Im starting to think that Ward may beat DF out of Kov! I mean punish him!

[therealpugilist]

I find it hard to imagine. Ward's offence didn't look impressive against Barrera. Kovalev can also avoid punishment if he wants to. His distance control is very good and his feet are quick. But obviously you don't play chess for 12 rounds when you punch like that.

Ward was shaking off rust and it was obvious he was working on certain things and change his style several times vs barrera. I think going 12 benefitted him more than getting barrera out of there after the kd

Kovalev hasnt dealt with anyone with the abilty to pivot, slip dip and roll like ward...make you miss by centimeters...most of his opponents move back and forward in straight lines and thats suicide for a great straight puncher like Kovalev

Ward will be mixing up outside mid range(off the pivot and inside work...Kov hasnt very little inside game and doesnt work out of the clinch

[techliam]

Ward was shaking off rust and it was obvious he was working on certain things and change his style several times vs barrera. I think going 12 benefitted him more than getting barrera out of there after the kd

Kovalev hasnt dealt with anyone with the abilty to pivot, slip dip and roll like ward...make you miss by centimeters...most of his opponents move back and forward in straight lines and thats suicide for a great straight puncher like Kovalev

Ward will be mixing up outside mid range(off the pivot and inside work...Kov hasnt very little inside game and doesnt work out of the clinch

Ward won't be anywhere as active against Kovalev knowing he can be KO'd at any point. Clinching is a tactic he can use, but Kovalev is a much bigger and stronger man. I doubt he can use it too often with success.

Punches that don't land cleanly are still going to hurt Ward. Noone on this board has offered any theories on how Ward is going to handle that. Cleverly handled it by continuing the game plan of high work rate until the bomb landed. Hopkins just covered up and survived for 12 rounds. Pascal, in the rounds he manage survive, fought as a hurt fighter until he couldn't do it anymore. Twice. This being a man that has never been KO'd and took bombs from any other fighter on his resume.

Ward is hard to hit, but he doesn't always make his opponent hit air. Most of the time he partially blocks it. Theres a GIF parading around somewhere on here as a highlight where Ward partially blocks Barrera's left hook (to his ear) and counters with a very nice shot. If Kovalev threw that punch, theres a pretty big chance it'd wobble Ward.

[therealpugilist]

Ward won't be anywhere as active against Kovalev knowing he can be KO'd at any point. Clinching is a tactic he can use, but Kovalev is a much bigger and stronger man. I doubt he can use it too often with success.

Punches that don't land cleanly are still going to hurt Ward. Noone on this board has offered any theories on how Ward is going to handle that. Cleverly handled it by continuing the game plan of high work rate until the bomb landed. Hopkins just covered up and survived for 12 rounds. Pascal, in the rounds he manage survive, fought as a hurt fighter until he couldn't do it anymore. Twice. This being a man that has never been KO'd and took bombs from any other fighter on his resume.

Ward is hard to hit, but he doesn't always make his opponent hit air. Most of the time he partially blocks it. Theres a GIF parading around somewhere on here as a highlight where Ward partially blocks Barrera's left hook (to his ear) and counters with a very nice shot. If Kovalev threw that punch, theres a pretty big chance it'd wobble Ward.

Kovalev and Ward are around same height, there is no significant size advantage...Ward will be around 185 so will Kov

Ward hasnt been kayoed...dropped once early as a middleweight prospect, and has far better defense than Pascal who depends on athleticism and has a bad habit of learning to the right....right in line for a straight right hand.
punching power and physical strength are 2 different things

When has Ward been beaten on the inside?

Ward has faced reputed punchers before....Kessler, Froch, Green, Abraham....he outboxed them all and outmuscled them on the inside while people assume because of his STYLE

its boxing, of course Ward will get hit, but Kovalev is not exactly Bob Foster...he wheres you down...he doesnt have much punch variety either a guy as talented and skilled as ward will pick up on him just throwing jab, jab str8...jab jab overhand right...jab jab loop....

