By Carlos Boogs, Ryan Burton
Virgil Hunter, trainer for newly crowned WBA, WBO, IBF light heavyweight champion Andre Ward (31-0, 15KOs), felt Sergey Kovalev (30-1-1, 26KOs) was the one who was grabbing and holding the majority of the time on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Ward became a two-division unified champion when he got off the floor in the second round to win a twelve round unanimous decision over Kovalev.
All three judges scored it 114-113. Ward won the fight in the last round, because two of the judges had it his way in the twelfth.
Hunter believes most Eastern European fighters are accustomed to breaking down when the going gets tough.
"Those type of fighters, in a tough fight, are going to quit.... Kostya Tzsyu-Vince Phillips, Kostya Tszyu-Ricky Hatton, Cotto-Abdullaev, Klitschko-Byrd, Klitschko-Sanders. Historically, they don't want that kind of fight for whatever reason, and it's been proven throughout history. So when he started attacking him, he didn't want to engage in that kind of fight. He just held, headlocks, grabbed and holding, and waited until Byrd broke it up," Hunter said.
"He did not want that kind of fight. In the 10th, 11th and 12th, he couldn't hold him off anymore so the body shots started landing big on him. The body shots started doing damage, especially the right hand to the kidney was doing some damage. He sapped his own energy. [Ward] got into his head from the fifth on. He didn't want to fight. He wanted to box. He wanted a technical style from his distance. He didn't want to fight."
Kovalev's promoter, Kathy Duva of Main Events, felt Ward was holding so much that he should pursue a career in the UFC.
"Very sour grapes, because it was her guy who was doing most of the holding. Anybody who disputes that is blind. I don't expect her to be happy. Kovalev is all she got and now it's a downward spiral. But she should close her mouth, I don't like Kathy," Hunter said.
