Kovalev overtrained for the first fight and supposedly he "won" anyway, then he gets an immediate rematch, looks tired at about the 5th round, gets hit on the head a pack of times and looks hurt form head punches. The fight culminates with some belt line punches and some questionably low punches and gets TKO'ed now.
What happens in the third fight? Does Kovalev finally get the TKO, "sparks" Ward out? Or does Ward just finish the job he started before Tony Weeks took the legit TKO away from him?
I in no way suggested Kovalev didn't come up short against Ward. I thought the first fight was close, but thought Ward won. I thought the second fight was close through 6 rounds (3-3 on my card) before Ward started pulling away & Kovalev started looking for a way out.
I think most fans saw what I saw or certainly a nice segment as I know there was a fair amount of disagreement on the scorecards for the first fight.
But I'm not debating that.
I'm debating two elite level guys fighting through 19 rounds of boxing that are separated by a mere 2 points on judge scored rounds, are both P4P quality guys & are arguable top two in their division & no worse then top 3 in their division aren't THAT different in the caliber of their skill to suggest one guy is a B- fighter. That sh^t is f#cking insane. Kovalev lost a fight, two fights to another elite level fighter. He's arguably still the 2nd or 3rd best guy in the division just like he was yesterday.
I don't think you realize that you are actually not just discounting Kovalev as a fighter you are also discounting Ward (or any other two fighters cuz mfers do this sh^t all the time) cuz you are never letting him beat a peer or equal in the sport of boxing. Kovalev was a peer or equal of Ward til he lost. Now he's lost a competitive fight again & now he's not even a peer of Ward. Thats bullsh^t.
Ward actually spoke on this at the post fight presser saying how quality of a boxer Kovalev was in both fights. But he was better or more adept at finding those edges than Kovalev was & thats the sorta sh^t that puts Ward just a lil bit higher than Kovalev...and noticed I said Ward is higher than Kovalev & not that Kovalev isn't somehow worse today then he was yesterday cuz he lost.
Thats not how things work & thats not how fans should think about boxing. If two evenly matched fighters fight the loser doesn't become worse, the winner becomes better through that adversity. Ward got better, Kovalev didn't get worse.
Let's debate what I still believe you are confusing w/ my initial post. First thing is this. Kov is not a B- fighter. If that's what you're taking from it, then I apologize for you getting this entire discussion in the place it's at. Kov, to me, going into this fight was a top 3 p4p fighter. That's how highly I think of him. Kovalev, after this fight, is no longer top 3, due to his mental game not being at the level of Ward's. That was my initial point.
Now to what you're debating. HIS MENTAL, meaning his thought process during the fight is not A level. His power, A+, his jab when he utilizes it is an A, his footwork when he's on the outside is an A, in the inside a B, his defense is very underrated so I'd give him a B+, his mental game, meaning how he adapts to Ward's adjustments, his inside game, his defense, what's working for and against him, giving and receiving fouls, the crowd is B-. That's my opinion of him in the B minus comment. I believe he is still a top 10 p4p fighter, but losing 2 fights to Ward by 2 points, as you say it, on what the judges had. A what if debate like Ward potentially being up 8 points if he would have finished the fight and won the remaining rounds is moot at this point. Even though i truly believe Kov had nothing left to adjust with after rd 7.
I understand the quality fighter Kov is. I believe you are the one misunderstanding my first post you quoted me on. I'm not a fan that discredits a fighter after a loss, a draw, a controversial win/loss or what they do personally. In no way is my opinion of Kov having a mental grade of a B- to me is this discrediting Ward. As a matter of fact, it shows why Ward was able to adapt in their first fight, and do even better in the rematch. Because physically, Ward isn't as imposing as Kov when you see them side by side, but his edge is cerebral. He won both fights this way to go w/ his physical attributes.
I'm on here posting and laughing at the trolls that continue to look for a way out, as if Ward wasn't taking over. Yet, with that, I have not discredited, spat on, or even brought Kov's name down in doing that. I know the level fighter he is, I know the tools he has and I also know that mentally, to me, he is a B- fighter at best. If you're still reading that the wrong way, then I will say at best Kov is an A- fighter that lost to an A+ fighter because Ward was simply smarter in the rounds that were completed and up to the last one that Ward stopped him in.
IF it's a non-corrupt ref who stops the excessive clinching and low blows in the first 2 rounds, Kovalev stops Ward in 6. Ward took all the energy out of Kovalev with low blows, that was the difference.
