If Ward beat Kovalev then....

No, I'm sorry but Rodriguez, Smith, Barrera and Brand in 4 years is awful. Ward shouldn't be regarded in the top 10 P4P list at this moment in time in my opinion.

If one very good win makes you P4P number 1 then boxing is in trouble.

 

Other than his ring hiatuses (which there are many), what has he done to rationalize him being removed as a top 3 guy in the P4P rankings?

See the question works both ways.

In his ring appearances, fleeting as they are, he's still been just as steady and dominant.

 

Well, it doesn't. His question didn't include a "other than (...)" disclaimer.

If Ward has a case for #1, so does RJJ.

 

:deal

 

If Ward beats Kovalev ...

Fans will question him for the rest of his life why he basically gave up four years in the prime of his career - from the Dawson fight in 2012 when Ward was 28 years old ... to the Kovalev fight in 2016 when Ward was 32.

If Ward loses to Kovalev or gets stopped, people will just say Ward peaked during the Super Six and he wasn't his best anymore, due to the layoffs.

If Ward wins, they'll say what an incredible and totally unnecessary waste of time and money and a complete and utter waste of his prime as a fighter.

 

:yep

RJJ isn't p4p #1 anymore? Since when?! Next you'll be telling me Hagler isn't the man at middleweight...

 

Can't argue with this. But I will say I think the second paragraph will be more of an excuse than actual reason if Kovalev does actually beat him.

 

This is what's gonna happen:

Kovalev is gonna win. Ward will then be known as SOK.

 

I thought it was already established that the winner of this fight will be #1.

 

atsch Seek help man... you and your braindead boyfriend c0ckmaster post more about posters than you do boxers.... :roll:

 

Tell em Lance. Put these two cream puffs in their place

 

Big fan of Ward, but got to agree. If he wins, he'll have beaten one top guy in....4 years? That's supposed to be the #1P4P? :huh

Guess we just ignore his inactivity over that span, and subsequent gimme fights up to Kovalev?

That's why fan P4P lists are usually $hit IMO.

 

The winner of the fight is P4P #1.

 

It is a tough one due to Ward's obvious skill and his beating of an elite fighter (if he does beat Kovalev) mixed with his four years of inactivity and weak resume.

P4P seems to be mix of recent resume and H2H ability (different people seem to sway more one way than the other). I think from a recent resume point of view, you could argue that Ward won't be number 1 if he beats Kovalev, but you would be hard pressed to pick anyone else as H2H number 1.

 

It depends on how he wins, if he totally schools Kovalev then it's quite possible otherwise he'd need to follow up with victories over Adonis and Beterbiev.