva,
has the slight percentage of intelligence to make the fight.

PS - I think Kovalev just finished his Masters Degree.
Funny how all he can't figure out what Floyd and DLH did. Two "uneducated" guys.
The top guys in boxing are some real stupid mofos.

[gilgamesh]

Ward just announced his retirement. That's much better news to me than a 3rd fight between Kov and Ward would've been.

[boxing_rocks]

Ward just announced his retirement. That's much better news to me than a 3rd fight between Kov and Ward would've been.

Yep, 3 belts are for grabs, and Beterbiev, Gvozdik, Kovalev, Jack, Bivol should clash for those. Way more exciting than watching the dirty spoiler.

[Jip]

The fake pound for pound number one leaves boxing. That should be the title of any article about Ward's retirement.

[G.McClellan]

First fight Kovalev won, the second Ward should've been disqualified so it's 1-0 to Kovalev with a third fight showing us what we already knew. Ward can't beat Kovalev without judges or a ref in his corner.

Hopefully Kovalev just goes back to dominating the division.

[BAD INTENTIONS]

Ward just announced his retirement. That's much better news to me than a 3rd fight between Kov and Ward would've been.

Yep, 3 belts are for grabs, and Beterbiev, Gvozdik, Kovalev, Jack, Bivol should clash for those. Way more exciting than watching the dirty spoiler.

When did boxing fans get excited about title fights again?

You guys do realize the ABCs are a joke right?

How can you consider yourself a real boxing fan and care about ABCs?

When did the ABCs become legit again?

[gilgamesh]

When did boxing fans get excited about title fights again?

You guys do realize the ABCs are a joke right?

How can you consider yourself a real boxing fan and care about ABCs?

When did the ABCs become legit again?

They didn't. There's reason to be excited about potential good matchups that the belts can lead to I suppose, but the belts themselves are fairly meaningless, and always will be until there's only 1 of them.

[boxing_rocks]

When did boxing fans get excited about title fights again?

You guys do realize the ABCs are a joke right?

How can you consider yourself a real boxing fan and care about ABCs?

When did the ABCs become legit again?

They didn't. There's reason to be excited about potential good matchups that the belts can lead to I suppose, but the belts themselves are fairly meaningless, and always will be until there's only 1 of them.

Boxers, even top ones, value belts. Belts matter. Ask Indongo. These belts will precisely lead to good matchups.

[gilgamesh]

When did boxing fans get excited about title fights again?

You guys do realize the ABCs are a joke right?

How can you consider yourself a real boxing fan and care about ABCs?

When did the ABCs become legit again?

They didn't. There's reason to be excited about potential good matchups that the belts can lead to I suppose, but the belts themselves are fairly meaningless, and always will be until there's only 1 of them.

Boxers, even top ones, value belts. Belts matter. Ask Indongo. These belts will precisely lead to good matchups.

I know they matter in terms of advancing guys' careers, and getting them opportunities that they wouldn't otherwise get. But they don't matter in the sense that you're truly a "World Champion" by simply having a belt. Boxing has made the term "Champion" almost meaningless by using it too much.

1 World Champion per division would be SO MUCH more meaningful than 4. By having 4 instead of 1 you water down each one of the 4, and make them all less significant than if there were just 1.

You could also do away with at least 7 weight classes, but that's a different discussion.

Paper Titles matter to promoters, and they sell fights to people who don't pay attention, and simply hear the term "Championship Fight" and think they're going to be witnessing something special or unique.

In Boxing a "Championship" fight is about as unique as seeing a Hooker walking down the street in New Orleans...in other words...not at all.

[montrealsuper]

Fake retirement. There is no demand to see Ward fight now and no network is willing to invest in a money loser fighter like Ward though Ward is a great fighter. Surely this is a mayweather style ploy to drum up interest in Ward's inevitable comeback next year probably against Kovalev.

[victor-romeo]

Fake retirement. There is no demand to see Ward fight now and no network is willing to invest in a money loser fighter like Ward though Ward is a great fighter. Surely this is a mayweather style ploy to drum up interest in Ward's inevitable comeback next year probably against Kovalev.

Also gives him a stronger negotiating position against Kovalev if they fight again around money , site etc.

[BitPlayer]

More whining and excuses from the krushed one.

[SFW]

More whining and excuses from the krushed one.

Exactly. Embarrassing. These nuthuggers are just downright pathetic. No worries, they'll be bending over and taking the high hard one again since everybody knows Kovalev can't take it to the body and he was never the monster he was sold as.

[montrealsuper]

He's still a monster. haymon isn't daring to match his fraud stevenson with kovalev is he? Kovalev beat Ward in the first fight and was winning the second then either ran out of gas of Jackson's sleeping pill took effect. Ward's win was hardly sensational - NO NETWORK wants to invest in him. Ward retired because he can't get a TV contract. Ward retired leaving NOTHING on the table.

It reminds of Pernell Whitaker / Holyfield / Main Events. Whitaker was a hard sell on his own but he got his HBO dates on the coattails of Holyfield. Main Events used the leverage of Holyfield to get HBO to buy Whitaker fights too. Ward has no such luxury and thus retired early. Or rather fake retired, he will be back next year without a doubt.

[Tanzio]

He's still a monster. haymon isn't daring to match his fraud stevenson with kovalev is he? Kovalev beat Ward in the first fight and was winning the second then either ran out of gas of Jackson's sleeping pill took effect. Ward's win was hardly sensational - NO NETWORK wants to invest in him. Ward retired because he can't get a TV contract. Ward retired leaving NOTHING on the table.

It reminds of Pernell Whitaker / Holyfield / Main Events. Whitaker was a hard sell on his own but he got his HBO dates on the coattails of Holyfield. Main Events used the leverage of Holyfield to get HBO to buy Whitaker fights too. Ward has no such luxury and thus retired early. Or rather fake retired, he will be back next year without a doubt.

Would it be too much to request that you hold your breath until then?

[montrealsuper]

Are you dumb enough to think that Ward will never fight again? Do you usually believe everything at face value?

How can so many people be deceived and fooled by publicity stunts and media hoaxes? Are people naive and too trusting by nature? Why are so many people unable to read between the lines and see through ulterior motives?

[Tanzio]

Are you dumb enough to think that Ward will never fight again? Do you usually believe everything at face value?

How can so many people be deceived and fooled by publicity stunts and media hoaxes? Are people naive and too trusting by nature? Why are so many people unable to read between the lines and see through ulterior motives?

I knew it was too much to ask

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Fake retirement. There is no demand to see Ward fight now and no network is willing to invest in a money loser fighter like Ward though Ward is a great fighter. Surely this is a mayweather style ploy to drum up interest in Ward's inevitable comeback next year probably against Kovalev.

Also gives him a stronger negotiating position against Kovalev if they fight again around money , site etc.

There wasn't a money split, rocnation paid ward more than the fight was worth.

[Kilsby]

Are you dumb enough to think that Ward will never fight again? Do you usually believe everything at face value?

How can so many people be deceived and fooled by publicity stunts and media hoaxes? Are people naive and too trusting by nature? Why are so many people unable to read between the lines and see through ulterior motives?

He will never fight again. Went out slaying the beast.