Sergey Kovalev and Andre Ward sign contract to fight each other

http://www.boxingnewsonline.net/sergey-kovalev-and-andre-ward-sign-to-fight-each-other/

I guess the two questions are:

1) Do you believe it?

and.......

2) Who've you got?????

A real statement of greatness if Ward pulls this off, and I think he can.

Kov nautrally bigger and a wrecking ball but Ward has the skills & talent to make very good fighters look ordinary.

50/50 fight. If going by recent performances, probably Kov should be favourite, though if I had my last pound on someone, I would back Ward.

Ward will most likely find another level facing a fighter that could knock him senseless. He was expected to win his last two fights. Facing a dangerous fighter, will bring out the best in him.

I hope this fight really happens soon.

Ward will probably grapple and spoil his way to a points win but Kovalev has enough ability and power to stop him. Intriguing fight but unlikely to be exciting.

If Ward beats Kovalev, he will definitely have done enough to eclipse Calzaghe. To be honest he already has, but that will leave it in no doubt.

Wouldnt back anyone against Ward. Certainly dont see it as a pick em. Be shocked if Kov wins more than 2 rounds, and Kov is a great fighter

Lance wrote:Wouldnt back anyone against Ward. Certainly dont see it as a pick em. Be shocked if Kov wins more than 2 rounds, and Kov is a great fighter

Would ring rust/ inactivity not be a factor?

Ward has had 2 fights now since his long lay off. I cant see it being a problem. Kov will give it a great effort, but what good is power if Ward is too slick for him to land

Lance wrote:Ward has had 2 fights now since his long lay off. I cant see it being a problem. Kov will give it a great effort, but what good is power if Ward is too slick for him to land

Yes he wouldn't take the fight if he isn't ready. Ward won't stand around to get hit.

Love Ward or hate his style, he hasn't lost a fight since he was 12 years old. He is a gifted boxer.

Ward all the way for me....maybe Kov lands a decent-ish shot and everyone gets momentarily excited but apart from that a fairly comfortable UD

When the OP says it would be a real statement of greatness when he's been the first to admit on many occasions he hasn't a grasp of boxing history..It becomes a little silly.

Ward is great now...Everything else is a bonus..

Back from the dead

AdamT wrote:Back from the dead

Good things never die.....They ripen with age.......

Good afternoon Adam...

AdamT wrote:If Ward beats Kovalev, he will definitely have done enough to eclipse Calzaghe. To be honest he already has, but that will leave it in no doubt.

Agree with the second part - he's already far ahead of Calazaghe - and he's a better boxer to boot.

As for this fight - Ward UD, reasonably comfortable. He's gonna make Kovalev look like a plodder who comes forward in straight lines.



emancipator

Problem with fights like this....Is Ward is past his peak and a la Mayweather v Maidana 1... Some will use it as an excuse to puke on his legacy..

The posters that forget some great middleweight drew with Vito and got outboxed by a three year rusty blown up welterweight..

Like Mayweather fights we'll see an upgrading of Ward expectation on here so if he wins it's no big deal but if he loses he is a fraud..

Lance wrote:Ward has had 2 fights now since his long lay off. I cant see it being a problem. Kov will give it a great effort, but what good is power if Ward is too slick for him to land

ask your boy Hoppo

AdamT wrote:Back from the dead

RIP 606......

I don't see this as the comfortable night for ward, most seem to. I can envisage him dishing out a boxing lesson, but I can also see him getting taken out of his comfort zone. Kovalev is more than just a banger.

Fascinating match up. Ward has already proven himself as a terrific fighter, but this win would be his best. Credit to him for taking the fight... Credit to them both in fact.

TopHat24/7 wrote:

Lance wrote:Ward has had 2 fights now since his long lay off. I cant see it being a problem. Kov will give it a great effort, but what good is power if Ward is too slick for him to land

ask your boy Hoppo

49 year old Hopkins.

Calzage always did enough but Ward has the greater boxing skills.  

Sergey Kovalev versus Andre Ward Should be a good fight with a mixture of styles the fighter vs the boxer.  How about a best of three series.

emancipator wrote:

AdamT wrote:If Ward beats Kovalev, he will definitely have done enough to eclipse Calzaghe. To be honest he already has, but that will leave it in no doubt.

Agree with the second part - he's already far ahead of Calazaghe - and he's a better boxer to boot.

As for this fight - Ward UD, reasonably comfortable. He's gonna make Kovalev look like a plodder who comes forward in straight lines.



emancipator

No he's not. Calzaghe's record is superior. Who has Ward actually beaten? His best wins are a Kessler already vanquished by Calzaghe himself, a Froch already vanquished by a busted up Kessler and a Dawson who'd previously lost to an average Pascal and laboured to two close wins against an old Glen Johnson. Calzaghe has more championship wins and wins against an unbeaten Kessler and Hopkins is better than anything on Ward's record.

