In Hindsight, Should Kovalev have avoided Andre Ward?

[jmrf4435]

You believe we should give more credence to biased emotionally invested fan boys on a site like this rather than the judges, in every instance right ?

iF THOSE FIGHTS WERE IN RUSSIA KOV WOULD HAVE WON BOTH EASILY.

doN'T KID YOURSELF

wARD HAD EVERY ADVANTAGE KNOWN TO MAN, REF WOULDN'T EVEN CALL LOW BLOWS

WARD FIGHTS LIKE PORTER

[jmrf4435]

kovalev was never a mega superstar. he really isn't a big draw. his fights with ward were the first time he's fought on ppv.

hE GAINED A GREAT DEAL OF FANS AFTER HE WAS BLATANTLY ROBBED IN THE FIRST FIGHT.

mOST PEOPLE PREDICTED A WARD SHUTOUT ud

[Da Wizard]

What a ****** thread. In boxing we need the best fighting the best, not people ducking other prime fighters!

[BoxingIsGreat]

He was the man to beat at 175 but at no time was he ever a superstar let alone a mega superstar

I agree. The bold part didn't sound right from the other poster.

[Jewish-Reptile]

iF THOSE FIGHTS WERE IN RUSSIA KOV WOULD HAVE WON BOTH EASILY.

doN'T KID YOURSELF

wARD HAD EVERY ADVANTAGE KNOWN TO MAN, REF WOULDN'T EVEN CALL LOW BLOWS

WARD FIGHTS LIKE PORTER

eASILY ? i DONT SEE IT PERSONALLY. yOU KEEP TELLING YOURSELF THAT THOUGH.

[MDPopescu]

... What could have been done differently?

... Kovalev should have lived as a professional boxer instead of drinking his mind out...

[bluebeam]

kovalev had no choice. there was nobody else to fight at 175.

he made the right choice

[Floyd is TBE]

In terms of protecting his legacy, Kov should have ducked Ward the same way Pac ducked prime Floyd. His fans would have given him a free pass and might have even blamed Ward for the fight not happening early. He got away with pulling out of the Stevenson purse bid. He would have gotten a free pass for ducking Ward. But I respect him for taking on a prime Ward even if I think he's still a ***** for ducking Superman.

[bluebeam]

In terms of protecting his legacy, Kov should have ducked Ward the same way Pac ducked prime Floyd. His fans would have given him a free pass and might have even blamed Ward for the fight not happening early. He got away with pulling out of the Stevenson purse bid. He would have gotten a free pass for ducking Ward. But I respect him for taking on a prime Ward even if I think he's still a ***** for ducking Superman.

you say kovalev ducked the purse bid, but you leave out the part where he had a signed contract for a Stevenson fight. and Stevenson walked away. that came before the purse bid. remember?

the fight was a done deal just like mayweather vs pacquiao was a done deal the first time.

if pacquiao ducked Floyd by not taking a drug test when everything was agreed too, then Stevenson ducked kovalev by switching networks when everything was agreed too.

don't be a hypocrite. call a spade a spade.

[Redd Foxx]

Interesting topic. Kovalev definitely lost the aura he once had. Could he have avoided this? Probably not.
Best case scenario; he could have taken his mando w/ Barrera, pursued a fight with Stevenson (which he'd likely never get), among other things, while pushing Ward off until he was a mando. Then, claiming the money wasn't right and stalling longer.

But, that's not Kovalev. He did what he was always going to do and lost to the better man. I think he's currently the best in the division but he's going to have to earn the fan respect back because nearly everyone bailed on him, unfortunately.