Did Ward end Kovalevs career??

Kovalev still has it physically but only time will tell if he can reclaim his former glory. If he has a true champion's spirit and the proper mentality he can definitely get to back to where he was and even surpass it...but it's going to be a big challenge. This is where we learn what a fighter is really made of. Only the best will reclaim their former glory and only the greatest can surpass it. I predict he'll come back and win some good fights but I'm not sure if he'll dominate the division again. He has the talent but does he have the will? In a way this is a great opportunity to dig deep and see if he has greatness in him. The things that give me doubt about his ability to bounce back fully from this loss are the rumours about his drinking habits (very bad for a boxer, especially if he has stamina issues...In fact, it might even be part of the reason he has stamina issues) and because he seems like a stubborn guy who might avoid being introspective and honest with himself. Physically and talent-wise he's still among the best...Mentally is he shot? Does he really enjoy the heat of the battle still?

Naw....Dre is special...everybody can't do what he did mentally and physically to Krusher...I still think Krusher is the best 175 pounder not named Andre Ward imo...Krusher is a G...he can bounce back Not really Beterbeiv is much better.

lol..Kovalev kept threatening to do it to Ward..but it seemed to backfire badly Yeah, just as badly as he ended your meds.

This was the beginning of the end of Kovalev's career https://i.imgur.com/woKBdKU.gif

Naw....Dre is special...everybody can't do what he did mentally and physically to Krusher...I still think Krusher is the best 175 pounder not named Andre Ward imo...Krusher is a G...he can bounce back

He survived, mentally, and was fine after killing somebody in the ring. I think he'll be fine here if he can accept that there's really no shame losing to Ward. He should do all in his might to ditch Duva and get with Haymon for an easy touch on PbC and then an intriguing, high profile fight against Stevenson.

As a top fighter? In my honest opinion, yes. It was the way that he lost. Fighters would have been frightened to trade leather with him because there's this belief that there is a monster in him. Ward revealed that he will wilt. Behind the mean front is a man who will cry and retreat into his shell when put under pressure.

Probably did, and sadly I'm not sure kov has even made mega bucks from the sport. Kind of sad

Without question Ward has altered Kovalev's entire career trajectory. His asking price, his P4P ranking, his future demand, his future interest, his overall reputation, ect, ect - have all taken massive hits. JDJ told him specifically how important it was for him to get his belts back for future leverage sake during camp. This was not a fight Kovalev could afford to lose. The fact that he effectively surrendered should haunt him for the rest of his life.

He's gonna try to get with some russian trainer and "reinvent himself" just to get KTFO by Stevenson.

Kovalev's next fight should show how much the KO loss to Ward did or didn't take out of him. I don't see why Kovalev couldn't come back strong physically but it may have hurt him mentally.

I wanna say no but the fact that he was pausing and looking for ref help tells me his mind is cracked. A year ago, I'd say it won't phase him. But, 175 is starting to look hot and there's several guys that will be legit challenges for him. This was very concerning.

I'd say yeah...low blow smoe blow dude got owned once that right hand hit it was over and if he hadn't bent over he was going to get laid out. Thing is Kovalevs good albeit kind of a three trick pony...but he was damn good...whose else ever won so many rounds against andre? andre even gave him his due which was classy considering all the crap kovalev talked. i scored the first fight a draw. Andre might not hit as hard as some claim or this or that they don't like but to write off this guys career over his dirty tactics is to negate all his other amazing attributes. Has andre used dirty tactics? Hell yeah, but to even admit that very last punch hit low, I still can't believe at the last three seconds Ward felt it was necessary to dick shot Kov. He was on his way out done done done. No way it was deliberate and calculated.Kov was rabbit punching all night too. The best man won that night. For Kov to whine is assinine. Andre was simply better down the stretch... did he "dominate" and win every round? No, but boxing can be similar to a game of 9-ball; a guy can make the one through 8 and miss the 9 and the other guy comes and makes the 9, well its still a win. If kov were mentally strong he would learn from this and to stay relevant he will get back in the ring quick against Beterbiev or Stevenson or Alvarez. To me what happen last night was just what it must have been like when Ali knocked out Foreman. Nobody thought Ali had a chance but Foreman gassed, the rest is history. Is Kovalevs career over? Maybe if he cant recover mentally and face prime top contenders but I don't think he will be forgotten in boxing history at all but hof at this stage? Meh

Seriously? Yes I think he has. That fear is gone, I don't see any other fighter looking at Kovalev the same way ever again. Take away the stoppage and analysis the last few rounds and am still shocked that it was Kovalev in there. I remember him against Cleverly and it was Cleverly looking to the ref, his corner etc to save his life, to see Kov doing the same!!! Am still in shock, the fact that he lost doesn't shock me, it was his reaction to getting hurt that shocked me.

He's mentally shot that's for sure. Dude is a nut job. Add in his garbage promoter and enablers around him. Might not ever be the same

I think Kovalev should move up to Cruiserweight, fight a couple of soft touches and aim for a title shot at Cruiserweight. He should finish his career at Cruiserweight. He's 34 years old now going on 35. He shouldn't deplete his body anymore at LHW. Just move up, plan for another title shot and end his career at Cruiser. Win, Lose or Draw that's what he should do. That's his best bet at this point. He may not be the same, he may not feel that sense of invincibility or his bully self as he used to. But he might as well not weight drain himself anymore at 175 and gas out by the 5th round. Since the Chilemba fight he's been gassing out early. So at least the move to Cruiserweight will help with that. He has a chance to redeem himself, he should fight a couple of soft touches at Cruiser to acclimate himself and then go for a title or try to attract a name like Bellew to fight him. Win, Lose or Draw Cruiserweight is his best bet at this point.

Salido's low blows to Lomachenko were actually low, and Loma seems better than ever. Ward's beltline, legal body punching to Kovalev shouldn't halt his career or make him go on the down slide. We have to consider his mentality going on forward. Like Foxx said below and the other sh*t I mentioned too. I wanna say no but the fact that he was pausing and looking for ref help tells me his mind is cracked. A year ago, I'd say it won't phase him. But, 175 is starting to look hot and there's several guys that will be legit challenges for him.

I wanna say no but the fact that he was pausing and looking for ref help tells me his mind is cracked. A year ago, I'd say it won't phase him. But, 175 is starting to look hot and there's several guys that will be legit challenges for him.

Yes. He's probably gonna go be muscle for some Russian mobster.

Hard to say. Im kinda leaning towards yes. After the first fight it was easier to keep that "aura of invincibility" cause it was easy to cry robbery. But this time around, Kovalev himself as well as others know that he quit. That he looked for a way out. I don't think he will be there mentally anymore and no fighter will respect him in the ring as they used to respect him because now they know what he's really about.