The Official Sergey "Krusher" Kovalev vs Andre "S.O.G." Ward Fight Thread

[Mr. Leonidas]

If Dre steps to him like he did Dawson, Kovalev gets washed. If Dre tries to fight flat footed and exchange too much on the inside, could get clipped with a awkward punch he won't see coming. I got Dre winning this, and hopefully moving on to face Stevenson...

That's a more interesting fight IMO.

Well unfortunately for Ward Kovalev won't be as weight drained as Dawson was. Nor will he be coming off a 1st round KO.


He'll be facing a champion in his prime for the first time since 2011!!!! It's 2016 now bro. Which means he's been fighting bums for the last 5 years!!!

Chickenson? Who fights losers on Fridays on free tv? Who ducked Kovalev, Hopkins, Pascal AND anyone else who has a pulse in the top 5???

 

[MrWestGrand]

Well unfortunately for Ward Kovalev won't be as weight drained as Dawson was. Nor will he be coming off a 1st round KO.


He'll be facing a champion in his prime for the first time since 2011!!!! It's 2016 now bro. Which means he's been fighting bums for the last 5 years!!!

Chickenson? Who fights losers on Fridays on free tv? Who ducked Kovalev, Hopkins, Pascal AND anyone else who has a pulse in the top 5???

l

Kovalev hasn't really done shyt since beating Ol man Hopkins almost 2 years ago. Washing a past prime Pascal twice and going hard rounds while getting touched by Chilimba isn't the greatest of great ways to prepare for a master boxer like Ward.

Andre has already proven he can and will rise to the occasion against prime fighters, Sergi is a really good fighter at 33, but may be at the point of slight decline, so he can be taken advantage off.

 

[reservoirdogs]

Well unfortunately for Ward Kovalev won't be as weight drained as Dawson was. Nor will he be coming off a 1st round KO.


He'll be facing a champion in his prime for the first time since 2011!!!! It's 2016 now bro. Which means he's been fighting bums for the last 5 years!!!

Chickenson? Who fights losers on Fridays on free tv? Who ducked Kovalev, Hopkins, Pascal AND anyone else who has a pulse in the top 5???

Barrera was no bum but a top 10 lhw, an undefeared contender some people just like to see him as a bum now

And Dawson didn't come off a first round KO when he faced Ward and he was the one who wanted to fight Ward at 168 so the "weight drain" excuse was always shaky to me

 

[reservoirdogs]

Also while this would be Ward's bedt win with the number of belts and Kovalev's size included how you all see Kovalev compares to Ward's two best opponent, Mikkel Kessler and Carl Froch? Kov punches bigger than them but does he overall better than them? Both Kessler and Froch were very high level when they fought Ward

 

[Mr. Leonidas]

Also while this would be Ward's bedt win with the number of belts and Kovalev's size included how you all see Kovalev compares to Ward's two best opponent, Mikkel Kessler and Carl Froch? Kov punches bigger than them but does he overall better than them? Both Kessler and Froch were very high level when they fought Ward

I feel Kovalev is better than Kessler and Froch. Kovalev dominated his division whereas those guys played second and third fiddle to Ward. Plus Kovalevs power and underestimated boxing skills put him over the edge for me.

And if Kovalev wins it would be his biggest win too. Both of their careers will be defined by this fight. The stakes are huge. Both need a win. That's what makes this fight so great. High risk, high reward. And to think Mayweather was saying he felt Ward shouldn't have taken the fight smdh. It's that coward mentality that needs to leave boxing. We need more fighters who dare to be great.

 

[GzUp]

I feel Kovalev is better than Kessler and Froch. Kovalev dominated his division whereas those guys played second and third fiddle to Ward. Plus Kovalevs power and underestimated boxing skills put him over the edge for me.

And if Kovalev wins it would be his biggest win too. Both of their careers will be defined by this fight. The stakes are huge. Both need a win. That's what makes this fight so great. High risk, high reward. And to think Mayweather was saying he felt Ward shouldn't have taken the fight smdh. It's that coward mentality that needs to leave boxing. We need more fighters who dare to be great.

