Kovalev-Ward: Swing Rounds and Clean Punches

A lot of "boxing fans" miss the counters. For those that don't know it is where the person who leads, or throws the first punch in an engagement, gets tagged. This could be after missing or connecting with the lead punch.

Kovalev landed a lot of good hard counters, particularly with that short left. That shot probably does two or three times more damage than a jab.

 

Good video @Bogotazo but I remember doing this with MayPac, I even messaged you on the other forum saying Pac beat Mayweather on this slow mo basis lol even though real time I had it and still have it 116-112 Mayweather.
Watching in slow motion, Pac actually landed a number of shots that I didn't give him credit for. Yet, scoring a fight can only be done live. It's harder to assess the other factors when we're using slow motion to focus on shots landed cleanly.

Quite nuanced, but a boxers job is also to manage perception of judges. It would help if he has developed habits within his style to make it seem like shots didn't land as cleanly, and make it seem like his shots did land well. We see perception management on a different level when boxers have a pointscoring strategy each round - a common form in the paid ranks is they put in their best work in the last minute. AIBA boxers tend to use this at a higher level due to their bouts being shorter.

At least you wrote that this isn't the right method to judge rounds would've had that 'oh but on slow motion' arguments coming left right and centre. Isolating the round in this manner doesn't make it more convincing either way.

Watching the HBO broadcast, I had it 114-113 Ward. I later watched the link from inside the arena, and I had it potentially a Kovalev victory (seeing Kovalev as having the bigger case for round 3 and pretty even but a great case for round 10 unlike in the HBO broadcast which I saw them as clear for Ward). I felt that Kovalev was the better ring general in that round, too. Ultimately, they were truly swing rounds. I didn't even know round 5 was a controversial one, it looks clear for Ward.
I believe a few of Ward's shots that he was given credit for were ones that landed to the side of the head.

I remember writing in your technical summary thread that I expected Ward to go to the body jabs a lot, this was a crucial element in this fight and what was also crucial that swung the momentum in Kovalev's favour was Kovalev sitting pretty and not doing so much after his big lead, abandoning the jab (hell, he even would've done well to go for jabs to the body), too.

We're ultimately left asking ourselves, who won - Pernell Whitaker or Oscar De La Hoya?

 

To give Ward any of the first 6 rounds, you'd have to take his nuts from out of your mouth.

It was not a close fight. That is what Ward and the fight deciders want you to believe. After that you can convince yourself that he won. The running, low punch output, getting hurt a number of times, clinching, elbows, continual blocking of Kovalev's punches with his face, a sign of the champion.

Mayweather Pac was close. I saw Pac winning that. Similar story but not a blatant robbery like Kovalev Ward.

Let's hear it with the ad hominem arguments. "oh you picked Pac so obviously you are bias". Rewatch that fight. Same type of story. The great American boxer who hasn't lost since he was 13 years old, who won the gold, and believes in God, who defeated all in the super 6 with only 20 fights and without (too many) headbutts defeats the Russian beast who eats little children and prays to Karl Marx 3 times a day. Go USA.

And finally I am sick of the "get over it" or "Ward whipped that ass" attitude. Kovalev's career and place in history has high correlation with his result in this fight. The guy trained his entire life to get here. Contrary to many predictions that he would get his head boxed off, he didn't and boxed better than Ward, who ran and resorted to questionable tactics. Kovalev took 28% of the split and offered up his belts to get Ward into the ring. Feel compassion for a guy who just got shafted big time in every single way. That's why I can't just "let it go".

 

Everyone knows who proved to be the superior fighter this past Saturday , absolutely not who was rewarded the victory .

Pretty close and very competitive fight, either fighter can win the rematch but only one fighter can be scored the winner for that first fight and that's krusher Kovalev not AW,

The ONLY fans finding AW the winner are true AW die hard and and the 3 American judges who obviously were granting AW the W as long as he was still standing at the end of round 12.

I feel for Kovalev , AW is obviously the far better athlete , far better specimen and the condition of the 2 is night and day.

AW is one of the rare fighters that can fight at 100% all night long while most fade round by round. never thought Kovalev could win a decision , but he DID, just because the judges screwed him doesn't mean I did not see it.

He'll go for the KO next time. all out which could cost him a true L, we'll see in new 4/6 months

 

kovalev was robbed lol

this dudes are trying to justify a clear hometown decision lol

 

Robbed is Perez against Hooker.

 

That was even worse of a robbery but not nearly career robbery this was. this decision totally screwed Kovalev , like the poster said above.

This was Kovalev's biggest fight, by far and held the most meaning to his legacy for how he's looked upon in the boxing gods and his own country .

That ****ing Bull**** INCORRECT judges decision was way more than just a bad call or missed call, that was a career changing and more importantly legacy impacting horrific scoring attempt by 3 prejudice and bias piece of **** American scumbags, I'm embarrassed for them to be American citizens

 

Thurman vs Porter is a great example of how people score fights different. My in laws say Thurman won because he hurt Porter more, but they're casuals. I actually had the fight a draw.

I think you and I score fights similar. People will call it fanboyism or nationalistic but you and I score slick, technical boxers more favorably. And to prove it's not a national thing for me, I had Brook beating Porter 10-2, I had Lomachenko beating Russell 10-2.

 

It's unfair to give Kovalev more credit for power because he's naturally stronger. And that's only one criteria, I'm one of the few that scores defense.

 

I think this is more personal for you.

 

Round ten is where the " FIX " happened. You see if the judges correctly give it to Kovalev, Ward can't win, unless he scores a knockdown. Judges can add...

The one judge who gave Kovalev the 12th had room on his card to do it and still have Ward winning.

UTTER CORRUPTION.

 

Agreed. I've said it a few times already: I was thinking these guys absolutely need to rematch in the middle of the bout. Clearly evenly matched, and honestly this is the kind of match ups we want to see with more regularity in boxing as a whole.

Close fight between two excellent champions. Let's see it again. I do wish fights of this magnitude were 15 rounds as well. It would make things clearer in my view.

 

He really does have issues.

 

Unfortunately, as boxing fans this happens alot, so you 'd think we would be used to it by now?... But honestly if the decision had gone the other way, would there have been the same outrage? I ask because many of us have devoted alot of our time and resources to this sport so there will always be an emotional investment to a certain degree.......We can go back and fourth, we can dissect all 12 rounds, and find faults in each.....but the truth is that we will be back where we were when we started. I hope for a rematch......where Kovalev can get his chance....