Ward's stock went down and Kovalev's stock went even lower. Ward showed that he's really vulnerable and not that unstoppable force like some people used to think, that he can get outboxed by the right boxer, and Kovalev career is dead because nobody wants to fight his ass with no belts, he's high risk/low reward so his career is finished. Their careers ain't going nowhere from that point
Whose "boxing stocks" went up after the fight last saturday. Ward or KOV?
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Both I would say. Ward was in general terms the more highly regarded fighter coming in. He has a stronger record. For him the main opportunity to raise his stock was coming through adversity and getting a win. He did that, sort of. At the very least he fought his way through adversity and got back into a fight when he looked to be in serious trouble.
Kovalev faced slightly lower expectations imho, but he was also facing a more difficult challenge. There was a much greater chance of him being totally neutralised than Ward. He knocked Ward down and hurt him at least twice. And he showed himself more than capable of living with Ward in a boxing match. That's way more than anyone else has done. I don't think the loss hurts him, if anything it will get more people behind him on the injustice bandwagon.Comment
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I think Kovalev's stock rose because he wasn't robotic or overwhelmed. I did have him narrowly losing but his body language communicated control and he looked great. That alone is not enough to raise his stock in the face of a loss but the fact that so many people are rallying behind him is.
I think Ward has a bit of both. People saw him down. They saw him pushed around. They saw vulnerabilities.
They also saw a guy who would not relent. Who came back stronger after being down, and as the fight progressed.
The controversy is two-sided. He'll catch a lot of flack. But, he'll also get a lot of attention. A lot of people wanting to see him beat. Sometimes, they will pay to see you lose. And that money is just as good as fan money.Comment
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Wards went down imo.
Before the fight he was seen as pretty untouchable, and possessing insane skills.
Yes he "came back" in the second half but I think that was actually more down to Kovalev slowing down and giving ward space. Had he not slowed down I think Ward would have been fighting the same as the first half.
I think we have seen now he has plenty of holes in his game, to the point I don't know how he handles other top 175lb guys.
Him v Stevenson, bertabiev, that kid who stopped Chilemba? Pick em fights imo.
As for kovalev, I'm not sure. In the early going he showed more skill and speed than a lot of people thought but in the second half he slowed and looked a bit one dimrlensional. I'd say he broke even.Comment
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I wasn't to impressed with either ,Kovalev looked like he swung a minute later in every rnd ,but i thought he won . I think Kovalev is the better fighter at LHW and the notion that the guy getting hit off balance by Kovalev Jabs says hes entertaining heavy weight fights is comical , id like to see that.Comment
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I have to disagree I think whyte is going to knock chisora out who is a real Hw, little Ward has the frame of a 160 pounder really, his chin would never hold up to any solid shot from a 230 plus guy based on his last fight I saw..Comment
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Kovalevs stock didnt change imo.
In beating ward he did what most saw, he landed more power punches, he visibly hurt ward , and he also dropped ward . His jab was very solid .his short right hands to wards ear were punishing and his rt uppercut was underated.
Wards stock went down imo. He was dropped , hurt , had his head snapped back on jabs , got hurt by jabs and was hit with rt uppercuts stepping in with an ear muff guard. He got caught with short rt hands consistently if he tried to exchange inside Or in the pocket.
Ward looked nothing like the great fighter he was in the past and looked vulnerableComment
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