Mochyn du wrote:

emancipator wrote:

AdamT wrote:If Ward beats Kovalev, he will definitely have done enough to eclipse Calzaghe. To be honest he already has, but that will leave it in no doubt.

Agree with the second part - he's already far ahead of Calazaghe - and he's a better boxer to boot.

As for this fight - Ward UD, reasonably comfortable. He's gonna make Kovalev look like a plodder who comes forward in straight lines.



emancipator

No he's not.  Calzaghe's record is superior.  Who has Ward actually beaten?  His best wins are a Kessler already vanquished by Calzaghe himself, a Froch already vanquished by a busted up Kessler and a Dawson who'd previously lost to an average Pascal and laboured to two close wins against an old Glen Johnson.  Calzaghe has more championship wins and wins against an unbeaten Kessler and Hopkins is better than anything on Ward's record.

If I wanted to reduce myself to your level...

Hoppo had been beaten twice by Taylor and was over 40...

Kessler was green...Lacy overrated and Eubank past it..

But I won't because Joe and Andre deserve more respect than that..

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:

Mochyn du wrote:

emancipator wrote:

AdamT wrote:If Ward beats Kovalev, he will definitely have done enough to eclipse Calzaghe. To be honest he already has, but that will leave it in no doubt.

Agree with the second part - he's already far ahead of Calazaghe - and he's a better boxer to boot.

As for this fight - Ward UD, reasonably comfortable. He's gonna make Kovalev look like a plodder who comes forward in straight lines.



emancipator

No he's not.  Calzaghe's record is superior.  Who has Ward actually beaten?  His best wins are a Kessler already vanquished by Calzaghe himself, a Froch already vanquished by a busted up Kessler and a Dawson who'd previously lost to an average Pascal and laboured to two close wins against an old Glen Johnson.  Calzaghe has more championship wins and wins against an unbeaten Kessler and Hopkins is better than anything on Ward's record.

If I wanted to reduce myself to your level...

Hoppo had been beaten twice by Taylor and was over 40...

Kessler was green...Lacy overrated and Eubank past it..

But I won't because Joe and Andre deserve more respect than that..

I don't agree that Ward's record is as good as Calzaghe's and putting my argument forward as to why I don't think it is.

It's not an argument....It's a kindergarten hatchet job....

Now I'm off to bed and a nice long bank holiday weekend awaits..

My advice try to be more constructive..

Fancy Kovalev, if there is somebody to beat him it will be Ward. Fancy Kovalev can keep it long often enough, and perhaps enough speed and is powerful enough to bully Ward at certain times. No massive conviction behind that, mind.

If it goes the distance then that should mean a clear Andre Ward win on points.  If it doesn't go the distance then that probably means a clear Sergey Kovalev win.  So as long as Andre Ward can survive he will win because of his overall superior boxing skills. Although Kovalev seems to have a habit of reaching his target - accurate with his punches.

AdamT wrote:

Lance wrote:Wouldnt back anyone against Ward. Certainly dont see it as a pick em. Be shocked if Kov wins more than 2 rounds, and Kov is a great fighter

Would ring rust/ inactivity not be a factor?

I presume you're referring to Ward? If so no, I don't believe ring rust or inactivity will be a factor. Floyd had 8 months off before fighting Cotto, 12 months off before fighting Guerrero and 21 months off before fighting Marquez. Nobody ever said he was rusty so I hope I don't hear that offered as an excuse for Ward if he loses.

Kovalev by KO

Hammersmith harrier wrote:

TopHat24/7 wrote:

Lance wrote:Ward has had 2 fights now since his long lay off. I cant see it being a problem. Kov will give it a great effort, but what good is power if Ward is too slick for him to land

ask your boy Hoppo

49 year old Hopkins.

Noted. And I've already backed Ward on this.

But it's not that easy just saying 'too slick' - even old Hoppo was slick & crafty enough to make good fighters look average and he was hammered. Not just pushed or test, hammered.

Because a weight-drained Dawson and an over-achieving Froch weren't able to land clean on Ward is good but not a sign a Sweet-Pea-esque elusiveness.

Mochyn du wrote:

emancipator wrote:

AdamT wrote:If Ward beats Kovalev, he will definitely have done enough to eclipse Calzaghe. To be honest he already has, but that will leave it in no doubt.

Agree with the second part - he's already far ahead of Calazaghe - and he's a better boxer to boot.

