"SOG" Ward vs "King" Krusher Kovalev @ 175 lbs / 12.5 stone: Who wins?

[LoadedWraps]

It's a great fight. Top fight between two genuine world class champions in their prime, both undefeated. both top p4p. you don't see that very often. I agree Ward has more dimensions, but he's not as cagey as Hopkins imo.

Definitely not easy, and I wouldn't be surprised either way, but I think Kovalev might just be too strong down the stretch.

Could be wrong.

[M Bison]

66% to 45% is "down the middle?"

STFU.

What a big cry baby
Plus can you even do maths here?
66+45 = 111
Last I checked you can't get 111%


AVERAGE WARD FAN RIGHT HERE

[MisterPullman]

What a big cry baby
Plus can you even do maths here?
66+45 = 111
Last I checked you can't get 111%


AVERAGE WARD FAN RIGHT HERE

[LoadedWraps]

lol @ ward fan.

You'd sooner fight bigfoot.

[LoadedWraps]

WAR Kovalev!!!!!!

[SHO_RULEZ]

Kovalev

Defense-8
Power-9
Chin-8
Stamina-9
Bark/Chest Beating-10 (originator of the pelvic thrust taunt)
Bite-11

Ward

Defense-9
Power-7
Chin-8
Stamina-10
Bark/Chest Beating-3
Bite-9

Prediction-Ward frustrates Kovalev for the upset UD

[Citizen Koba]

I'm a big time Kovalev fan, but my boxing brain says Ward will be the better of the two. History always repeats itself. The boxers win 9/10 vs the ****ers. I know kov has an underrated skill set but it's not comparable to Ward's. Ward has a massive advantage in experience too.

How has Ward got a massive advantage in experience? They're near as dammit the same age (and height) with virtually the same number of fights against comparable opposition. It's near as it could be to an equal matchup between between two top guys in their prime.

[A-Wolf]

What a big cry baby
Plus can you even do maths here?
66+45 = 111
Last I checked you can't get 111%


AVERAGE WARD FAN RIGHT HERE

Ward should be the favorite, fangirl. Now shut the **** up.

[Citizen Koba]

Well I would say these give Ward better experience:

Ward is an Olympic Gold medalist.
Ward is undefeated since 1996 (including amateur career). (Kov had more amateur fights I think, but lost about 20)
Ward beat about 4 or 5 solid world champions in their primes, Kov has beat 2 past prime champs, super old popkins and cleverly.
Ward has more than 2x as many rounds as a pro as Kovalev.

Yeah - the amateur thing is about right - Ward has fewer amateur fights but did reach a higher level.

And you've a good point about the number of pro rounds fought. Per Boxrec Kovalev has fought 102 rounds (out of a scheduled 252), Ward 206, this is reflective of their styles of course - I would say their level of opposition has been comparable, but could be seen to favour Ward.

The only SMW champs Ward beat were Froch and Kessler I think. Abraham had never been a titlist at SMW and frankly never looked that good there... erm who else? Miranda? Bika? Green? Bika briefly snagged a title later against Periban if I remember right, but the others? They are mainly remembered because they shared the ring with the right names. Dawson? Also never a titlist at 168.

EDIT: And 'Primes' is a dicey term. When did Campillos prime end? Before he schooled Cloud? Before the German decision against Murat? The Shumenov 'loss'? Or did it end when Kovalev flattened him in 3 (though tbf he was reportedly jetlagged that night) When did Pascals 'prime' end? Before he beat Bute? Did it end when he was outfoxed by Hopkins? Or did it end when Kovalev hit him too much?

[Citizen Koba]

Good points. I guess I meant that with ward, at least 4-5 either were champs or went on to become champs after, but I didn't make that clear. Prime is also a dicey term. But I don't think, looking at campillo's record, that he is a fantastic opponent. He doesn't seem to have beat any 'decent' fighters when he's stepped up. But I couldn't say as I haven't watched much of him. As with Pascal, I always considered him to be a better 168lb fighter. He beat Bute at 175 after Bute was completely destroyed by Froch, and Bute has never been the same since. Bute's best was at 168 too. Pascal is also one of the reasons I think Ward may win. I know he took a beating but he caught Kov with a lot of shots that Kov should not have been hit with. To me Ward seems a much better fighter than Pascal, both defensively and more accurate with punches. Plus he wouldn't, in my opinion, just lay on the ropes and get pounded like pascal did, I would think he would clinch.

Can't say I disagree on much. Campillo was probably better than you think - but not that good - he was just the victim of an improbable number of bad decisions (very bad in the case of the Cloud fight). Pascal probably was better at 168 - and he still lost to Froch albeit closely. And you are right of course that Bute lost the ability to pull the trigger after the beating Carl laid on him - though he is showing signs of slowly improving. And the 'old' Hopkins still had enough to become a unified champ - although one has to acknowledge the fact that the guys he fought post-Dawson were the weak links of the division, three guys that Campillo had already (in the eyes of most, if not the judges) beaten.

Nonetheless, as a body of work I still say that the resumes of Kovalev and Ward are roughly of a level, with Wards perhaps having the best single win (in Froch) but Kovalevs showing slightly more strength in depth.

As to how the fight will go, well, I'm going with Kovalev but in all honesty I just don't know. Every time I play it through my mind I get a different outcome, which is, of course, what makes this such a compelling fight.