Kovalev overtrained for the first fight and supposedly he "won" anyway, then he gets an immediate rematch, looks tired at about the 5th round, gets hit on the head a pack of times and looks hurt form head punches. The fight culminates with some belt line punches and some questionably low punches and gets TKO'ed now.
What happens in the third fight? Does Kovalev finally get the TKO, "sparks" Ward out? Or does Ward just finish the job he started before Tony Weeks took the legit TKO away from him?
when will you Ruskies learn? Kovalev is a quitter and a glass jawed one at that.
Kovalev can dish it out....but he can't take it.
Exactly. He needs a fresh start but at this age, it's probably too damn late for him to start from scratch
Boxingscene live scored it 114-113 for Ward.
They also scored Golovkin over Jacobs close.
They have a bunch of great neutral scores.
I'll take BSL scorecards over others who could be biased. BS's scorer shows he has no dog in any fight and doesn't play the "oh i'm white/black, so the white/black guy won" character.
Cliff Rold (Boxingscene): 115-112 Kovalev
Ryan Burton (Boxingscene): 115-113 Kovalev
Victor M Salazar (Boxingscene): 115-112 Kovalev
The fight ended exactly how it would've ended even if Weeks would not have stopped it right then and there. But I just want the fight to actually have a better version of a TKO. I think Ward can repeat what he just did, but I want a better version of it.
Maybe. I think Ward would still be cautious of his power and just punish him until the last bell, but i can see Weeks or the corner stop it as well
He finished the guy. People can cry about belt line shots but it doesn't change what happened. Kovalev got finished. Shots to the head really fuked him up, body shots put him away.
If he earns his way back, hell yea. Would love to see it. Right now, Stevenson, Gvo, and Beterbeiv (should he beat someone with a pulse) are better fights.
What's with everyone calling low shots "belt line" all of the sudden? Kovalev started to unravel as soon as he started getting tired again...the guy can't fight a 12 round fight apparently, so what's the point?
I swear Imma have a stroke, heart attack & prolapsed anus from excessive wiping all at the same time if boxing fans don't quit discounting elite level boxers.
For f#cks sake if the #3 at worst 175lber in the f#cking world is a B- boxer there should only be 20 fighters at 175 in the world cuz the rest suck too bad to be fighting professional.
Guys can be A level fighters & lose to other slightly better A level fighters. Thats what happened tonight too. A elite level fighter beat another elite, but not elite enough, level fighter.
Mentally.. Mentally he doesn't have what his power does. He has plenty of pop, but the mental part gets away from him. Don't get it twisted because I've long been a Kov fan but he's mentally lost it against Ward twice now
I swear Imma have a stroke, heart attack & prolapsed anus from excessive wiping all at the same time if boxing fans don't quit discounting elite level boxers.
For f#cks sake if the #3 at worst 175lber in the f#cking world is a B- boxer there should only be 20 fighters at 175 in the world cuz the rest suck too bad to be fighting professional.
Guys can be A level fighters & lose to other slightly better A level fighters. Thats what happened tonight too. A elite level fighter beat another elite, but not elite enough, level fighter.
good post...
No. This isn't even about the physical aspect anymore. Ward can adapt during the fight and mentally, Kov is B- level at best. Ward is simply a better fighter. The first fight was close because of the KD, this fight looked as it was going to have Ward run away w/ the last 1/4 of the fight with ease. He has Kovalev figured out.
The fight ended exactly how it would've ended even if Weeks would not have stopped it right then and there. But I just want the fight to actually have a better version of a TKO. I think Ward can repeat what he just did, but I want a better version of it.
No. This isn't even about the physical aspect anymore. Ward can adapt during the fight and mentally, Kov is B- level at best. Ward is simply a better fighter. The first fight was close because of the KD, this fight looked as it was going to have Ward run away w/ the last 1/4 of the fight with ease. He has Kovalev figured out.
They have this fight again with neutral officiating.
http://talkingboxing.co.uk/we-go-to-the-scorecards-kovalev-v-ward
60 TOTAL SCORES POLLED FROM MEDIA
44 Scores for KOVALEV = 73%
15 Scores for WARD = 25%
1 Score for a DRAW + 2%
2nd fight should be overturned into a DQ. Nobody should even humor that it was legal.
Boxingscene live scored it 114-113 for Ward.
They also scored Golovkin over Jacobs close.
They have a bunch of great neutral scores.
I'll take BSL scorecards over others who could be biased. BS's scorer shows he has no dog in any fight and doesn't play the "oh i'm white/black, so the white/black guy won" character.