He was a smaller guy before but he added weight well without any detriments, so when they fought they were the same size.
Poor argument, he had a tune up against Paul Smith above 168, then two tune ups at full 175 against Brand and Barrera. He was well accustomed to the weight by the time they fought.
You just proved my point by admitting he was the smaller guy prior to moving up. Kell brook weighed the same on the scales and on fight night against Golovkin. He was still the smaller man.
Why would it? Kovalev was considered the best LHW in the world when he lost to Ward twice. That hasn't changed.
I don't see an argument here. You just admitted he had to take tune-ups to get the accustomed to the weight.
Truth, the retractors are lost in their confirmation biased using last nights trashing as validation of Wards supposed elite illusion. The more substantiated theory here is Ward broke a piece of Kovalev’s will and ora of invincibility which he will likely never regain. Think about how profound the cumulation of these events really are. Ward is knocked down in their first encounter and does nothing but will and skill his way to victory, one controversial the other win clearer cut. Kovalev was a fine specimen however his mental fortitude or lack there of was the real catalyst of his downfall. Some men are built to strengthen through adversity others succumb to the will of those men when they are faced with a hard challenge.
Prior to moving up, yes, he was definitely smaller. Not by the time they fought though. Some guys can do that, is the HW version of Toney same as GGG because they both once fought at the same weight class? No. Depends on how well you move up in weight, Ward did it correctly and he was every bit a light heavy as was Kovalev. Brook is a fighter who doesn't really have the ability to move up to MW anyway and he did it badly, in a single fight jumping two weight classes. He could still fight 154 guys without being smaller though. Also weight making process is more than just natural size, Ward probably could have fought at LHW from the beginning if he wanted to.
"Considered" top LHW in a weak division doesn't cut the mustard here luf. in the word of his trainer "I knew that we could have won the rematch but Sergey started making money, getting big headed and he didn’t want to train hard anymore. Every camp was worse and worse." god knows how long KOV has been declining all these years.
The mustard has already been cut, nothing can change that. Every man and his dog thought he was gonna duck Kov, instead he beat him twice. The resume is signed sealed and delivered.
There's a difference between moving up into a weight and being a natural at the weight. Kovalev was a career , natural light heavy , Ward wasn't. Kovalev has the bigger frame and the longer arms where Ward just packed on some extra mass. Ward is the exact same size as Carl Froch and Froch said he was too small for Light heavy. Ward had success at 175 because of his talent , not his size.