Very Disappointed in Sergey Kovalev..

A lot of psychology comes into it here. It turns out Kovalev wasn't man enough for the challenge before the rematch even began. I'm certainly not trying to insult the guy, I am fan of Kovalev.
1. He insisted Ward's growing success = ONLY due to Sergey's gas tank. Blames JDJ, hires Rabiynski for this. Ward was actually increasingly succesful in first fight due to his own merits, too.
2. 'Ward punches like a girl, I will destroy him' - fell in love with his power. Didn't develop the gameplan further, whilst Ward kept studying. Kovalev just didn't have it in him to strip away everything in order to rebuild and learn for the rematch - he had to believe in his head that he won it and the next match will be easier.

Sergey making shortcuts leading up to this fight started to really show in this fight once Ward had found his range after the first couple of rounds and Sergey just didn't have an answer.

Sergey was crying foul at EVERY opportunity even when Ward was landing completely clean body shots. Far too dramatic about it, didn't take fate into his own hands. This is a symptom of being deep into a defeatist attitude.

Frustrated, couldn't get punches going, ineffective work. Kovalev just psychologically broke when the momentum just massively shifted in Ward's favour, and Ward was doing the bullying, landing the harder punches all of the time.
There's also no excuse for losing so much stamina half way through the fight. We've all been in that mind frame where we've exhausted ourselves incessantly attempting something that just isn't working, yet we're unwilling to humble ourselves, kill every part of ourselves to dig deep. That was Sergey last night.

Tony Weeks was wrong to stop the fight right there, but he would've stopped it legitimately in 15 seconds time anyway. Sergey was truly ready to go.

 

Watch it again, you're overstating it because you hate the 'sleazebag'
I hate low blows. Lomachenko-Salido left me with an empty, helpless, potently sad feeling and I lost interest in boxing for a few months after...this was because Salido loved to smash the gonads.
But the way some of you have spoken of Kov-Ward 2, it seems as though it was Salido level. It wasn't anything like that.
Tony Weekes made it clear before the fight that the belt line was legal. Ward was landing there and Kovalev was complaining at every turn (although I don't completely recall, I can imagine there were times when Ward did low blow but that's to be expected for anyone who's strategy incorporates straights to the body).

Which round are you talking about? Hopefully not the last round. This is the most telling and here's the breakdown of the last round -
I saw a Kovalev who started the round in an exchange with Ward and should've continued to pursue as he was in a slightly favourable position but he hesitated. Immediately after, I saw a Kovalev who turned his back on Ward looking scared of getting cracked (this is a big deal). I then saw a Kovalev who was throwing inaccurate punches with nothing but elbow snap, I then saw a Kovalev who was in a short trade finished by Ward with a short left hook and Kovalev didn't have that immediate instinct to land an equaliser or press and impose himself in that duel. This happened AGAIN immediately after and Kovalev was outhustled by Ward again in an exchange, the last punch being a shot on the belt line, Kovalev acts like it was a low blow. I then saw a Kovalev continued to be distracted by that 'low blow' despite the action moving to the centre of the ring, then Ward went on a rampage.

I do agree that the fight shouldn't have been stopped right there, but I'd add that Kovalev was done and it would've happened anyway. Kovalev wanted to stick to the ONLY thing that worked for him, the jab game.

 

I don't hate you at least...just Floyd lol. I just consider myself a bitter Floyd rejecter who wanted Floyd aka one of the TBE's to have Ward levels of hunger but that's a whole different issue and I'm tragically salty there. It's my weakness.

 

Thanks. Succinctly put post and captures all of the important features in the fight.
I feel for Ward a little in that he was going to finish Kovalev either way, but now some (although less over time) will continue to walk this excuse-making avenue to diminish Ward's achievement.
Kovalev looked as finished mentally (and worse physically) as Lomachenko's opponents do before the corner steps in/they quit.