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Very true. If you watch their rematch with the sound off, it's Ward who gasses very early in the fight with all the extra muscle he put on, and stops throwing punches for two rounds. Then he gets up for one last hail mary attempt to win the fight, just fouling Kovalev constantly because he's desperate, and the ref saved him by stopping the fight. I think if the ref lets it go on, Ward's failed attempt to knock Kovalev out (or even down) outside of the nut shot was all he had left, and Kovalev would have battered him the next few rounds.
Ward was extremely exhausted late in the 1st fight, even though Kovalev did not work the body at all, and Ward had not packed on all that extra muscle. He was so exhausted, he almost went down in the 12th round when Kovalev only tapped him to the liver, without much power on the shot. In the rematch, Kovalev hit Ward with two very hard right hands to the body early in the fight, harder shots than the one he broke Agnew's ribs with. Ward took them early, but combined with all the extra muscle he had packed on, and all the energy he exerted trying to knock Kovalev out, I think it would have led to him totally breaking down late. It would have been some of the best action of the last decade, but of course the referee prevented fans from getting their money's worth, and saved the hometown fighter, as usual. As always now. It's why the sport is completely broken. But just like Anthony Joshua was completely done for the next few rounds after trying to knock Klitschko out in the 5th or 6th round (I forget), and had nothing left until the end of the fight, I think it would have been same with Ward.
Deep down, Ward probably understands that as well, and that's probably why he retired. He know he didn't so much beat Sergey Kovalev as he did escape with the help of the NSAC and a good poker face. He also knows that even with the refs help, it was Kovalev being past prime, with stamina problems, that even gave him a chance to escape with their help in the first place. Which means he knows that if he were to fight anyone on that level in their prime, without stamina issues, he would be in huge trouble.
So Ward probably figures its better to retire off two fake victories than it is to retire off getting knocked out, which is what probably happens if Tony Weeks doesn't protect him in the rematch.
Now, I just hope the top light heavyweights actually fight each other...
Ward was extremely exhausted late in the 1st fight, even though Kovalev did not work the body at all, and Ward had not packed on all that extra muscle. He was so exhausted, he almost went down in the 12th round when Kovalev only tapped him to the liver, without much power on the shot. In the rematch, Kovalev hit Ward with two very hard right hands to the body early in the fight, harder shots than the one he broke Agnew's ribs with. Ward took them early, but combined with all the extra muscle he had packed on, and all the energy he exerted trying to knock Kovalev out, I think it would have led to him totally breaking down late. It would have been some of the best action of the last decade, but of course the referee prevented fans from getting their money's worth, and saved the hometown fighter, as usual. As always now. It's why the sport is completely broken. But just like Anthony Joshua was completely done for the next few rounds after trying to knock Klitschko out in the 5th or 6th round (I forget), and had nothing left until the end of the fight, I think it would have been same with Ward.
Deep down, Ward probably understands that as well, and that's probably why he retired. He know he didn't so much beat Sergey Kovalev as he did escape with the help of the NSAC and a good poker face. He also knows that even with the refs help, it was Kovalev being past prime, with stamina problems, that even gave him a chance to escape with their help in the first place. Which means he knows that if he were to fight anyone on that level in their prime, without stamina issues, he would be in huge trouble.
So Ward probably figures its better to retire off two fake victories than it is to retire off getting knocked out, which is what probably happens if Tony Weeks doesn't protect him in the rematch.
Now, I just hope the top light heavyweights actually fight each other...
These guys are so pathetic! Take a good listen y'all. One of Ward's girlfriends is talking. Andre punked him in the ass so hard he actually loved it. It felt awfully good to him. He just actually laid down there and took it, while allowing SOG to take his manhood from him. 
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