Really!?!? Perhaps my standards for ATG are too high. Dominate top notch opposition for a long period of time, in multiple divisions, 8+ consecutive title defenses in a single division, less than 4 losses in your prime, 4+ division champ(this can take the place of long term domination in a single division) with a 40+ fight career. Ward comes close, but he didn't dominate multiple divisions, didn't dominate a division for a long period of time and didn't have a 40+ career. HOF'er most definately.
Ward is all time at super middle. I thought Kovalev handled him at light heavy rather clearly in first fight. To point I didn’t think a rematch would of been necessary had the judges gotten right. Having said that - I believe Ward rates higher at super middle than Kovalev does at light heavy (light heavy being a division that’s been around forever with better talent) both are Hall of famers
Neither were considered the man at their weight like Kov was for so long, take the foul filled Ward rematch out the equation and he leaves Kessler and Froch standing with his continuous dominance
i'd wait a bit for his possible comeback, people need to be retired before good before we make them ATG. But as the foremost SMW, hes going to be there yes.
Top 3 based on what? Achievement or your belief in his ability? Can't see how anyone who knows the history of the SMW division could have Ward in their top 3? But if you don't know the division and can only go back a decade or so, maybe. Many would have (and rightfully in my opinion) Calzaghe as the top SMW but just below him and look at the resumes of Eubank and Ottke in the division. But go further and look at some of the other fighters who were there... Just take for example Steve Collins who at SMW had 2 wins over Eubank which ate bigger wins than any Ward had at SMW and 2 wins over Benn, add in Seillier which was also a very good win. So are you basing it on resume for the division or ability? Remember the S6 era wasn't an overly strong SMW era
It’s because super middle is a young and shallow division historically especially when compared to light heavyweight.
Yeah, I'm WELL aware of that.. And yes I did. Kindly butt out here, he and I have been going at each other on here off and on for years. I was pointing out once again that he's a shallow hater who reflexively bashes Kovalev and praises Ward, even though it ends up undermining his claim of Ward being an ATG. It has zero to do with reason and logic and certainly the fair angle you're coming at this from.
Pure unadulterated cow dung!!! If you were to compile footage of Ward butting his opponent the tape wouldn't last more than 10 seconds. Here is 19 mins of non-stop dirty tactics by Bernard Hopkins. Ward was a roughhouse fighter but not a dirty one. There's a difference that most casuals don't understand. This content is protected
its pretty clear in retrospect that ward was the man at SMW as soon as he perfunctorily took Kesslers scalp, the man considered the gold standard at SMW, when he was just a green fighter. Though Sergei MoloKOV was the man at LHW for sure too for a long time.
I liked that he near played with Carl froch, who I consider an ATG, but the kovalev fights really did leave a nasty taste for me, didn’t like either of hose victories at all, he lost one and won dirty another, no way around it. A bad way to go out. I don’t rate him as an ATG personally, he should have fought on and got past the kovalev saga, and added a few more decent wins.
There was more legal body shots landed on Kovalev than low one's so saying he won purely on fouls is wrong. The shots that went low happened every time Kovalev was hunched over. Crouching over to avoid punches is illegal as well. If Kovalev was standing upright those 1 or 2 punches would never have traveled low. This content is protected To land a body attack on elite level completion like that takes a tremendous amount of skill and talent. You just don't see an elite body attack like that anymore. Yarde walked through a stupid amount of shots to land a few body shot on Kovalev. Ward got in and out almost totally unscathed. He was far more dynamic and lighter of his feet than he was in the first fight. It was a great performance.
