Sergey Kovalev vs. Andre Ward

[GRIP STACCIN]

GGG and Kovalev are better than Matthysse.

quite honestly,,there all shyt.

matthsse was probably the best of the bunch and he got exposed and ruined

[Pain~Lucy]

cant wait for the ward execution next year

[HEND]

Kovalev is a nice fighter, he has a very good offence but has wholes in his defence. But Ward is just something else. He has the whole package. He can box different ways. If the situation is like that he can outbox his opponents or he can be a bully who rough up his opponents inside like he did with Froch.
Yesterday I just rewatched the Ward-Froch fight, the Kovlev-Ward fight would played out the same way: Kova can't to nothing with him because he is forced to fight Ward' fight and he would lose his steam to attack which is very important in the case of Kovalev and GGG.

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A lot would depend on footwork. While Kovalev's footwork is good I think Ward's better and I can't really imagine that Kovalev traps Ward on the ropes or in the corner and just put on him his big combos. Ward would force the fight on the middle of the ring, and they would probably circle around each other.
Yes, probably the same way as it was on Froch-Ward. Froch also wanted to push Ward on the ropes or in the corner from the pocket/outside with his way longer reach and break Ward down there but he couldn't do it and he hasn't got any place to set up his long, rangy power punches. His advantage became his disadvantage every time when Ward rushed inside and beat him up on the inside. I don't see how the Kovalev fight would be different from this. Maybe Ward would be a little more aware on the inside because Kova's power but other than that... Kovalev and Golovkin are the most effective when they have space to set up their heavy combos and usually when they can cut off the ring and corner their opponents or at least they can push him onto the ropes.

Against Ward: pushing to the ropes, cornering --> disappear, space to set up combinations and heavy power punches --> disappear.
This is why Ward would win.

[Simurgh]

Kovalev is a nice fighter, he has a very good offence but has wholes in his defence. But Ward is just something else. He has the whole package. He can box different ways. If the situation is like that he can outbox his opponents or he can be a bully who rough up his opponents inside like he did with Froch.
Yesterday I just rewatched the Ward-Froch fight, the Kovlev-Ward fight would played out the same way: Kova can't to nothing with him because he is forced to fight Ward' fight and he would lose his steam to attack which is very important in the case of Kovalev and GGG.

Hm.. not sure about that. Kovalev is not Froch. He is much better technically, much more powerful and physically much stronger than Froch.

Just ask Hopkins..

Ward to bully Kovalev. I don't think so.

[Weltschmerz]

Kovalev krushes Ward. As others say, Ward wont be the bully here, Sergey will.

[HEND]

Hm.. not sure about that. Kovalev is not Froch. He is much better technically, much more powerful and physically much stronger than Froch.

Just ask Hopkins..

Ward to bully Kovalev. I don't think so.

Hopkins can't say it because he can't compare them.
Other: You're right in Kovalev doesn't equal Froch but honestly I can't say that I'm convinced that he is better than the prime Froch was (2010-2013).
Technically I think Kovalev is the better though Froch's jab and outside tech are often underrated, he has a long as **** reach and while he isn't an out fighter he can use it if he wants it. So I think maybe it would be harder and more dangerous for him but Ward could get on the inside against Kovalev as well.
As for physical strength I don't know if Kovalev is any more powerful than Froch... Kovalev is a bigger puncher but that's not automaticaly equal with psysical strenth, just look at Bradley lol...
Froch is a tough mother****er, nobody excepted that Ward will bully him but he did at the end of the day so I wouldn't exclude that he can do the same with the Krusher.
They haven't got exactly the same style, but I think an important common thing in them is they (Golo, Froch, Kovalev) all pressure fighters who pressure fro the pocket or outside and they all need the place and the zip to set up their heavy punches. They also like to force their opponents to the ropes or in the corner. And these important thing what Ward took from Froch one-by-one and I think he would definitely can do it with Golovkin and I see a big chance with Kovalev too.
Ward has literally not a single well known weakness. He fights comfortably everywhere (outside, pocket, inside), he is a master at controlling the fight, he also can use dirty tactics if it's needed (so it's hard to bully him) and his defence is almost immaculate. Guy hasn't lost since he was 12 if I know it right. Some people try to argue sometimes that his chin is weak because he was knocked down once but hey... It was long-long ago. Since then he fought way tougher fighters and fought some bigger punchers too and never was in serious trouble. Kovalev also got KD by Boone but last time he wore out some Pascal bombs...

Hopkins style sometimes similar to Ward's but not exactly the same, and Ward is wayyy better than this version of Hopkins. You will never see Ward stand before Kovalev in the corner waiting those combos think he can dodge all of them like Hopkins did sometimes against him and lately not just against him.

[Suckmedry]

Kovalev krushes Ward. As others say, Ward wont be the bully here, Sergey will.

Its a tricky fight. Depends who can impose their will. Wards cagey smothering style (which is hard for the eastern euro guys to deal with) or Kovalevs crushing jab power and all round offence.

Cracker of a fight i wouldnt even bother making a pick. Although i think you may be right in that Kovalev will match Ward for strength making it harder for Ward.

[Pain~Lucy]

ward's the bully?? lol kovalev will send ward to his church

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I have the feeling that some people think that Kovalev can't be bullied only based on his bad guy, image... Other than that I don't know why. Did he proved that he can't be bullied? A 49 years old Hopkins didn't bully him. Nice!
As I said, before his Froch fight also nobody thought that Ward will bully and rough up Froch because Froch was the "bigger puncher, rugged tough guy who can't be bullied by anyone". Familiar?