Ward gonna get his asssss kicked by Kovalev

[mike1010011]

That is the second time you have referred to height, reach, and dimensions. They have pretty similar dimensions, I think Kovalev is a bit taller and reach is 1 inch longer, basically nothing. Not enough to make a difference. Why do ignorant fools like you not do your research before making a thread, and at least stick to facts. People don't realise that Ward is a big strong 168 lber, and he will fill out at 175 nicely. Anyhow, size will not be any kind of determining factor in this fight. It will be if Kovalev can keep his distance and keep Ward on the end of his punches, which would more than likely equate to a KO. I personally would not put money on it, Ward has faced fighters who have better jabs and quicker hands than Kovalev and they have barely landed a glove on him. I don't underestimate Kovalev, I think he is a brilliant fighter and his power is a massive equaliser, but I think as long as Ward doesn't catch too many power shots he will have his way with Kovalev. More athletic, faster hands, faster feet, can beat Kovalev on the inside or outside. Don't sleep on Wards power either, he can hit pretty well especially with the left hook. At the end of the day Abraham is known as one of the biggest hitters in the game and he couldn't get Smith out of there in 24 rounds, Ward busted him up and stopped him.

The reason why I give Kovalev a chance is because we have seen Ward floored and even though he has proved his chin against big punchers, he has shown he can be hit and hurt. But that is all Kovalev has in my opinion a punchers chance with that long right hand or that follow up left he likes to throw from the southpaw stance, which has caught a few fighters unaware.

Here's the thing,you make a pretty decent arguement...but you are vastly overrating ward,and undermining kovalev. The fight itself would just be a matter of not "if",but " when" kovalev will land on ward. Be it to the head or the body,kovalev has fight changing power,and knows how to place his shots. The way you make it seem,you'd think that kovalev is a slow plodding puncher and has nothing more than a punchers chance. In reality ward has seen nothing even close to kovalev,and would be in for a verry rude awakening if he used froch or Abraham as some sort of a measuring stick. It would be suicide for ward to try to box from the outside,because kovalev would get full leverage on his punches,and is actually a verry good boxer,with a devastating jab, so wards only option would be to try to get in close and make the fight as dirty as possible. That strategy would lead to 1 of 2 scenarios. 1. Ward tries to get on the inside and clinch kovalev,in which he would get ragdolled and throw halfway across the ring. And yes kovalev can do that,because if he can do it with light heavies,there's no reason why he can't to it with a "big strong super middle" like ward. 2 ward comes in with his head down,and gets clipped and put down like Hopkins did in the first round,with a short right hook. Like I said before,this fight isn't "if" but "when" kovalev will land,and I'd honestly consider it an achievement if ward manages to go the 12 rounds.

[sunny31]

Here's the thing,you make a pretty decent arguement...but you are vastly overrating ward,and undermining kovalev. The fight itself would just be a matter of not "if",but " when" kovalev will land on ward. Be it to the head or the body,kovalev has fight changing power,and knows how to place his shots. The way you make it seem,you'd think that kovalev is a slow plodding puncher and has nothing more than a punchers chance. In reality ward has seen nothing even close to kovalev,and would be in for a verry rude awakening if he used froch or Abraham as some sort of a measuring stick. It would be suicide for ward to try to box from the outside,because kovalev would get full leverage on his punches,and is actually a verry good boxer,with a devastating jab, so wards only option would be to try to get in close and make the fight as dirty as possible. That strategy would lead to 1 of 2 scenarios. 1. Ward tries to get on the inside and clinch kovalev,in which he would get ragdolled and throw halfway across the ring. And yes kovalev can do that,because if he can do it with light heavies,there's no reason why he can't to it with a "big strong super middle" like ward. 2 ward comes in with his head down,and gets clipped and put down like Hopkins did in the first round,with a short right hook. Like I said before,this fight isn't "if" but "when" kovalev will land,and I'd honestly consider it an achievement if ward manages to go the 12 rounds.

Ha ha...Im only seeing it one way? We'll see, I look forward to the fight. Someone has to be right and wrong, the thing you have to ask yourself, is what happens "when" Kovalev lands and he is not able to get Ward going? You have to consider that as a possibility to truly give yourself perspective.

[Bayles$]

I'd love to see this, I'd edge Kov....just...only just

[Larry the boss]

Here's the thing,you make a pretty decent arguement...but you are vastly overrating ward,and undermining kovalev. The fight itself would just be a matter of not "if",but " when" kovalev will land on ward. Be it to the head or the body,kovalev has fight changing power,and knows how to place his shots. The way you make it seem,you'd think that kovalev is a slow plodding puncher and has nothing more than a punchers chance. In reality ward has seen nothing even close to kovalev,and would be in for a verry rude awakening if he used froch or Abraham as some sort of a measuring stick. It would be suicide for ward to try to box from the outside,because kovalev would get full leverage on his punches,and is actually a verry good boxer,with a devastating jab, so wards only option would be to try to get in close and make the fight as dirty as possible. That strategy would lead to 1 of 2 scenarios. 1. Ward tries to get on the inside and clinch kovalev,in which he would get ragdolled and throw halfway across the ring. And yes kovalev can do that,because if he can do it with light heavies,there's no reason why he can't to it with a "big strong super middle" like ward. 2 ward comes in with his head down,and gets clipped and put down like Hopkins did in the first round,with a short right hook. Like I said before,this fight isn't "if" but "when" kovalev will land,and I'd honestly consider it an achievement if ward manages to go the 12 rounds.