[techliam]

Kovalev and Ward are around same height, there is no significant size advantage...Ward will be around 185 so will Kov

Ward hasnt been kayoed...dropped once early as a middleweight prospect, and has far better defense than Pascal who depends on athleticism and has a bad habit of learning to the right....right in line for a straight right hand.
punching power and physical strength are 2 different things

When has Ward been beaten on the inside?

Ward has faced reputed punchers before....Kessler, Froch, Green, Abraham....he outboxed them all and outmuscled them on the inside while people assume because of his STYLE

its boxing, of course Ward will get hit, but Kovalev is not exactly Bob Foster...he wheres you down...he doesnt have much punch variety either a guy as talented and skilled as ward will pick up on him just throwing jab, jab str8...jab jab overhand right...jab jab loop....

Ward looked a lot smaller than Barrera, and Kovalev is a big light heavyweight. Ward himself posted something on FB to the tune of 'bigger doesn't always mean better' alongside a picture of the Barrera fight. Punching power and physical strength are certainly two different things, but you're the one putting them together, not me. Kovalev has both.

When has Ward been beaten on the inside? Very faulty logic. He could well be outboxed in the inside in the future, though I doubt it with Kovalev. Its probably Ward's best chance of victory, but I can't see the clinch being that effective.

The punchers you listed hit nowhere near as hard as Kovalev. Watch the Froch-Pascal fight again, its a classic. Pascal took his bombs like nothing. Other than Pascal, the ones you listed are also much smaller than Kovalev.

How can Ward maintain an acceptable workrate (already pretty low against Barrera) when the punches he's blocking hurt, and he knows a KO can happen at any time? You never answered that

[therealpugilist]

Ward looked a lot smaller than Barrera, and Kovalev is a big light heavyweight. Ward himself posted something on FB to the tune of 'bigger doesn't always mean better' alongside a picture of the Barrera fight. Punching power and physical strength are certainly two different things, but you're the one putting them together, not me. Kovalev has both.

When has Ward been beaten on the inside? Very faulty logic. He could well be outboxed in the inside in the future, though I doubt it with Kovalev. Its probably Ward's best chance of victory, but I can't see the clinch being that effective.

The punchers you listed hit nowhere near as hard as Kovalev. Watch the Froch-Pascal fight again, its a classic. Pascal took his bombs like nothing. Other than Pascal, the ones you listed are also much smaller than Kovalev.

How can Ward maintain an acceptable workrate (already pretty low against Barrera) when the punches he's blocking hurt, and he knows a KO can happen at any time? You never answered that

Kov doesnt impose his style, nor does he work inside...he fights the same way and never had to adapt because he overwhelm guys. Ward gives a lot of different looks. Kov doesnt. What he does works for him and at the top level, usually the more versatile guy wins

Kov isnt exactly Homicide hank...he places his punches just as ward does...much like whitaker, mayweather, etc....all great defensive fighters cause their opponents punch output to drop because you lose confidence landing less than you'r eused to and getting countered

I forsee and chess match and that favors Ward....Kov doesnt fight inside, and Ward has the advantage there because Kov doesnt work out the clinch throw hooks or uppercuts...he fights str8 up and has good technique but not much punch variety...his jab is always the same...Ward throws an up jab, step jab, range finder jab, etc...he has way more options to win IMO than KOV...both are great fighters though

[therealpugilist]

Ward looked a lot smaller than Barrera, and Kovalev is a big light heavyweight. Ward himself posted something on FB to the tune of 'bigger doesn't always mean better' alongside a picture of the Barrera fight. Punching power and physical strength are certainly two different things, but you're the one putting them together, not me. Kovalev has both.

When has Ward been beaten on the inside? Very faulty logic. He could well be outboxed in the inside in the future, though I doubt it with Kovalev. Its probably Ward's best chance of victory, but I can't see the clinch being that effective.

