kovalev v ward: A mismatch in disguise?

[kafkod]

Been doing some more thinking about htis fight, and the more i think about it the more of a mismatch it is to me... SO think about it objectively.

Kovalev- dominant at light heavy, active fighter, best win was a dominant one sided beatdown of somone with a similar style to ward, and his most recent fight was good preparation for fighting an awkward opponent. Would surely have no problem against wards opposition, when you think of the job he did on pascal and the job pascal did on dawson (ward beaiting weight drained dawson is considered a top 3 win for him)

ON the other hand you have Ward- top dog at Super middleweight 5 years ago, best win was beating froch by one round (a previous thread i did showed that people give froch zero chance against kovalev), has not fought anyone remotely elite in 5 years with only 4 fights, his warm up fight for fighting kovalev was a 40 year old super middlweight in alex brand, and the best out of the four (barrera) gave him some problems. Ward has never faced anyone remotely like kovalev, and to me his style seems better suited to fighting physically weaker guys who he can grapple and bully round the ring.

To me, recent activity is absolutely crucial, and one guy is prepared, and one guy isnt. People think im just talking **** for the sake of it but this fight is going to seem a headscratcher after the fight, and people will be thinking it was pretty obvious that it wasnt some 50/50 fight.
SO what do you guys think, whats the case for ward winning other than blind patriotism or is it a belief that a slick fighter will always beat a power puncher (which made people believe hopkins/kovalev was a pick em fight)

I'm expecting Kovalev to Krush Ward without too many problems. Except, perhaps, from Ward's head in his face.

[Mr.MojoRisin']

Kovalev is a good fighter but his accuracy isn't the best which is a problem when fighting a great defensive fighter like Ward.

[NaijaD]

No fighter is the same at 32 as they were at 25/26. You are slower and you move less, Ward is aware of this and says he knows how to manage his aging body.

[Jewish-Reptile]

What does a loss to an overmatched opponent do for Krusher's career. Frightening time to be a Kovalev fan boy right now, or going by this thread a GGG fan boy.

[Lester Tutor]

BigdramaHoe is shook!

[Jubei]

I think it will be a mismatch one in which ward wins every round.

Beating a 50 year old Hopkins is Kovas best win he's a power puncher and he still couldn't stop him.

Ward will dominate.

Like a prime Ward who lost 5 rounds against Carl Froch who is just 3 levels below Kovalev?

[b00g13man]

ON the other hand you have Ward- top dog at Super middleweight 5 years ago, best win was beating froch by one round

What a ******.

[IMDAZED]

So should Ward win, you'll have no excuses and give him full credit?

He'll revert to his other alias/alt or create a new one.

[Kigali]

I think Andre Ward hasn't looked the same in his last three fights. He was caught a lot more in all of them than he used to be.

Kovalev gets caught a lot more than Ward..

[Thraxox]

What people seemed to realize against Kovalev is Kovalev can set the pace with his Jab. And Kov is a MASTER in disrupting inside fighters, Andre Ward would not be able to get in the inside without catching a left hook or a jab on the way in. Plus Kovalev's ability to Land that right hand on the button against Ironed chin fighters in Pascal and granites against Hopkins.

What people tend to underrate is Kovalev's foot work. Kovalev was virtually untouchable in their rematch against Pascal. And Pascal got his ass whooped by trying to box in the distance. Kovalev is the better fighter in the distance, and Andre Ward is the better fighter in the inside, though we never got to see much of Kovalev in the inside, but his ability to wrestle inside fighters because of his superior strength would be a factor in manhandling Andre Ward. If Dre decides to just get in the inside, e would get knocked out because kovalev has a killer jab and a killer right hand.

My guess is that Kovalev will fight in the distance and would control the pace, he is not going to let Andre Ward get on the inside because he would disrupt his right hand with his left hook and would stop dre's left hook with his foot work on stopping Dre from catching him in the inside. And in the clinch Kov will win because of his strength, he would manhandle Ward on the clinch like he did against Pascal and Hopkins.

Kovalev is a little bit underrated on controlling the pace of a fight, and a little bit underrated with his foot work. He is not Provodnikov or anything. Kovalev is a master disruptor like he disrupt Hopkin's EVERY attempt on going in the inside because of his foot work.