As for this fight - Ward UD, reasonably comfortable. He's gonna make Kovalev look like a plodder who comes forward in straight lines.



emancipator

No he's not.  Calzaghe's record is superior.  Who has Ward actually beaten?  His best wins are a Kessler already vanquished by Calzaghe himself, a Froch already vanquished by a busted up Kessler and a Dawson who'd previously lost to an average Pascal and laboured to two close wins against an old Glen Johnson.  Calzaghe has more championship wins and wins against an unbeaten Kessler and Hopkins is better than anything on Ward's record.

Oh dear, a Welshman has waded into a Calzaghe debate......bye bye intelligent rational debate.

No harm to Calzaghe, he does not have a better record than Ward. Top wins are of a similar level, but a fair chunk of Joe's wins were lower than Paul Smith.

Also I am confident that Ward could of beat Calzaghe. Not easy. I think Calzaghe is an excellent boxer, with great fitness. I just think Ward had too much skill.

I'm not impartial on this but I'd have backed Calzaghe against Ward. Someone said earlier in the post, Calzaghe always did just enough. Even if this was meant in a derogatory manner I think it's actually a positive. The guy always found a way to win and apadpted to what happened in front of him. But it's all fantasy and a game of opinions anyway and we'll never know. No disputing that Ward is a fine boxer who's cleared out a division.

Back to the subject at hand Ward vs Kovalev. Firstly, delighted it's happening. Too many of the big fights don't get made and I think there are enough unanswered questions to make this a very interesting night. I can make a case either way but gun to my head I'd say that Kovalev will find Ward at some point in the 12 and be able to stop him, probably in the later rounds. Wouldn't put any money either way, though.

The fact JC struggled so much with Hoppo is what makes me lean towards Ward slightly, who's fitter & stronger than the old man.

JC could certainly win (via output), but in a series of fights I'd expect Ward to maybe edge it.

TopHat24/7 wrote:The fact JC struggled so much with Hoppo is what makes me lean towards Ward slightly, who's fitter & stronger than the old man.

JC could certainly win (via output), but in a series of fights I'd expect Ward to maybe edge it.

Calzaghe struggled against Hoppo and I have to be honest I watched a slow mo and can see why some people thought Hopkins won

But he was allowed to cheat to a ridiculous length in that fight and got away with absolutely everything

I think Calzaghe would have given Ward major problems, probably pick Calzaghe in that one purely on Styles, Ward has never fought anyone like Calzaghe, where as Calzaghe has fought someone like Ward (Hopkins)

The other question is, which version of Calzaghe, the one who had chronic hand trouble or the one who banged people out of there?

TopHat24/7 wrote:

Hammersmith harrier wrote:

TopHat24/7 wrote:

Lance wrote:Ward has had 2 fights now since his long lay off. I cant see it being a problem. Kov will give it a great effort, but what good is power if Ward is too slick for him to land

ask your boy Hoppo

49 year old Hopkins.

Noted. And I've already backed Ward on this.

But it's not that easy just saying 'too slick' - even old Hoppo was slick & crafty enough to make good fighters look average and he was hammered. Not just pushed or test, hammered.

Because a weight-drained Dawson and an over-achieving Froch weren't able to land clean on Ward is good but not a sign a Sweet-Pea-esque elusiveness.

I still think its ridiculous people think Ward won't get touched up in this fight, I mean Kovalev isn't just some power punching plodder, he has a great jab and sledge hammers in his fists, Ward will have to be at the absolute top of his game against Kovalev, if he puts in a Barrera type performance he gets stopped

No offence man, but watching Manny vs Floyd in slow mo is one thing (To my shame I admit, I watched the biased short video of Pac vs May), but there is no way I could sit through Hopkins vs Calzaghe again.

BoxingFan88 wrote:

TopHat24/7 wrote:

Hammersmith harrier wrote:

TopHat24/7 wrote:

Lance wrote:Ward has had 2 fights now since his long lay off. I cant see it being a problem. Kov will give it a great effort, but what good is power if Ward is too slick for him to land

ask your boy Hoppo

49 year old Hopkins.

Noted. And I've already backed Ward on this.

But it's not that easy just saying 'too slick' - even old Hoppo was slick & crafty enough to make good fighters look average and he was hammered. Not just pushed or test, hammered.

Because a weight-drained Dawson and an over-achieving Froch weren't able to land clean on Ward is good but not a sign a Sweet-Pea-esque elusiveness.

I still think its ridiculous people think Ward won't get touched up in this fight, I mean Kovalev isn't just some power punching plodder, he has a great jab and sledge hammers in his fists, Ward will have to be at the absolute top of his game against Kovalev, if he puts in a Barrera type performance he gets stopped

I agree. This isn't Carl Froch we're talking about here. Kovalev appears to have power in every punch he throws and technically, he's getting better all the time under JDJ. If Ward does eke out a points win it will be close.

