How do you think Ward will fight Kovalev?

[ukbox]

Ward will fight kov 1 of 2 ways imo
1, he'll fight kov as if kovs has just given him a gift before the first bell & in between rounds, people will wonder if Jay z has agreed to bank roll wards attempts at a sponsored hug.
2, he'll fight kov like floyd fought manny, subtle movements that force kov to cover the distance or that leave kov exposed, out of range & reaching. We'll see more fire from ward than we got from floyd, I'd also expect more urgency & a *** this attitude from kov where he just goes all out.
Kov taunting ward with his pelvic thrusts then jumping on him. I hope ward is ready to grit it out & fire back when he's forced to fight

[-Antonio-]

I see Ward keeping the fight as close to a phone booth fight as possible. That is one thing we can say, we haven't seen Kovalev get roughed up inside with body work and rough tactics. If Ward moves and gives Kovalev angles, I don't think he will be able to land enough clean punches to win a decision because Kovalev is too good at measuring distance and finding ways to land his shots.

[The Gambler1981]

Ward will have to do multiple things to keep Kovalev guessing, Kovalev is going to try and keep his distance which is his advantage but ward will want to be in much closer. The B-Hop fight doesn't really apply because B-Hop long ago lost the dynamic athleticism (if he was ever Ward's equal as a pure athlete) and Kovalev used his size, youth and athleticism to make B-Hop look like the old man he is.

Ward is mainly going to want to be as close as possible and stick to Kovalev like a glue, but he is going to have to jab his way in and close the distance by making Kovalev miss that first shot, but I would also think Ward will stop short of going all the way in at time staying the middle range doing work from there. If Ward is making Kovalev constantly fall back to maintain range his power will be greatly mitigated and he will basically be totally disarmed. If Ward stands around on the outside waiting then he is playing into Kovalev's hands.

[bojangles1987]

Agreed with both of these. Kovalev also has a bad habit of backing straight up. He paid for it early against Caparello.

Very possible Ward scores a flash KD when Kovalev backs up like that. He squares right up.

[Larry the boss]

Kovalev-Ward will look a lot like this..

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Except, I see Ward getting T/KO'd

Ward isnt 49 years old man

[-PBP-]

Ward will have to do multiple things to keep Kovalev guessing, Kovalev is going to try and keep his distance which is his advantage but ward will want to be in much closer. The B-Hop fight doesn't really apply because B-Hop long ago lost the dynamic athleticism (if he was ever Ward's equal as a pure athlete) and Kovalev used his size, youth and athleticism to make B-Hop look like the old man he is.

Ward is mainly going to want to be as close as possible and stick to Kovalev like a glue, but he is going to have to jab his way in and close the distance by making Kovalev miss that first shot, but I would also think Ward will stop short of going all the way in at time staying the middle range doing work from there. If Ward is making Kovalev constantly fall back to maintain range his power will be greatly mitigated and he will basically be totally disarmed. If Ward stands around on the outside waiting then he is playing into Kovalev's hands.

My only concern with Ward taking the lead and working is way inside is that Kovalev is excellent at taking that step backwards and catching you on your way in. That's why I think he is better off countering off Kovalev's attack with his own jab or a smother as a means to get to him and put in that work inside.

[eco1]

One thing Kovalev does well is maintain his distance. When you step forward, he steps back. His defense is controlling range. Even when Hopkins threw a feint, he jumped out of range. As with most power punchers he likes to stay at a distance where he can land his power. But the difference with Kovalev versus a Froch or a Kessler type is that he is not flat footed. He can take that step back and time you on your way in with a left hook or that short chopping right hand that he caught B-Hop with. I haven't seen much of an inside game from him (and as with most amateur superstars I doubt he has one) but he has the ability to shorten his shots.

This is why I don't see Ward being the aggressor and trying to get inside in this one. He's going to be using lateral movement and he's going to have to lure Kovalev in, make him commit and counter punch. Ward counters and neutralizes his opponents jab in a number of different ways (pull counter with a right hand or a left hook, slip and return his own jab to the body, etc.) If he can neutralize Kovalev's jab and have a jab or a left hook waiting for him every time he commits he will have a lot of success.

So to answer your question, I think Ward's strategy will be to play the role of the counter puncher, set traps, pot shot and smother.

i agree with this observation.
Then again, i think Kovalev takes this one.

He is not a slow dude, nor a fool.
Kovalev brings much more into the fight than power alone. He has timing, great footwork, is fast, the complete deal.

[The Gambler1981]

My only concern with Ward taking the lead and working is way inside is that Kovalev is excellent at taking that step backwards and catching you on your way in. That's why I think he is better off countering off Kovalev's attack with his own jab or a smother as a means to get to him and put in that work inside.

Getting caught is always a danger, but if Kovalev is always moving back he lost this fight unless he pulls a rabbit out of a hat. Plus Kovalev thrives on being the bully, if Ward is making him fall back he will be mentally broken and unable to take advantage.

It is not without risks because Ward can make a mistake and Kovalev isn't some chump so it will take a concentrated effort to break him. Waiting around and reacting can work, but a guy like Kovalev wants that initiative. Theoretically he could get broken mentally that way also because that would be crushing his strength, but that is a more difficult pull and I don't know that Kovalev is a guy Ward should try that with too much, doing it a bit as a change of pace wouldn't be bad though.

[B-Bomber]

My only concern with Ward taking the lead and working is way inside is that Kovalev is excellent at taking that step backwards and catching you on your way in. That's why I think he is better off countering off Kovalev's attack with his own jab or a smother as a means to get to him and put in that work inside.

Yes, I agree.

In order to get inside, I think Ward will use a jab or posture in order to lure Kovalev into throwing and -then- slip inside.
That's what he usually does to get inside.

He will probably mix it up with some" Floyd like " pot shotting.

[jas]

Get past kovas jab and get inside