How many rounds will Kovalev win gainst Ward?

I agree, Kovalev's KO's are more methodical, rather than sudden. Opponents get worn down and discouraged. I don't think Ward will get caught as clean or as often so he'll last longer. In relation to Sergey's opponents, he's in better shape, not 50, and better all around. Unless Kovalev catches Ward good enough to put him out, I think this fight goes the distance where either man is capable of winning a decision.

 

4. But he will get dropped once

 

Absolutely no chance?

No.

He paddled Hopkins 12-0 so clearly the man can box. But I think take the power out of the equation and the Hopkins fight would have been much closer. I think BHop felt the power and didn't want seconds. That temerity (and probably rightly so) cost him the fight.

Regardless, this will be a good fight. I wouldn't bet on the outcome, even though I think Kovalev should win. I'm not as confident as I was six months ago.

 

Current odds courtesy of Bovada:

Ward -145
Kovalev +115

So far, the books are picking Ward...

 

What else can they do? If the strategy is to OUTBOX Andre Ward then I hope someone on their team is smart enough to realize that is a losing proposition. Kovalev is gonna have to make it a dogfight if he hopes to win and, to completely honest, I'm not even sure he can win in that scenario. The more I think about it the more I believe Kovalev only has a puncher's chance in this fight...

 

Had Hopkins been 35 instead of 50 he would have beaten Kovalev. Don't get it twisted. Using the Hopkins fight as a measuring stick for how well Kovalev will do against Ward is a huge mistake. Ward and 50 year ole' Hopkins are two different animals all together...

 

Fair enough Hopkins was older than anybody has a right to be while still fighting at champion level. But after the initial blast Kovalev was concentrating on outboxing him and not trying to knock a hole through him.

:conf

I really wouldn't put money on this fight. Not unless you can afford to lose it :nono

 

he wipes ward out, late rounds. at the time, kovalev is 3 up going into the 8-9th

 

It could happen like that Chicken George.

 

One round.

Kovalev only needs 1 round to win this.

By KO!

 

Kovalev doesn't have to make it a dogfight, yes his chance is a puncher's chance but puncher's chances doesn't always mean a very low chance. He should just box in the way that he's used to, if he can land something good he can score a stoppage and the chance of that happening isn't as low as people think.

The thing that Kovalev needs to do is make sure he can cut the ring off effectively, that's his main concern in this fight as it is against any boxer. If he allows Ward to run rings around him it's over, Ward will probably just stay on the outside landing a few pot shots here and there and Kovalev will never be set.