He said that?

He's always saying that.

 

[reservoirdogs]

I feel Kovalev is better than Kessler and Froch. Kovalev dominated his division whereas those guys played second and third fiddle to Ward. Plus Kovalevs power and underestimated boxing skills put him over the edge for me.

And if Kovalev wins it would be his biggest win too. Both of their careers will be defined by this fight. The stakes are huge. Both need a win. That's what makes this fight so great. High risk, high reward. And to think Mayweather was saying he felt Ward shouldn't have taken the fight smdh. It's that coward mentality that needs to leave boxing. We need more fighters who dare to be great.

They were second or third fiddle to Ward but we can't know the result of Ward vs Kovalev yet so the fact that they were behind Ward so they couldn't dominate their weight class doesn't certainly makes Kovalev better than them.

Also Forch's wins over Kessler, Bute and the prime version of Pascal and Kessler's win over Froch are arguably better than any wins of Kovalev.
on the other hand there's the Dirrell fight for Froch which should have been a loss to him...

I'd say KOvalev has a better offense than both of them but not sure if he has better defense them or if he is faster than them and I'm pretty sure Foch beats him in chin and stamina and overall toughness.

idk about the Mayweather part, but let's not brig up him everywhere. He proved himself many times, and now he is retired

 

[reservoirdogs]

also it's a good question whether Kovalev is stronger than Froch physically or not cause it might be important. Only way I see he could prevent Ward from bullying him on the inside if he has great physical strength. Froch is a tough sob but Ward bullied him all night (with one arm)

 

[GzUp]

also it's a good question whether Kovalev is stronger than Froch physically or not cause it might be important. Only way I see he could prevent Ward from bullying him on the inside if he has great physical strength. Froch is a tough sob but Ward bullied him all night (with one arm)

Ward was a big 168, but kovalev is really big in his division right now, he struggles to make the weight... it looks like people are underestimated kovalev

 

[reservoirdogs]

Ward was a big 168, but kovalev is really big in his division right now, he struggles to make the weight... it looks like people are underestimated kovalev

Ward also said something about he hardly makes 175 anymore

idk if it's or not

 

[reservoirdogs]

Ward was a big 168, but kovalev is really big in his division right now, he struggles to make the weight... it looks like people are underestimated kovalev

I don't think they underestimate him though... I would even say they sometimes overrate him.
People talking about his UD over Hop as it would have been some master boxing just cause he couldn't KO his opponent this time.
Kovalev isn't losing on the cards eve when he KOs his opponents but not because he makes them look stupid or he would be so hard to hit... He make his opponents scared to throws and they go into survival mode after 1-2 rounds... He overwhelms them.
Other question that Hopkins with his tremendous experience still had enough in him to survive and go out on his feet at least but he was also scared to throw, he jut wanted to survive it. While Kovalev did exactly the same what he always does, he wasn't forced to change his strategy. And I think he couldn't change it if he would be forced. He just does it so effectively that 95% of his fights he won't have to change anything on it.
I rather call master boxers fighters who CAN adapt and fight more ways and with better than solid defense. I think about the Crawfords and Wards or the world.

I doN't say that Kovalev is just some plodder, doN't get me wrong but I also raise my eyebrows when people claim he is a better pure boxer and tactician than Ward, has a higher skill level than Ward and he will outbox and counter him...

nah... BS
Kovalev's best chance against Ward is he does what he always does... If he tries to outbox Ward he will lose by a wide UD. His only real chance is to intimidate Ward like almost all of his other opponents.
However I think this won't work on Ward and Ward will get his number and when Ward figure him out he (as I said above) won't be able to adjust to it but he will try his best for a KO punch and will do what he does the best...

 

[FreedMind]

I just don't see what kovalev could bring stylistically that could throw Ward off. He's not a plodder, but he seems way too straight forward of a boxer to not get figured out by Ward.

Unless he hurts Ward early like he did Hopkins, I see this fight having a slower tempo.

