Kovalev vs Ward- How good is the matchup quality compared to the last few decades?

[Tony Trick-Pony]

Yes but I'm asking you to look beyond how it looks on paper. Despite being the biggest fight ever neither man was still in their prime.

It's definitely the biggest fight I've seen made in a while. it's 50/50 either way you look at it. Boxing really needs to do this more often. I think a lot of people aren't looking at the big picture. The winner of this fight is the number one guy in the sport for a while anyway. I love Chocolatito and hate to see him lose the number one spot, but he will here. I have no doubt about that.

[Redd Foxx]

You got two guys in their absolute primes, both 30-0, it's the #2 vs #4 pound for pound boxer in the world. Kovalev is undisputed champ, and although Ward doesn't currently hold a title he's had plenty in his career which he never lost.

Anthony 342 brought up a good point, where does this rank among matchups we've seen in the last few decades?

There was Mayweather-Canelo but people think neither were in their primes. Is Trinidad-De La Hoya going too far back in time?

I agree with the DLH/Tito thing. May/Alvarez was intriguing but not as relevant because Canelo was green. May/Pac was incredibly marketable and may have been more important for the fans, but we can't overlook that it was 2 guys at the cusp of retirement and the significance just doesn't weigh as heavy in my mind.

It might lack real star power, but it's a "perfect" fight in every other way. Big men. Both skilled, one with monstrous power, the other with other-level technique. Both prime. P4P top 5. Undefeated in 30 fights. Russia v USA. So many angles to this one.

[Anthony342]

Kovalev got old overnight.

Anyone who doesn't give the winner full credit for a legit win doesn't know s*&t about boxing.

[LoadedWraps]

Mayweather and Pacquiao were rated #1 and #3 pound for pound by The Ring when they fought.

well past prime both of them, and that ranking for Pac was a joke at the time.

Morales-barrera
Manny-marquez
Pavlik-taylor
Winky-taylor
Forest-mayorga
Hatton-floyd
Cotto-margarito
Williams-serg
Wlad-PETER
Wlad-haye
Wlad-Povetkin
Frampton-santa cruz

those are all great fights but not all were prime vs prime and for the undisputed p4p crown.

Calzaghe-Kessler for Euroland.
Williams vs Margarito one of my all time favorites.
Lewis vs Klitschko the last ATG vs ATG heavyweight fight we've seen.

Wlad vs Fury is the last ATG/ATG hw fight we saw.

[BKM-]

[FONT="Verdana"]
Wlad vs Fury is the last ATG/ATG hw fight we saw.

Well he's already got one thing Wlad doesn't: a win over a prime/near prime ATG. He needs title defenses and longevity, and keeping his 0 along the way will help a lot. He's got another thing Wlad didn't have: getting to fight in an era with good HW's. Wins over Wlad 2x, Wilder, Joshua, Haye etc. and he'll be an ATG.

But he's already starting to fold like a cheap lawn chair after winning the title.

[The Old LefHook]

Anyone who doesn't give the winner full credit for a legit win doesn't know s*&t about boxing.

You asked what people would say and I told you. As for credit, it will be based on what I see. There is such a thing as a bad win where neither man looks worth a crap. Let me see how both men look. Super fights are only 50-50 propositions as far as getting a great fight. One has to turn a few pages of super fights to find some that are truly great ones.

Trinidad/Hoya was the greatest matchup on paper since Leonard/Hearns. The fight itself was somewhat mediocre, with the judges giving a lousy decision awarded to Trinidad.

[Anthony342]

Not attacking you, just saying that whoever wins deserves credit, without any "yeah but..." BS excuses. All anyone should say about the winner is that he was the better fighter that day.

[Anthony342]

Well he's already got one thing Wlad doesn't: a win over a prime/near prime ATG. He needs title defenses and longevity, and keeping his 0 along the way will help a lot. He's got another thing Wlad didn't have: getting to fight in an era with good HW's. Wins over Wlad 2x, Wilder, Joshua, Haye etc. and he'll be an ATG.

But he's already starting to fold like a cheap lawn chair after winning the title.

So you're saying whenever the rematch finally happens, Wlad should win?

[Mr.MojoRisin']

This fight is actually a great match up and should be a very impressive fight for either side. There both about the same size an everything so it matches up quite evenly. Ward perhaps has more on the experience side but I think Kovalev makes up for it with how active he has been compared to Ward.

[Champ Wilder]

Great great fight.

Both damn near same size, prime, and hungry for greatness.