Comments Thread For: Malignaggi Shakes Head: Terrible Stoppage in Ward vs. Kovalev

[hitking]

I don't have a strong opinion either way. I personally didn't have a problem with the stoppage because Kovalev ha as basically given himself up. Had Weeks ruled it a KD and let it continue, I wouldn't have had a problem with that either.

Either way, Kovalev was done. He had gotten beaten up, especially to the body and had nothing left. As Roy Jones pointed out. From about the 3rd-4th round on, Ward w as actually the harder puncher in there. If you watch Kovalev in the corner between the 7th and 8th, he was completely spent. Roy actually pointed out at the end of the 7th that Kovalev was so far gone, if he took a big shot, he was gonna be in serious trouble. He took that shot the next round, and never recovered.

[Madison Boxing]

one of the worst stoppages ive ever seen in a high profile fight. maybe the worst actually, worse than groves froch for sure.

[Damn Wicked]

DAMN!!! Ward looks over at the ref. expecting him to say something about the low blows and then when he doesn't he continues on..

That's what I was thinking too. It seemed like Ward and Kovalev assumed there was a break in the action at that time and that Ward was going to be given a warning or a point deduction. Andre's behavior suggested that he knew he hit Kovalev with a low blow.

[Jewish-Reptile]

I don't have a strong opinion either way. I personally didn't have a problem with the stoppage because Kovalev ha as basically given himself up. Had Weeks ruled it a KD and let it continue, I wouldn't have had a problem with that either.

Either way, Kovalev was done. He had gotten beaten up, especially to the body and had nothing left. As Roy Jones pointed out. From about the 3rd-4th round on, Ward w as actually the harder puncher in there. If you watch Kovalev in the corner between the 7th and 8th, he was completely spent. Roy actually pointed out at the end of the 7th that Kovalev was so far gone, if he took a big shot, he was gonna be in serious trouble. He took that shot the next round, and never recovered.

This is about the best post I've read all day.

[Joe Beamish]

Kovalev should either have kept fighting (and done some low blows of his own) or should have protested loud and clear. You can't just quit. Ward won that fight. He made the adjustments and Kovalev didn't.

And I thought Kovalev won the first fight, and I predicted he would win this one. But Ward did the work and had the cool head. The better man won.

[komandante]

Agree it was quick stoppage, Weeks should have at least do the mandatory 8 counts to be fair. it was a dent on his performance as a ref.

[wileyhemi]

Ward is a dirty cheater

[olivetree66]

Agree it was quick stoppage, Weeks should have at least do the mandatory 8 counts to be fair. it was a dent on his performance as a ref.

no standing 8 counts in title fights

[Elroy The Great]

lets put the ''trunks'' on the other guy and see how the respective fan bases would react...

lets say kov had sog in that position and weeks stopped it~
kovs fan base pov;
''good call, safety 1st.'' ?!?!?!
''sog was done anyway'' ?!?!?!?
''kov is called krusher for a reason. no need for further damage'' ?!?!?!
''those were clean/borderline shots that are being exaggerated. ?!?!?!?

and how would sog fans have reacted had sog been bent over on the ropes (im a fan of both guys but was a sog fan longer);
''cmon ref, let him fight !!!'' ?!?!?!?
''omg, weeks, are you blind ?!?!'' ?!?!?

it seems that fans on either side have opinions on the low blow controversy. if kov supporters would actually LOOK at those blows, the majority were legal/borderline. kov said they didnt bother him.

true, whether or not a ''low'' blow hurts or not is not a factor from a refs stand point (unless a cu/nt is clearly faking it). sometimes a ref will let them fight it out. theyr are grown men, after all. which is why, when kov INSTANTLY assumed the ''im in trouble'' position, it might have thrown weeks off and suggested that kov wanted help.

from a fans pov, the ''low'' blows were not a factor in any way (unless a fan can post a direct kov quote saying otherwise). it boils down to whether or not weeks jumped in too soon.

[Elroy The Great]

no standing 8 counts in title fights

and he used the emoji....ouch