Moorer fought much harder oposition than Kovalev. and you are mentioning hw fights too. Kovalev would not last 2 rounds with Bert cooper much less would beat any version of Holyfield. A prime Tyson PREDICTABLE ?LMAO!!! Canelo predictable? Tyson and canelo are 10 levels above Kovalev in the skill department and Arsenal of blows. PLEASE GET OUT OF MY VIEW
I'm mentioning HW fights because Moorer was HW... Kovalev fought much harder opposition at 175 AND looked better. He was never out-boxed by an old Leslie Stewart.
A prime Tyson was predictable. He'd jab his way in, patiently wait and look for counters. When he hurt someone he throw a barrage of hooks (90% of the time) in a left, right, left, right pattern and exploit any openings he took from this. Look at how Holyfield beat him, he stepped outside and then in at the times where Tyson's punches couldn't hit him (arm's outstretched/not in position ect.) and made sure he won the exchange by throwing last. And Tyson had many static combinations he'd use consistently throughout his prime that were literally drills he felt comfortable using. Canelo was also predictable. Half is his highlight reel is him feinting to the body and throwing an overhand right. He did about 30 times before he landed against Khan. Canelo's wide-stance also means he uses his head and shoulders a lot more than his feet, and so has to reuse the ways he defends certain punches. In fact, Mayweather stuttered his jabs perfectly because he knew Canelo flinching would mess with his head-movement, combined with countering, style. Just because you don't see it, doesn't mean it's not there. And babycakes I never said Kovalev was more skilled than either. I said all 3(4) were predictable. Which is true.
So.. We are talking about prime Tyson and then you mention the Holyfield fight? Post jail Tyson was predictable ,he was only looking for a big punch, a prime Tyson was not predictable at all, moving his head constantly, landing combinations he was not predictable AT ALL. Canelo neither is.. Kovalev is trash compared with Tyson and Canelo, simply trash.. He is not in the same league,Sorry
Prime Tyson had the same tactics used against him by Bonecrusher Smith, Blood Green and James Tillis. They just weren't good enough to win. Tyson was predictable, he may have done a lot of different things, but he did them all the same. Canelo is too. It's not my fault you don't see it. What you're trying to say is that there weren't limited. Because they weren't. Being predictable isn't the same as being limited. There are 100s of predictable fighter which no-one would call limited. I just gave you two (three) examples. And so it's a good job I never compared Kovalev to Canelo or Tyson then. I made a point, not a comparison.
You know what I have no idea. I haven't really watched Moorer at LHW, only HW. He has massive advantages been his power, range and size. Ward has advantages as a ring general and maybe stamina or workrate. I wonder if Moorer was a bit drained at LHW, he didn't stay there long. Ward has the unique ability of finding a way of finding a way to win. Dawson was a bad style for him, quicker, rangier, so Ward comes inside and breaks an albeit drained Dawson. Kovalev gives him hell in the first fight. Ward comes back and breaks Kovalev by fair means and foul. He's a big underdog against Kessler and he dominates him. Clearly beats the other top SMW of the generation in Froch. It's either Moorer by KO or Ward outhustling him. Not really sure but don't underestimate or sleep on Ward Prime Tyson's headwork, timing, footwork and feints were certainly not predictable otherwise his opponents would be able to time him. They couldn't. Neither did he use the same punch time and again, otherwise he'd be easier to defend against. Prime Tyson forced mistakes and then countered. That's surely the opposite predictable. The Holyfield fight was also after he'd completed less than 8 rounds in the prior 5 years, with 3-4 of those years inactive in prison. And Holyfield is a great technician who like Pernel Whitaker was a disciple of the ATG trainer George Benton. Yet Tyson still landed plenty of leather, especially early. I would agree with you in 1 sense. Tyson becomes predictable as he gets tired and stops moving his head, walks into range and throws 1 punch at a time. But anyway, it's good thing for Moorer that he never faced Tyson, although I suppose he missed out on a hell of a payday.
It still baffles me that people here are saying an excellent novice, who struggled with the only cute boxer he faced in a old Leslie Stewart, would beat a fighter who's 175lbs run coincided with him being considered one of, if not the best fighter in the world. I am trying to be polite, but this fight would be a near gross mismatch for the time periods asked.
A Moorer unification fight with Charles Williams would have help give a clearer answer to this question. Ward had beaten at better range of opponent's at this stage of MM career. Thus have to go with proven winner Ward. Ward pts.
Sure, but what if Moorer catches up to Ward and nails him with power punches? Moorer likely hits considerably harder than Kovalev. It would be interesting.
It is his only hope. But if a Danny Stonewalker can frustrate him for half a dozen or so rounds, then I do not see that as much of a hope...
He clearly lost the first Kovalev fight. I don't think that was even debatable. I agree that Ward had a good chin but it wasn't exactly Hagler level.
Why? Because you said "cleary?" I scored it for Ward, just like the judges. It wouldn't have been close if it were 15 rounds.