Without the questionable stoppage

I'm guessing the referee thought it was a legitimate body shot. Still think he could have gotten the benefit of at least a count then.

I really hate soft stoppages, and I bet fighters do too. You train 3 months and have a ref stop a championship fight the moment there's some difficulty? GTFOH.

 

There was always going to be only one ending Kovalev Glass Balls,Glass Chin and Glass heart was getting knocked the F out.

 

Ward loved that stoppage. Did you see the huge grin of relief plastered across his face in his post fight interview with Max?

 

Yes ... but Ward was also less fresh than he'd been in the 2nd.

 

Nothing is exact, but yes, neither is good.

Speaking as an observer, both men were hurt but not vulnerable enough to warrant a stoppage. In both instances we are looking at less than a minute left in the round and both men doing a capable job of defending themselves. Prior to the low blow, Kova's survival tactics were no different or less effective than Ward's in Round 2.

 

I think he is disingenuous

If he was classy he'd have at the very least concede that the stoppage was premature. He was talking to Max as if he had just left and knocked Kovalev flat out on his back laying motionless on floor leaving the ref with no choice but to wave the fight off.

 

No only ledderman had Kov up, everyone else said they didn't agree wth good score.

If you equate these level athletes as to general behavior then you must not understand the will power that these types of men have. Very good chance Kov comes back even through all the low blows. But hey maybe, probably, definitely Ward throws more after the fact.

 

No mas, That boy didn't want no moe

 

Kovalev's lead built by his early success with the jab and Andre's lack of offense was being eroded away on my card before the knockout.

Had he survived the round and fight, Ward would've probably still edged it on points for me. And I had Kovalev winning the first time around.

Maybe a replay of the first bout occurs where Kovalev winning the 10th and 12th on my card gave him a 3 point edge, but I will give Ward the benefit of the doubt here. My card would've probably ended up actually being the 7-5 Ward card that the judges gave him credit for last time around.

 

I don't necessarily think Ward stops him. I think Kovalev recovers but Ward closes out the last 4 rounds with ease taking a 116-111 (think round 8 would have been 10-8 if not for the stoppage as Kov was clearly going to take a knee) type victory.