By Vadim Pushkin
WBA, IBF, WBO light heavyweight champion Andre Ward (31-0, 15KOs) is riding high after winning a twelve round unanimous decision over Sergey Kovalev to capture the three world titles around his waist.
All three judges at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas saw Ward as the victory with identical scores of 114-113. Ward was down in the second round.
The outcome was controversial. Many saw Kovalev as the winner and there was a sizable number of observers who scored the fight for Ward. Heated debates, regarding the scorecards, have broken out between both sides.
There is a rematch clause, but there is no exact indication on when or where the contest is going to happen. According to the contract, both Russia and California are ruled out as hosting the second fight.
Ward saw nothing wrong with the scoring. He felt the judges were spot on with what happened in the ring.
"We did it. We did what we set out to do. Five time world champion in two different weight classes. By the grace of God, we do what they say we can't do. We go further than they say we can go. We beat who they say we can't beat. Phil 4:13, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Zechariah 4:6. I earned a hard fought decision," Ward stated.
"I came from behind. I got off the canvas and showed the heart and determination of a champion, just like the greats before me. I'm thankful for the opportunity to build a legacy. I won't apologize for this decision, I earned it! I want to thank everyone who came out to T-Mobile Arena Saturday night. It was amazing. As well as those who bought pay-per-view. And those supporting all over the world. Truly thankful."
