Why didn't Ward fight a more Kovalev-like opponent?

It can be about the money but in some cases it's other things
I.e. To help promote the show and bring some interest to under-card fighters
To stay in shape and stay busy/pad a record (think Thailand here)
To test a new weight
To simply stay active whilst looking for other bigger bouts (a lot of good Japanese guys do this as a "prelude" bout)
To keep to a commitment when another opponent pulls out

In other words, there are reason, but not always good ones

 

That was a nice looking KO!

 

Just to get an easy win and possibly a knockout

 

Because it's a stay busy fight nothing more. Even if he found someone with similar height and reach, that fighter still wouldn't be Kovalev.

 

The jab to the body seems to be what Ward is working on.

 

He's not a fraud. He's definitely one of the best boxers alive. He's just insanely greedy and wants to get paid just for being Andre Ward. It's Mayweatheresque really.

 

For Ward to win his reflexes, timing and sharpness have to be at there best. Fighting an awkward guy will test these three attributes far more than fighting a more traditional style fighter with good fundamentals like Kovalev has. Barrera was more akin to Kovalev than Brand is, but Brand will test the attributes that Ward needs to beat Kovalev far more than Barrera did.

 

because Brand was the only one they could find who'd fight for 30K

 

Wow... But what do you expect he made a thread sh*tting on a whole division in boxing just to make 160 look better. Boxing ****ysts call 154 talented and it is but not in Csts mind.

If GGG had dominated a talented division it would be quite different but he dominated a division full of recycled fighters from the past era in which was later ruled by smaller fighters like Cotto who was forced out of the JMW division because of Austin Trout. His big wins are guys like Lemieux who while he has some power got beat by an old shot Rubio while in his prime and Acline, Geale who got destroyed by Cotto, and Murray who has never been able to beat the best.

I watch GGG fight I think he is a good fighter but I am not going to imagine things about his opponents to sell his fights and confirm any delusions that people might have. Not am I going to put down a talented division for him.

 

Because the first three choices (Cleverly, Skoglund and Shabranskyy) refused to accept the fight for various reasons: Nathan preferred a more remuneratory bout against Braehmer; Erik didn't accept the required VADA testing; Vyacheslav asked too much money and basically priced himself out (and rightfully did so, he still needs to gain experience in order to have a chance versus one of the finest boxers in the planet).