The Madrigal Of The Krusher: His Fistic Syncopated Polyphonic Symphony Of Destruction.

One things for sure. Kovalev will bring pain to Ward. Can't see Ward finishing on his feet. Will end up on the canvas and stay there.

 

Kovalev is not as skilled as Golovkin

 

I do believe you're slightly overstating Kovalev's skills, but good **** nonetheless :happy

 

Some great points there Chris.

A lot of people like to parrot reductive clichéd arguments when it comes to boxing, like "styles make fights" or "it all comes down to levels (of skill and/or talent)"...but there is perhaps a third alternate truism many overlook which ought to be added into the mix of explaining why outcomes pan out as they do, sometimes unexpectedly (to some): who can or can't adapt on the fly?

You mentioned Calzaghe vs. Kessler, and while it was a much closer and more competitive bout, ultimately Kessler was rendered as toothless against Joe (esp. in the 2nd half) as was Jeff Lacy. Now, the only department in which Lacy can be said to be superior to Kessler is the left hook (and even there, I'm not sure the shot that ruined Green packed much less force than any hook Lacy ever threw) but otherwise Kessler has the edge in literally everything: technical ability, ring intelligence, jab, footwork, you name it. BUT, after some early success, by the last few rounds he ended up getting Lacy'ed. Why? Because just like Jeff himself, Mikkel is the sort of guy that HAS to be in his comfort zone to succeed. If you change the entire paradigm on him it scrambles his circuits...and Calzaghe was a master rhythm-spoiler, just like Ward is.

A more recent example: nearly everybody picked Klitschko to beat Fury, as he's seen to be just flat out all-around better. Well, he IS, nobody was actually wrong about that...but Fury can **** up your rhythm and Klitschko absolutely HAS to be "comfortable" to be in a position to win.

...or look at Emanuel Augustus, essentially a journeyman, frustrating longtime p4p #1 Floyd Mayweather to no end.

So in summation, while those other two clichés are generally true, a boxer can overcome stylistic disadvantages and even being "lower-level" if he can disrupt a guy who is set in his ways.

 

I actually think Kovalev has more of a set rhthym than someone like a Bika does (the Scorpion truly is a wild, dirty, fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants type as you say) but he is less married to carefully ordered rhythm than a Kessler, Froch, Abraham, or Dawson. It won't be so easy for Ward to make him uncomfortable...in fact, the Krusher's unorthodox offense may actually flip the script on Ward and get HIM a little panicky. :think

 

Do it. :good Better late than never.

I promise to not merge it with the Joe super-thread. :yep