Opinions on Ward vs Kovalev stoppage

This thread Is not an attempt to make excuses for Kovalev because I actually picked Ward by decision and thought he fought one hell of a fight last night, but I am curious as to what some of the opinions on the board are regarding the final two low blows, and they were clearly low. If given the proper time of up to a 5 minute rest period after receiving the low blows, does anyone believe that Kovalev would have had enough of a rest period to regroup and actually come back and win via decision? Do you think that not given the proper time Is enough to warrant a rematch? All body shots were clean, one was border & kovalev's trunks were high....regardless of the early stoppage tony weeks saved kovalev from a extra beating cuz the K.O. was coming. I also did NOT give kovalev any rounds. I picked Ward to win by UD & didn't think he would K.O. kovalev but I am not surprised.

I NEVER feel sorry for guys looking to find a way out of fights. In fact if this wasn't Ward vs Kovalev and Kovalev wasn't supposed to be the big bad Krusher, no1 would be making these excuses for him. He lost due to his own poor boxing, conditioning and ring awareness. No excuses. Take your loss and move on. Like i didn't get it. You had no respect for Andre and his abiliy to hurt you. Yet he hurt you multiple times and you were the Krusher, but complaining about the punches being low? It's amazing to see it. Once you saw him turn his back to Andre you knew he mentally was fatigued. He was finished and couldn't bounce back. From that position where he's bent up on the ropes, all it took was for Andre to take a deep breath and hit him with a uppercut to win via KO.

Kovalev wasn't going to recover. He was done. The 5 minutes might have given him another round or so but Ward was keying in on that right that caught him the whole fight, and when it got him good, it rocked him. If people weren't so crazy about the stoppage they would realize what a special performance it was from Ward. That's how you become an all time great by stopping an opponent who people thought you lost to and gave you zero chance of getting a KO. Ward truly did put up one of the best performances of his career. Not to many would have thought that Ward was capable of stopping Kovalev.

Kovalev wasn't going to recover. He was done. The 5 minutes might have given him another round or so but Ward was keying in on that right that caught him the whole fight, and when it got him good, it rocked him. If people weren't so crazy about the stoppage they would realize what a special performance it was from Ward. That's how you become an all time great by stopping an opponent who people thought you lost to and gave you zero chance of getting a KO.

I saw no low blows, i saw a man throw uppercuts, and Kov sitting on the ropes, dazed and confused looking for a way out. Kov should have thrown back, he gave up, his body language was that of a battered woman. Ward had him hurt and gassed If anything Weeks robbed Ward of further embarrassing Kov and i had Kov winning the first fight, go check ^^^^^^^^^^

He started to bend after he realised Weeks wasn't even going to warn Ward after he got away with a low blow early on in the fight. He was trying to protect his balls, which were probably swollen or bruised up. Weeks is usually a good ref, but he did a poor job on this occassion. Probably semi-drunk. Lmao he was trying to quit. Period. Trying to protect his balls for what? He wasn't hit in the balls prior to that last shot. Stop making excuses. There's been plenty of slow mo vids of those shots. They were not to his groin.

He was or even at least on the Sky cards, the main thing he wasn't losing. You make it sound like he was stunned and out on his fight. He looked horrible in that 8th round. He turned his back on his opponent, he begged the ref for help on legal body blows, he ran to the ropes and kneeled over while not protecting himself, which eventually led to the low blow. He was clearly looking fir a way out. Rewatch the round.

I think the majority recognise this was a poor, strange stoppage. But one thing people have failed to mention much is that Kovalev's behaviour was strange, the way he bent over was amateurish and he was not prepared at all when he was hurt. He couldn't protect himself, so he bent over in a strange foetal position, when he should have taken a knee. Weeks should have given him a count, after which Ward should have probably had a warning to keep them up. None of these things happened, poor officiating. Anyway poor stoppage, and I agree with everyone that says it actually hurt Ward as well as Kova. We didn't get the definitive ending these fights deserved. He started to bend after he realised Weeks wasn't even going to warn Ward after he got away with a low blow early on in the fight. He was trying to protect his balls, which were probably swollen or bruised up. Weeks is usually a good ref, but he did a poor job on this occassion. Probably semi-drunk.

He wasn't up 3 rounds though so you start off with a false assertion. He was or even at least on the Sky cards, the main thing he wasn't losing. You make it sound like he was stunned and out on his fight.

When I typed that I hadn't seen weeks say belt would be ok prior to the fight. They were right in the area weeks said was ok. Still somewhat low but not 5 min worthy. But the rule states A boxer who is hit with an accidental low blow has up to five minutes to recover. If s/he cannot continue after five minutes, s/he is considered knocked out. The rule Isn't dependent on the severity of the blow.

He was up 3 rounds, it was a ****ty stoppage no matter how you look at it. If everyone thought like you then fights would be stopped whenever the referee had the slightest inclination a boxer couldn't win regardless of whether he was hurt or not. Tony Weeks is a silly cvnt. He wasn't up 3 rounds though so you start off with a false assertion.

Last night you said Yes. The blows were low but kov was done and wanted out. You know those shots at the very end were not borderline. When I typed that I hadn't seen weeks say belt would be ok prior to the fight. They were right in the area weeks said was ok. Still somewhat low but not 5 min worthy.

I think the majority recognise this was a poor, strange stoppage. But one thing people have failed to mention much is that Kovalev's behaviour was strange, the way he bent over was amateurish and he was not prepared at all when he was hurt. He couldn't protect himself, so he bent over in a strange foetal position, when he should have taken a knee. Weeks should have given him a count, after which Ward should have probably had a warning to keep them up. None of these things happened, poor officiating. Anyway poor stoppage, and I agree with everyone that says it actually hurt Ward as well as Kova. We didn't get the definitive ending these fights deserved.

Hated the stoppage cause it opened the door for excuses. Didn't have a problem with it because Kovalev was a beaten fighter looking for a way out

Yea, it was weird and disappointing to see The Krusher acting so frail, mentally. He lived up to the "bully" label Ward put on him. That's how bullys go out. With a whimper. Very true and very odd seeing Ward as the aggressor against someone like Kovalev.

They were borderline. Kov wanted out. Weeks stoppage was bad imo. He deprived fans of see No kov out on his back. Last night you said Yes. The blows were low but kov was done and wanted out. You know those shots at the very end were not borderline.

They were borderline. Kov wanted out. Weeks stoppage was bad imo. He deprived fans of see No kov out on his back.

I NEVER feel sorry for guys looking to find a way out of fights. In fact if this wasn't Ward vs Kovalev and Kovalev wasn't supposed to be the big bad Krusher, no1 would be making these excuses for him. He lost due to his own poor boxing, conditioning and ring awareness. No excuses. Take your loss and move on. Yea, it was weird and disappointing to see The Krusher acting so frail, mentally. He lived up to the "bully" label Ward put on him. That's how bullys go out. With a whimper.

He lost due to his own poor boxing, conditioning and ring awareness. No excuses. Take your loss and move on. He was up 3 rounds, it was a ****ty stoppage no matter how you look at it. If everyone thought like you then fights would be stopped whenever the referee had the slightest inclination a boxer couldn't win regardless of whether he was hurt or not. Tony Weeks is a silly cvnt.

I NEVER feel sorry for guys looking to find a way out of fights. In fact if this wasn't Ward vs Kovalev and Kovalev wasn't supposed to be the big bad Krusher, no1 would be making these excuses for him. He lost due to his own poor boxing, conditioning and ring awareness. No excuses. Take your loss and move on.