Or option 3..Ward get in and makes Kovalev face something he has never had to deal with before,a prime hall of fame type of fighter who can **** on the inside. Then we get to see hoe Sergy adjusts tot hat and get to witness a great fight.

[Larry the boss]

Ha ha...Im only seeing it one way? We'll see, I look forward to the fight. Someone has to be right and wrong, the thing you have to ask yourself, is what happens "when" Kovalev lands and he is not able to get Ward going? You have to consider that as a possibility to truly give yourself perspective.

All they see is "POWER" but what happens when that does not end it or it does not land fully? They hype all power punchers up all based on power alone..Kovalez is a solid fighter yes but lets let the fight play out

[sunny31]

All they see is "POWER" but what happens when that does not end it or it does not land fully? They hype all power punchers up all based on power alone..Kovalez is a solid fighter yes but lets let the fight play out

Yeah it gets tedious after a while. No one really knows what is going to happen, but you have to be able to see past the power, and it doesn't mean you are dismissing the fighter's overall ability. What I do know is Ward is two clear levels above anything Kovalev has fought, but credit to Kovalev he has dominated that level so its intriguing. You don't know where either guys ceiling is at this moment and those are the fights which always cause the most anticipation.

There is no denying Kovalev has looked spectacular, and its hard to see past that for a lot of people when he is so destructive and dominating, but when he gets in that ring with Ward it will look different, and most of these guys will realise then...there is levels to this ****!

[SweetPbfAli]

If Kovalev can control the range, he wins. If he can't and allows Ward to get in his chest, he will lose. He was able to maintain distance versus a 50 year old Hops but Ward is a completely different animal at this point in their respective careers. Ward probably has the best and most diverse jab in boxing now that Floyd is retired and that will be key for him to beat Kov.

[Syf]

I have made it clear he is not just a power guy, and he will present Ward with a challenge for sure, BUT I give him a punchers chance to win. That is my personal opinion. He will never nullify Ward like that, Hopkins and Ward do some similar things but there style is not what I would call similar. Ward is more comparable to a young Bernard at 160, but even then not totally similar. I do not feel that Bernard has ever had the natural ability and physical gifts that Ward has, its those gifts which will allow Ward to do things that a 50 year old Bernard was not able. Don't forget Chad Dawson also nullified Bernard with length and speed, and before that to a lesser extent Jermain Taylor did the same. Kovalev obviously did his homework. Ward is not going to lay on the ropes for the majority of the fight, he will do different things and has shown the ability to adjust and change styles to suit the opposing fighter, even using multiple styles in the same fight. Kovalev does the same thing pretty much, he just does it extremely well. He boxed Hopkins a little different and showed the ability to implement a strategy, but essentially it was from the same structure and fought the fight at his usual distance and the same punches.

I want to make it clear that I have the highest opinion of Hopkins as a fighter, and don't say any of the above lightly. I do not think Ward is a greater fighter, or has accomplished more than Hopkins as of today, just need to get my point across that despite what a smart and cerebral fighter Hopkins is, first of all he is 50, and even when he was a young fighter in his prime, he maybe didn't have the god given natural gifts like a Roy Jones, Mayweather, or Ward.

On the subject of Hopkins - the one fighter he has publicly and self confessed totally and utterly avoided is Andre Ward. He has said he would never fight him, and admitted he is far too good.

Hopkins is a closer parallel to Ward than any fighter Ward has faced is to Kovalev. As such, Kovalev has the tactical advantage because he has actually fought someone with a similar look to Ward, whereas Ward has faced NO ONE even remotely like Kovalev. Kovalev is a different sort of beast than the guys Ward faced cleaning out 168.

Ward cannot pull the tactics he used on someone like the dane. Kessler. Kovalev is too fluid in transition to get away with changing distance that quickly on him. That moment between standing outside and throwing a punch and going for the clinch, Ward is vulnerable. He just hasn't fought anyone skilled enough to catch him in that fleeting transition. Kov has that skill. He caught Bhop IN TRANSITION. Albeit transitioning out as opposed to transitioning in, but the same principal applies.

So, bullrush then clinching out of the way, Ward could TRY boxing Kov on the outside, however he'd be at a disadvantage there and mid range because Kovalev packs a tire iron and is the offensively superior fighter.

That leaves making it an ugly fight on the inside, but his problem there is Kov is a full fledged LHW with bad intentions. As such, he'll be a handful in the clinch, because he will have a size advantage over Ward.

