What so because a guy has a short training camp the fight can't be a dive? I think you really need to rework your logic. Kovalev just magically forgot his entire skillset for the Canelo fight. No right hands thrown or 2-1s or hooks, and tippy tappy jabs all night. No intent or force on any of his jabs. No in and out and lateral footwork. Minimal hesitation to get out of the way of counters. All this he has shown against bigger and harder hitting fighters and counterpunchers. And he had shown all these attributes two months prior against a far harder counterpuncher in Yarde. Kovalev actually came to win against big counterpunchers such as Eleider/Yarde/Ward. Yarde may be limited but he has fast and hard counters, yet Kovalev didn't mind taking a few to land his own punches. And he has shown this time and time again in fights with Eleider and Ward. Yet against Canelo he doesn't even throw one punch with conviction despite being constantly in position to land straights whilst being out of range of Canelo's telegraphed looping hooks. Canelo for the most of that fight was a sitting duck walking in straight lines flat footed with minimal head movement. Canelo has also time and time again has shown he cannot counter consistently as If you think Kovalev fought the way he did because of Canelo's counterpunching you are very naive. Sure Canelos counterpunching is good but a very smart fighter like Kovalev wouldn't have fought the way he did unless it was fix. A short training camp does not explain his performance in anyway, unless he was concussed, but in that instance shame on Canelo for fighting a concussed opponent.
Kov didn't take a dive against canelo. He was simply shot and looked so. Hell, watch his two fights prior...
Ward would've been steamrolled by Butterbarbe-Q. Betterbutter's the reason d.mp d.droopy 'Dre ran howling into retirement, tail between legs
Canelo would be one of the smartest(if not the smartest) guys fought by Ward. As the "B" side Ward would likely be at a disadvantage on the cards, venue, etc. For something like this, Alvarez would have the fight in Guadalajara or something. And Canelo is good. Really good. But Ward is better. And bigger. And stronger with better stamina. Like other possibilities for a Ward comeback, if the fight were actually made, it means that Ward has a plan to win. Since Ward is one of the all around smartest professional boxers (if not the smartest) to ever lace up the gloves, if he makes the fight, I'll pick him to win. Since I figure he'd have to be at a disadvantage on the cards, I'll pick him by stoppage.
Ward was not the smartest fighter to lace them up and never had the smartest opposition either, Loma is far more skilled despite being beat by Lopez.
Would Ward be allowed to punch repeatedly to the nuts? If so, he may be able to get a referee to wave it all off without even giving a single count.
post# 22 numbnuts https://www.boxingforum24.com/threa...-dorman-breakdown.663919/page-2#post-20925838