 

[theflyest]

This is a toss up for me. This is more based on the uncertainty I have with Ward against top light heavy weights more than anything.

Consistently fighting top opponents is very important. His last top tier opponent was Chad Dawson, which was four years ago. He's been fighting C level fighters the last four years. To go from that level of competition to Kovalev is extreme. Stylistically, I believe Ward should win. In fact, I believe he should win a clear decision. However, I just can't overlook his opposition over the years.

 

[GzUp]

I don't think they underestimate him though... I would even say they sometimes overrate him.
People talking about his UD over Hop as it would have been some master boxing just cause he couldn't KO his opponent this time.
Kovalev isn't losing on the cards eve when he KOs his opponents but not because he makes them look stupid or he would be so hard to hit... He make his opponents scared to throws and they go into survival mode after 1-2 rounds... He overwhelms them.
Other question that Hopkins with his tremendous experience still had enough in him to survive and go out on his feet at least but he was also scared to throw, he jut wanted to survive it. While Kovalev did exactly the same what he always does, he wasn't forced to change his strategy. And I think he couldn't change it if he would be forced. He just does it so effectively that 95% of his fights he won't have to change anything on it.
I rather call master boxers fighters who CAN adapt and fight more ways and with better than solid defense. I think about the Crawfords and Wards or the world.

I doN't say that Kovalev is just some plodder, doN't get me wrong but I also raise my eyebrows when people claim he is a better pure boxer and tactician than Ward, has a higher skill level than Ward and he will outbox and counter him...

nah... BS
Kovalev's best chance against Ward is he does what he always does... If he tries to outbox Ward he will lose by a wide UD. His only real chance is to intimidate Ward like almost all of his other opponents.
However I think this won't work on Ward and Ward will get his number and when Ward figure him out he (as I said above) won't be able to adjust to it but he will try his best for a KO punch and will do what he does the best...

I never heard anyone say he has better skills then ward.. people also tend not to give credit to punching power which in boxing is bizzare to do so.. I was the only one on this forum to say kovalev would beat hopkins, he didn't ko Hopkins cuz of his good chin not because kovalev couldn't get to him. It's not that he overwhelms them tbh, he's not a search a destroy guy like ggg, they just get hit with something they don't like so they move around not to get hit.

Just look at Lionel thompson had to say about him.

 

[reservoirdogs]

I never heard anyone say he has better skills then ward.. people also tend not to give credit to punching power which in boxing is bizzare to do so.. I was the only one on this forum to say kovalev would beat hopkins, he didn't ko Hopkins cuz of his good chin not because kovalev couldn't get to him. It's not that he overwhelms them tbh, he's not a search a destroy guy like ggg, they just get hit with something they don't like so they move around not to get hit.

Just look at Lionel thompson had to say about him.

I think he is a GGG type of fighter only with longer preferred range and more mobility. But if you look at it both of them thrive when they are on the front foot and they have place and time to put together their combinations. Both want to narrow down the free areas for their opponents as much as possible cause that gives them a set target and none of them really like to punch in the fly. That's why they both developed not fast but very good footwork in order to cut down the ring and both of them are aiming to push he fight to the ropes or even more in a corner, because there they trap their opponent, they can set their feet and throw their combinations while the opponent is too scared to try to throw at them or try to move out of the way (especially in the corner where the only way to move is forward into Kovalev/GGG).
I think their weak spot is they are too reliant on their preferred punching distance. They have nice counters here and there but if somebody smothers their action they reset and try to find the preferred distance again. Ad Ward is the master of playing with distances.

They also both don't like to box on the back foot or in the middle of the ring for a long time. They are also not built to rugged inside fighting.


And nobody underrates punching power, but it's ow it's not enough as an advantage, this has been proven in the history of boxing many times.
If Kovalev would have anything besides punching power and size where he clearly better than Ward he could have a better chance in my eyes but he hasn't... He isn't faster, or smarter or more skilled than Ward.

I'd think their stamina and chi are similar, none of them showed weaknesses those departments, (and yes I know that both of them have been KDd...)