All they see is "POWER" but what happens when that does not end it or it does not land fully? They hype all power punchers up all based on power alone..Kovalez is a solid fighter yes but lets let the fight play out

Larry you make a mistake. I like skill, the same as you. But I also recognize offensive skill. Power alone would not get my attention. Randal Bailey has power but I refuse to watch his fights because he has very little skill, he just looks for the homerun. Kovalev can end you with one punch, by accumulation, or beat you pillar to post and win a lopsided decision. He can do this because he is skilled.

[sunny31]

Hopkins is a closer parallel to Ward than any fighter Ward has faced is to Kovalev. As such, Kovalev has the tactical advantage because he has actually fought someone with a similar look to Ward, whereas Ward has faced NO ONE even remotely like Kovalev. Kovalev is a different sort of beast than the guys Ward faced cleaning out 168.

Ward cannot pull the tactics he used on someone like the dane. Kessler. Kovalev is too fluid in transition to get away with changing distance that quickly on him. That moment between standing outside and throwing a punch and going for the clinch, Ward is vulnerable. He just hasn't fought anyone skilled enough to catch him in that fleeting transition. Kov has that skill. He caught Bhop IN TRANSITION. Albeit transitioning out as opposed to transitioning in, but the same principal applies.

So, bullrush then clinching out of the way, Ward could TRY boxing Kov on the outside, however he'd be at a disadvantage there and mid range because Kovalev packs a tire iron and is the offensively superior fighter.

That leaves making it an ugly fight on the inside, but his problem there is Kov is a full fledged LHW with bad intentions. As such, he'll be a handful in the clinch, because he will have a size advantage over Ward.



Larry you make a mistake. I like skill, the same as you. But I also recognize offensive skill. Power alone would not get my attention. Randal Bailey has power but I refuse to watch his fights because he has very little skill, he just looks for the homerun. Kovalev can end you with one punch, by accumulation, or beat you pillar to post and win a lopsided decision. He can do this because he is skilled.

I am sorry I don't agree with you. For starters you are basing your backing of Kovalev primarily on the stylistic similarities between Hopkins and Ward so lets break that down further. The two guys are not balanced in the same way, Ward does everything off his left hand, he is a left handed fighter converted into an orthodox stance. He works off his jab and left hook, Ward has better symmetry and has dominated guys with jab to head jab to body, jab to head jab to body.

Bernard is an orthodox fighter who's main weapon is the right hand, he fights behind his left shoulder and a very side on stance, he waits for mistakes and guys to overextend themselves. Both guys are clearly very well educated at using both hands, but there are clear differences. Most of the comparisons between these two are based on the fact that both guys are intelligent and employ a dirty and sometimes messy style of clinching, spoiling and leading with the head. As I said in my original post I agree with this to a certain extent, and they do have 1 or 2 similar habits, but ultimately they go about their business in a different way. Ward has faster hands, faster feet, is more forward thinking. Bernard hits harder is more experienced, and more defensively responsible. The thing is, it is a strange comparison and is a strange thing to base your prediction on.

You mentioned you can't compare Kovalev to Kessler (not sure anyone was?) But for the same reasons you give, Kovalev is far too good in transition and counters if you rush him as he did with Bernard. Do you think Bernard at 50 will be coming at Kovalev at the same speed as Ward? What you have to understand is that someone was going to dominate Bernard eventually, he has been slowing down for a long time, but that last few years in particular. What he has done in the last few years has been truly amazing, but he is not a prime Andre Ward no where near it. For that reason I don't think it is smart to compare the problems that Bernard had and think that Ward will have the same problems to the same degree.

Froch countered Ward with a left hook, a similar type of punch that Kovalev landed on Hopkins, at the end of a round, can't remember which one. I think the punch stiffened Ward's legs. He was rushing in with combinations and Froch clipped him. But he was not able to replicate, because Ward is extremely hard to time. Plus and I think this is the most important thing, Ward and Hunter will have time to do plenty of homework. Ward is so versatile, and a bit like Floyd's career people think mistakes he makes in other fights will be exploited in their next fight or against a certain type of fighter and it doesn't happen.

Kovalev is a tremendous fighter - his chances are definitely on the outside or trying to clip Ward coming in, I think that is where we agree. But where we disagree is that Kovalev will find sporadic and little success unless he nails Ward and I don't expect that to happen, I certainly would not bet on it. I don't expect to see a huge difference in strength when they are in the ring, I expect for the same reasons that Kovalev has long levers and throwing long punches is a strength, this will be exploited by Ward at mid range and on the inside, he is slow to bring his hands back up to protect his head, and can be countered himself, at times he is wide open, this was highlighted in the Pascal fight and against Caparello. His power has gotten him out of difficult situations thus far, and it could against Ward...COULD.

[bojangles1987]

This is the best fight in the sport. I'm not really sure how it will go. It's true that Ward has similarities to Hopkins, but he's younger, much faster, and has much better reflexes. He's also a master at preventing his opponent from ever becoming comfortable. He moves in and out, breaks their rhythm, and controls the pace. He's highly skilled at every range. It's a damn good possibility that he does the same to Kovalev.

Or maybe Kovalev knocks him out. It's hard to be sure. I'd lean towards a close Ward decision, but wouldn't be surprised either way. I just want to actually see it.