Kovalev vs Ward

Ward UD12 Kovalev

Ward wants to slip in a jab to the body early while dropping back when Kovalev works. You can see why that might not work with Kovalev's right over the top and excellent footwork. Kovalev's head movement looks good early but he wants to wait a bit. Kovalev jabs Ward back onto his heels and that's the big power clue. Ward is missing with his own right over the top; that's bad, obviously, but a bit of a disaster here, and on the minute mark Kovalev drops over a straight combo. Ward's problem here is that he needs to be dialled in because Kovalev is boxing him on a postage stamp, very accurate - this is very hard to counter, this offence. The story of the first is Kovalev sticking Ward on the end of his straight-punches, mainly the jab, a disaster.

The right hand that drops Ward in the second is the final warning and the arc of the fight suggest Ward heeds it. Ward starts the third rough-housing, which is perfect, but the referee is all over it which is a good thing for Kovalev. Ward is back to the jab, but ships another small portion of straight punches. Ward lands his first really good jab off lateral movement and comes in square, gloves up. I'm surprised Kovalev allows this, he should be a little more active IMO. Ward lands a sneaky little left hook best punch of the round; evens up the round - Ward is making him miss now, too, but he does land a clipping little right hand on the way in and they exchange in the wrestle. Even round under any civilised scoring system but if you have to give it, you give it to Kovalev.

Ward is wrestling, keeping his head hard, making it mucky. Very good strategy. Ward's mixing up to mid-range when they exchange, slipping, ducking, moving, is upsetting Kovalev's rhythm but he's not bringing an awful lot back. I like Ward's messy strategy, but he needs to land more, nice little uppercut for Kovalev at 1:10 as Ward comes in, but generally he is missing with these punches. Kovalev needs a bit more activity, Ward needs to dial in a single shot in order to make progress. This is another Kovalev round, based upon a jabbing combination with 15 seconds remaining.

Ward has stopped the momentum though and a sneaky bodyshot as Kovalev is going away probably puts him up in a round for the first time; Kovalev evens it up with a hook and Ward re-takes a lead with a hook of his own, but a nice jab-right combo puts Kovalev up again. Ward lands a bodyshot in the clinch; Kovalev jabs him back with fort seconds left, Ward lands a right over the top to perhaps sneak him in front? Jab to the body from Ward...i'll give him that frame. But he's 4-1 down after five with the KD.

Six is huge. Ward opens with a decent bodyshot. Ward is trying to reintrodce the jab to the body with more success he's dialled in his lean now, can perhaps stay away from the counter-right. Ward is trying to control the distance, he understands, i think, the meaning of each distance he's just having problems inflicting himself on Kovalev. Nothing in it with 1:15 remaining. Kovalev looks prepared to be bamboozled. He's not being, but he looks ready to be. I think Kovalev barely shaded that round, but he's had two desperately close rounds go his way on my cards.

Ward clearly takes the seventh mixing up the minor successes from the early rounds, a couple of very quick jabs and a nice bodyshot. This is what I expected to see if Ward was to do well.

Ward now knows where Kovalev is. But Kovalev is landing at about the same rate as he was early in the 8th; so now we are balancing their offence. I'd give it to Ward on the strength of the bodywork, but it's another even round really. I wish i could give even rounds.

Kovalev is now trying to feint in with edging footwork and Ward is not buying that. He's landing jabs, he's landing to the body, Kovalev looks a little disorganised. Great punches from Ward. Kovalev is still landing prodding jabs and the occasional rights, but Ward is outlanding him. Kovalev wants to sneak in, what is that? Ward round - first Ward round that's a big Ward round. It's 5-4.

Ward lands a few good jabs in ten. He's looking a little more willing, that blip seems to be over. THat's a nice uppercut to the torso with Ward coming in. Another, to the beltline. Ward jabs. Kovalev jabs. They are sort of trying to edge each otehr, that's Ward's game but Kovalev is good enough to have his successes - and those early rounds...Kovalev looks a little tired, his hands are low and he gets hit with a sneak counter on his way in. With a minute left I have Kovalev clearly ahead but Ward is in the round. So it goes.

Ward needs a KD for me going into the eleventh. They are squabbling, nobody is prepared to take the ultimate chance. They need 15. They really need 15 these two. A sharp left hook on 2 mins remaining puts Ward in front. Kovalev is feinting in and then allowing Ward to dip without throwing a punch. Good jabs from Ward. Kovalev misses a flurry but it's good that he's throwing. Double left banks the round for Ward but Kovalev chases him down in the final forty seconds, he then stumbles in front of Ward. He's the more tired of the two.

Ward opens, again, with a good hook, Kovalev evens it up with a pair of nice little short punches at mid-range. They wswap left hooks. Ward jabs and hooks upstairs, they swap jabs. I have Ward ahead by a jab at the 2:00 remaining mark. Ward is ready to dog up close, Kovalev is tired, but as Roy puts it, he's not backing down. Lead right from Ward. He's sneaking in front. Kovalev evens it up with a bodyshot of his own, things are even. Just before Kovalev lands a low blow, Ward lands a jab. Kovalev lands a jab and it's even, Ward lands a hook with thirty seconds left...Ward slips some punches on the ropes. If Ward had got his **** together even a round earlier he'd have been ok. But this is Kovalev for me.

WARD:5,7,8,9,11,12
KOVALEV:1,2*,3,4,6,10,

So I have it to Kovalev by the KD, by a point. I think you can find seven rounds for Ward, but it's tough. In the end, Kovalev was tiring, Ward was very brave, i've no real problem with the result. I think the judge's cards were OK.

*Ward down.