Can both sides be honest with themselves here?

[kardsufur]

those saying Kovalev was "done" and wouldnt' have won, are being a bit ironic and hipocritical given the fact that he wasn't even knocked DOWN and yet Ward in the first fight was knocked down brutally yet still managed to fight his way back so clearly people who would have discounted him would have been wrong. So similarly there's good chance Kovalev could have fought his way back into the fight seeing as how he wasn't even knocked down as Ward was in the first fight

[Golden Boi 360]

Kovalev wanted out like Kell Brook, except Kovalev was a little tougher to not take the knee so soon

[!! Shawn]

1. The stoppage was dreadful and those shots were definitely low.
2. Ward had taken over that round and Kov was going to lose.

If it wasn't by stoppage, he was going to win on points. The fight was about even in rounds at that point and Kov was not only hurt but clearly fading again. Ward had looked much better in the preceding two rounds

BUT

That stoppage was brutal even if those punches were legal. Which they weren't they were all low, some of them very low.

Completely agreed. But with that said Kovalev should have been given 5 min to recover. We don't really know how he would have recovered after a 5 min rest.

We also have to talk about if they were intentional or not.

Its a really ****ty way to end a great fight. Ward probably would have been able to get the stoppage eventually, but cmon on lowblows?

[Jubei]

Ward should have been DQed, or at least taken a point away, he hurt Kovalev with a low blow a couple rounds before and Weeks just watched. We all know why. Money talks.

That stoppage by Wards "brother" was pretty hilarous, Kovalev was there waiting for Weeks to interfere and warn Ward or take a point away and give Kovalev time to recover from these blatant and 100% obvious lowblows.

[Golden Boi 360]

those saying Kovalev was "done" and wouldnt' have won, are being a bit ironic and hipocritical given the fact that he wasn't even knocked DOWN and yet Ward in the first fight was knocked down brutally yet still managed to fight his way back so clearly people who would have discounted him would have been wrong. So similarly there's good chance Kovalev could have fought his way back into the fight seeing as how he wasn't even knocked down as Ward was in the first fight

Ward was knocked down, but he got up perfectly fine.

Kovalev was badly rocked, gassed, and on his way out.

[Johnny2x2x]

1. The stoppage was dreadful and those shots were definitely low.
2. Ward had taken over that round and Kov was going to lose.

If it wasn't by stoppage, he was going to win on points. The fight was about even in rounds at that point and Kov was not only hurt but clearly fading again. Ward had looked much better in the preceding two rounds

BUT

That stoppage was brutal even if those punches were legal. Which they weren't they were all low, some of them very low.

That's fair. Ward was winning in 2 of the 3 cards. They give Kovalev an 8 count and I doubt he makes it out of the round and if he somehow did he'd have been down 77-74 on 2 of the cards with 4 rounds to go.

That fight was over whether Weeks stops it or not.

[Aztekkas]

1. The stoppage was dreadful and those shots were definitely low.
2. Ward had taken over that round and Kov was going to lose.

If it wasn't by stoppage, he was going to win on points. The fight was about even in rounds at that point and Kov was not only hurt but clearly fading again. Ward had looked much better in the preceding two rounds

BUT

That stoppage was brutal even if those punches were legal. Which they weren't they were all low, some of them very low.

Excellent post. I completely agree on every end. Well done.

[!! Shawn]

those saying Kovalev was "done" and wouldnt' have won, are being a bit ironic and hipocritical given the fact that he wasn't even knocked DOWN and yet Ward in the first fight was knocked down brutally yet still managed to fight his way back so clearly people who would have discounted him would have been wrong. So similarly there's good chance Kovalev could have fought his way back into the fight seeing as how he wasn't even knocked down as Ward was in the first fight

Id say Kovalev was done because he had clearly just completely ran out of gas at that moment. Might have been a result of the low blows, but still.

He should have been given 5 min to recover, not a stoppage.

[Golden Boi 360]

Ward should have been DQed, or at least taken a point away, he hurt Kovalev with a low blow a couple rounds before and Weeks just watched. We all know why. Money talks.

Yep, because Andre Ward is such a boxing superstar that sells tons of tickets and ppvs, lol.

[BrometheusBob.]

Yep, because Andre Ward is such a boxing superstar that sells tons of tickets and ppvs, lol.

Everyone knows Ward is the money man of the sport