I think that this is a fascinating bout and full props to both fighters for going against the best possible opponent (Adonis take note...)
Ward can take this, but it is by no means a foregone conclusion. Kovalev is not just a hard punching beast - he's pretty ring savvy and with the dynamite he has at his disposal if Ward takes one, then he'll go.
This will be hard for both fighters. I cannot really call a winner but for different reasons. I don't like Ward but I do recognise his talent and do rate him. I just have a suspicion that Kovalev will catch him and if he does it'll be snoozey time.

Out of interest, what is there about Ward to suggest he can't take a punch? Kovalev hits hard but he couldn't get rid of old man Hoppo and Pascal took a hell of a beating before being stopped first time round. There's nothing in Ward's make-up to indicate he'll fold when the first shot lands

DAVE667 wrote:Out of interest, what is there about Ward to suggest he can't take a punch? Kovalev hits hard but he couldn't get rid of old man Hoppo and Pascal took a hell of a beating before being stopped first time round. There's nothing in Ward's make-up to indicate he'll fold when the first shot lands

I agree that it will take more than one shot to derail Ward. Kovalev tends to knock opponents down multiple times after hurting them (rather than popping them out with one punch).

Ward was badly hurt by Darnell Boone (who dropped Kovalev and stopped Stevenson - despite a modest KO %) and so there's a feeling he can be knocked out if he's caught. Hell of a defensive game, though, and he won't be easy to get going. In Kovalev's favour is the fact he doesn't load up on a big shot. He lets his hands go and it appears that every shot is a hard one. That'll help him against Ward.

Think Ward is going to have to get Kov's respect early doors and land a few hard, fast leads/counters and make him think twice about coming forward. However, something tells me Krusher isn't easily dissuaded and Ward will have to be alert for the full 12 rounds but a stoppage for either fighter sends out a massive statement

Kovalev is a mean SOB. Proper nasty streak.

Think Ward can be a nasty pasty when he needs to, be interesting to see who comes out on top if it gets rough

DAVE667 wrote:Think Ward can be a nasty pasty when he needs to, be interesting to see who comes out on top if it gets rough

Yep - feels like a good old fashioned fight this one. They both think highly of one another, also. Hopefully there'll be a bit of respect there (and Kovalev lays off the racist comments).

Watching Cleverly-Kovalev now and I really do wonder who in Clev's team looked at Kovalev thought "we can take him"

Like Ricky Burns' team think they could beat Crawford or Herbie Hide's team thinking Vitali was easy

AdamT wrote:No offence man, but watching Manny vs Floyd in slow mo is one thing (To my shame I admit, I watched the biased short video of Pac vs May), but there is no way I could sit through Hopkins vs Calzaghe again.

Oh it was painful but seeing people hating on Calzaghe made me see what all the fuss was about

If you score it ignoring all the rubbish then you can argue Hopkins edges it, but for me Cortez is an absolute joke and awarding Calzaghe the fight for wanting to have a fight if nothing else is enough

Had Cortez not been a clown Calzaghe would have won and looked more impressive imo

hazharrison wrote:

DAVE667 wrote:Out of interest, what is there about Ward to suggest he can't take a punch? Kovalev hits hard but he couldn't get rid of old man Hoppo and Pascal took a hell of a beating before being stopped first time round. There's nothing in Ward's make-up to indicate he'll fold when the first shot lands

I agree that it will take more than one shot to derail Ward. Kovalev tends to knock opponents down multiple times after hurting them (rather than popping them out with one punch).

Ward was badly hurt by Darnell Boone (who dropped Kovalev and stopped Stevenson - despite a modest KO %) and so there's a feeling he can be knocked out if he's caught. Hell of a defensive game, though, and he won't be easy to get going. In Kovalev's favour is the fact he doesn't load up on a big shot. He lets his hands go and it appears that every shot is a hard one. That'll help him against Ward.

Ward got dropped against Darnell Boone and ended up face first on the canvas, had it not been the end of the round he could have been in big trouble

DAVE667 wrote:Out of interest, what is there about Ward to suggest he can't take a punch? Kovalev hits hard but he couldn't get rid of old man Hoppo and Pascal took a hell of a beating before being stopped first time round. There's nothing in Ward's make-up to indicate he'll fold when the first shot lands

Its not only going to be one shot though, everyone Kovalev hits either gets flattened hurt or goes into survival mode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joptH6kQg18

For those who haven't seen it

That being said Ward showed excellent survival skills (Take note Mr Khan)

Its not about if you get dropped its about how you deal with it

Bf, he was pretty pleased to hear the bell and he didn't really reassert control for the rest of the fight.

On the flip side, he was just a kid and Boone was a very live journeyman who also beat Stevenson and took kovalev to a split.

Choose the narrative that suits your argument on ward's punch resistance.