The punchers you listed hit nowhere near as hard as Kovalev. Watch the Froch-Pascal fight again, its a classic. Pascal took his bombs like nothing. Other than Pascal, the ones you listed are also much smaller than Kovalev.

How can Ward maintain an acceptable workrate (already pretty low against Barrera) when the punches he's blocking hurt, and he knows a KO can happen at any time? You never answered that

Kov has not blasted out any of his top opponents...Pascal took heavy heavy shots and lasted that long with a porous defense

Hopkins though, wily cunning and skilled, is not as hard to hit as Ward, isnt as fast...doesnt hit as hard...doesnt move around the ring as well as Ward, and is middle aged...he went 12 rounds with him

Kovalev is not a one punch hitter so i dont understand why people act like he is...GGG is a one punch hitter...wilder is a one punch hitter....Kov is like Chocolatito...good technique, sharp power but wear you down...i just dont see Kov landing enough to win a decision and will have to pull a tarver vs jones and score some kds to win.

[MurkaMan]

Lots and lots of words there, but the bottom line is this: If Ward gets in with Kovalev, Ward is getting knocked out.

Dude Im not interested in any fanboyism... "If he dares steps foot..." Portrating Kov as this dangerous guy, that Ward should be weary of!

I never said Ward would win or lose! I dont know who will win or lose! I said Ward may BEAT DF out of him! Stop thinking of Kov as some monster, and give Ward a little bit respect!

We're here to be real, and Ward is not some guy who "automatically gets KO'd by Kov"

When he couldnt even KO Hopkins who was old!
Open your eyes and really understand what Im saying!
This may be very very dangerous situation for Kov! Because of Ward's style and Kov's reputation, Ward may go in their and make it another Dawson! I think the fight may look identical! Kov has a better chin and more power, but I just think Kov has to take this serious! In his mind, HE is the dangerous guy with range and power!

I dont think he's prepared to be on the other end of the aggression he tends to put out onto others! Ward is a nasty, dirty, mean guy with hand-skills! While Kov is great, Ward is special! I NEVER SAID WHO WOULD WIN OR LOSE! Im just saying everything about this match up spells trouble! They are both great fighters, but the difference between them, will determine the winner!

[Johnny Rubber]

Kovalev fans; "He's a killer, a beast, he enjoys hurting people!"
"He carried Hopkins doe. Didn't KO him because he was being a nice guy."

Hop fought lots of supposed killers or beasts and none of them KO'd him previously, so why the heat for Kov?

[Redd Foxx]

Hop fought lots of supposed killers or beasts and none of them KO'd him previously, so why the heat for Kov?

I never gave him a hard time over that. Ever. The fans sound ridiculous though, pretending a boxer will KO as he pleases. The sport doesn't work that way.

[Johnny Rubber]

Kovalev and Ward are around same height, there is no significant size advantage...Ward will be around 185 so will Kov

Ward hasnt been kayoed...dropped once early as a middleweight prospect, and has far better defense than Pascal who depends on athleticism and has a bad habit of learning to the right....right in line for a straight right hand.
punching power and physical strength are 2 different things

When has Ward been beaten on the inside?

Ward has faced reputed punchers before....Kessler, Froch, Green, Abraham....he outboxed them all and outmuscled them on the inside while people assume because of his STYLE

its boxing, of course Ward will get hit, but Kovalev is not exactly Bob Foster...he wheres you down...he doesnt have much punch variety either a guy as talented and skilled as ward will pick up on him just throwing jab, jab str8...jab jab overhand right...jab jab loop....

Maybe, but who has Ward fought in the past with Kov's consistent power? Froch, Pascal and Kessler etc could all bang, but on the same level as Kov allegedly can?

Both are fans of dirty tactics and would make for an interesting fight, but it will be more interesting to see how ward reacts if Kov really touches him.