Is there a growling feeling that Ward can beat Kovalev?

to me this is a 50/50 fight,,, Kov is so solid with a bit of a size advantage but then look at what Ward did at 168 :think

just a great battle for boxing :thumbsup

 

I think a guy as talented as Ward should be in with a shot against anybody. That said, Kovalev faced Hopkins who has a similar style and handled him easily. Some have suggested that he carried Hopkins to show off his own boxing skills and never really poured it on till the last round.

Whatever the truth is, Ward is in with the strongest guy he has faced and probably the best boxer he has faced, rolled into one. Sergei has a mean streak to boot, and Ward isn't going to be able to bully him or get away with dirty tactics without getting some back in return.

Ward might well antagonize him in the build up to the fight which may not be wise. I say Kovalev blasts him out of there in the mid rounds.

 

I favor Kovalev, but expect Ward will land some nice punches and win some rounds.. I am interested to see how Ward handles it when he gets hit with something big, and that will undoubtedly happen at some point.. That said, Ward out boxing Kovalev wouldn't shock me that much.

If I had to put money on it, I would say Kovalev TKO 7 in a close fight at the time of the stoppage.

 

The problem with the Hopkins comparison is that Bernard was pretty much in survival mode from the get go, after the KD in the first. If Ward gets into a position where he's clearly behind on the cards, I think he'll put it on the line and go for the KO, which could obviously spell trouble.

So, to the OP, I'm going the other way. Initially I was thinking Ward would have enough, but now leaning Sergey.
Ward's problem is that with the power differential, where Kovalev has some leeway, he's gonna have to fight perfect for 12 rounds. Can he do that? I wouldn't put it past him but it's a tall order.

 

60-40 for Kovalev. With more or less equal boxing skill, he holds a monumental advantage of firepower. Ward has that invincibility of a man never beaten, and a man smart enough to always adjust to his opponents. This is the most exciting matchup today and I hope it will be on PPV.

 

Only in MVC!'s gaping sphincter.

 

Wards actually the bigger man.

Kovalev is lanky. Ward is shredded.

Have a look at pics of USS and Ward together side by side.

Not much separating them.:think

 

Unless one believes that there's a fundamental weakness in Andre's punch resistance that would undermine any gameplan he uses, nobody should expect an easy fight here.

A Ward victory shouldn't surprise anyone, even those who favor Kovalev.

 

I favour Ward but only just.

The way I see it Kovalev has the punchers chance. If Ward can take or avoid his power he should win this.

Ward will be in close smothering Kov so he can't get any leverage.

The one thing that makes me unsure is how strong Froch finished vs Ward. Those last 3 rounds Froch was able to get to Ward and tag him. If Kovalev can do that he might just stop him late on.

Such a pick em fight though but Ward is my pick.

 

How will Ward score enough points? He will be in his shell the entire time trying to avoid getting hit flush.

Kovalev is not a shot puncher like Wlad or Pacquiao who can no longer pull the trigger. He's operating at full capacity at the moment.

 

I think the biggest misconception of Ward is that his style is similar to Hopkins. Ward is a spoiler but he adapts his style depending on who he is fighting. Even if Hopkins had the same style which he does not he was not young enough to implement it. Kovalev is an exciting fighter but a 50 yr old Hopkins and a worn Pascal still leaves questions in alot of peoples minds. This fight is going to answer those questions about Kovalev and the questions surrounding Ward of whether he is still the same fighter from the Super Six. Great fight and I just cannot wait to see it.

 

Ward is not the type of fighter who shells up. He uses distance, angles, and counters as his defense to remove a fighters offense.
I think your underestimating Ward.

 

I don't think Kovalev has the stamina of Froch but it is still a good point to make. He has come in heavy around 190 I believe for some matches but if he focuses on stamina, can bring his power on late, and Ward tires it could be very bad for Ward. Then again I don't think he wants to give up his size and he is going to hit Ward everywhere to discourage Ward.