He was simply more skilled. Ward is much more beatable as shown in the first Kovalev fight. Kovalev isn't as good as Calzaghe. Kovalev had no inside game. Calzaghe would beat him by his output and Ward resets often with his style and resorts to headbutting and clinching to slow the other fighter down. It's pretty obvious to see that. Ward is a great fighter but he's clearly beatable. He never fought outside of his hometown in the super six and had to resort to dirty tactics in his fights at times to get his opponents hurt. Kovalev can't fight on the inside. Elite fighters can fight on the inside and outside. Ward beat him because of his inside game and he knew how to smother his shots to take the zap off them. Calzaghe would do the same. The younger Calzaghe had more power than Ward, too. Ward is a wear you down, accumulative type puncher. His strength was how he could offset his opponent with his stance and footwork. I've always thought Calzaghe was better and i think he could land shots easier than Andre Ward. Ward often resets and has to clinch often to be effective where Calzaghe didn't have to do that until much later on in his career. He was just the more fluent operator.
The difference is, Calzaghe beat unbeaten Kessler, fair and square. And despite what the judges rendered, Ward clearly lost to Kovalev.
Your partly right,about:calzaghe beat kessler, and that was his best win against a prime fighter,but aleast at the end of his career he travel to america to fight B-hop and Jones.Ward not even one times! A true warrior for me is:someone who got the balls to beat you in your backyard with your fans against all odds.Like Usyk did.
calzaghe "beat undefeated kessler" because he was younger... doesn't change the fact that kessler was the best fighter calzaghe ever beat who was in his prime.
Really good fighter and very intelligent with a high ring iq…. but imo very dirty Never reached his full potential because he seemed more interested in keeping his O then taking risks.
How is it unfortunate for @C.J. ? It was a home-cooked decision that was unfortunate for Kovalev and for boxing. Again, you don't grasp the distinction between winning a fight and getting the decision. He lost the first fight pretty clearly, regardless of how the three American judges scored it. And in the second fight, as @FrankinDallas has pointed out, he used Kovalev's ball-sack as a heavy bag.
Have to agree with you on this one...i know i won't be popular after this but anyway(because he is very like on this forum).Calzaghe was an opportunist like many others,That was a little cherry pick,have to admit if your honest.But who else could he beat at smw?
As for Ward,Adonis Stevenson call him when he demolish Dawson in 1 round,just before Ward thought about the Kovalev fight,but at the time Stevenson was still a no name(some say he got lucky against Dawson) anyway the Kovalev fight happen and you know the rest.Beterbiev was his mando...stay retire Ward.
You underrate Calzaghe a lot. I have seen you put Canelo over him. Hopkins dropped Calzaghe's output greatly. He simply couldn't keep up the pace in the second half so lost. Ward with his spoiling, holding and mauling would definitely win in the USA. In Wales it could be very different.