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Firstly I'd like to give big props to both guys, not only for accepting to fight eachother but also making a great fight of what many predicted would be a snooze fest.
I had the fight 114-113 for Ward, but I wouldn't have had any complaints if it went the other way, it was extremely close and competitive. What surprised me most is how well Kovalev coped with Ward on the outside, I thought Ward would have a clear advantage over Kovalev both on the outside and inside, now I know better.
I picked Ward to win this fight by a much clearer margin because of Kovalev's style, he's not an aggressive fighter and doesn't have a very high output, he fights at a moderate pace and doesn't know how to apply pressure - he's a boxer with power, so I thought this would play right into Ward's hands, I expected him to take his time, pick his shots and then smoother and clinch Kova, but it was a lot more difficult than I imagined, Kova's jab and timing were so good Ward didn't want to risk trying to get inside for most of the first half of the fight.
I definitely want to see a rematch and making a pick is gonna be a lot more difficult for me this time.
Another thing I wanted to touch on is some of the other top talents at 175, starting with Gvozdyk, who confirmed himself as a legit contender with a dominant win over Chilemba yesterday. I told people he's more technically sound (not a better overall fighter) than Kovalev and got stick for it, but that is the second time he's out outdone Kovalev against a common opponent. I stick by that opinion and I would give him a legit shot at beating Ward after a couple more fights, his jab and right hand are sharper and quicker than Kova's and he's more mobile, I would favour Kova to beat him because my strong su****ion is he may have a slightly shaky beard, but I would probably favour him against Dre.
Bivol is the other guy to keep an eye on, he's less experienced than Gvozdyk as a pro, but he's an even bigger talent imo and more sturdy. He's fundamentally rock solid and his jab and right hand are also tremendous, I'd say he's the next big one at 175, after he gains a bit more pro experience, I think he's taking over.
So the winner of Ward vs Kova rematch is gonna have their hands full because 175 is absolutely loaded with talent, the guys I mentioned are just two of many potential stars, you've also got guys like Beterviev and Shabranksy who are definitely gonna be right up there, making this division arguably the best in boxing.
I had the fight 114-113 for Ward, but I wouldn't have had any complaints if it went the other way, it was extremely close and competitive. What surprised me most is how well Kovalev coped with Ward on the outside, I thought Ward would have a clear advantage over Kovalev both on the outside and inside, now I know better.
I picked Ward to win this fight by a much clearer margin because of Kovalev's style, he's not an aggressive fighter and doesn't have a very high output, he fights at a moderate pace and doesn't know how to apply pressure - he's a boxer with power, so I thought this would play right into Ward's hands, I expected him to take his time, pick his shots and then smoother and clinch Kova, but it was a lot more difficult than I imagined, Kova's jab and timing were so good Ward didn't want to risk trying to get inside for most of the first half of the fight.
I definitely want to see a rematch and making a pick is gonna be a lot more difficult for me this time.
Another thing I wanted to touch on is some of the other top talents at 175, starting with Gvozdyk, who confirmed himself as a legit contender with a dominant win over Chilemba yesterday. I told people he's more technically sound (not a better overall fighter) than Kovalev and got stick for it, but that is the second time he's out outdone Kovalev against a common opponent. I stick by that opinion and I would give him a legit shot at beating Ward after a couple more fights, his jab and right hand are sharper and quicker than Kova's and he's more mobile, I would favour Kova to beat him because my strong su****ion is he may have a slightly shaky beard, but I would probably favour him against Dre.
Bivol is the other guy to keep an eye on, he's less experienced than Gvozdyk as a pro, but he's an even bigger talent imo and more sturdy. He's fundamentally rock solid and his jab and right hand are also tremendous, I'd say he's the next big one at 175, after he gains a bit more pro experience, I think he's taking over.
So the winner of Ward vs Kova rematch is gonna have their hands full because 175 is absolutely loaded with talent, the guys I mentioned are just two of many potential stars, you've also got guys like Beterviev and Shabranksy who are definitely gonna be right up there, making this division arguably the best in boxing.