Kovalev now recharged and fresh and ready to start round 1 with full stamina possesses a huge mental advantage in this fight. He knows that Ward cannot hurt him. Andre has absolutely no power in his right hand at all. And not much more in the left hand. While at the same time Kovalev knows that just 1 punch from him can drop Ward and sting him. Both he and Ward know this. Huge advantage to know that in a fight only 1 man can hurt the other. I'm still picking Ward by UD. But I'm waffling right now. When you know and the opponent knows that you cannot hurt your opponent you better put on an A+ technical fight.
I like this version of Kovalev. People claiming he's too pumped up and it will be his downfall are well off. Certain fighters are not mentally strong enough to keep their emotions in check but I think SK isn't one of them. Also he's seen Ward for the person he is, he's seen the true Ward, he's seen through all the bull**** Ward and his camp are about and as in the last fight there was too much respect given to Ward in the run up, now we see Kovalev in seek and destroy mode.
You mean the ref who let him excessively clinch and headlock Ward like Vladimir Klitschko does his opponents every chance he gets?
I think he means the referee that saved him from a brutal ko, and spared him a picture of him on the canvas drooling. Bad referee, I wanted that picture.
It wasn't the ref who stopped Ward from continuing to hit Kov. It was Ward himself who felt that he had hit low and stopped.
Guys who are "counting on a clean fight" don't throw rabbit punches, don't themselves hit on and below the waistband and don't initiate chokeholds on their opponents in clinches. It was dirty. Both ways. Stop whining.
Not whining since I am not a fan of either one. Just describing what I saw. Why are you whining about people noticing that the fight was stopped unjustly?
When both guys fought dirty, why do you focus on only one? Was the ref 'crooked' in allowing Kova to get away with his fouls? It's whining.
You are grossly exaggerating what KOV did. It doesn't compare to what the ref and Ward did in conjunction. As for whining, this is a discussion forum. That you tag things you disagree with as whining merely means that you disagree. Nothing more. This content is protected