That probably says more about the haters than it does Ward, but it helps explain why so many are gleefully looking forward to Kovalev knocking Ward senseless. Instead of running five miles, I did eight miles. Real or Not: Fury-Wilder III without fans? Any close decision would have been fine with me. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Later in the round, Ward launched what would become a committed body attack. Keys to victory for Sergey Kovalev against Andre Ward, Ward and Kovalev weigh in on first fight, look ahead to rematch, Keys to victory for Andre Ward against Sergey Kovalev, ESPN.com boxing and "Friday Night Fights" contributor, 2002 Rocky Marciano Award, excellence in boxing coverage. Kovalev, however, has had no problem voicing his views. Andre Ward won by an 8th round TKO. Ward felt disrespected because few gave him credit for a legitimate victory. LAS VEGAS -- Let's flash back for a moment to last Nov. 16 at the T-Mobile Arena. By the 10th round, you could see fatigue in Kovalev's body language and weariness in his eyes. If they're going to change his game, he has to be more aggressive, he has to be willing to take more chances to prove that he did beat Sergey the first fight, which he did not. How much smarter in the ring can he be than what he would be, would he be a tremendous talent as far as boxingwise in the ring? HBO's unofficial judge Harold Lederman had one of the most ridiculous cards of the night. Ward crouched, bent at the knees and then sprung up and forward, driving his left directly into Kovalev's face. Rd 12 to Ward. Kovalev drops Ward! It's worth noting that last time, it was Ward who made a midfight adjustment that kept him in the fight. 116-111 KOVALEV: 3 Despite extravagant claims to the contrary, the first Ward-Kovalev bout wasn't particularly enthralling. We didn't speak. As it turned out, the only memorable thing about the first Ward-Kovalev fight is the unwarranted ruckus over the decision. On fight night, I scored it 115-113 for Kovalev. I didn’t predict a knockout, but I said it could happen. I'll take that 10 times out of 10. I know only one thing: I will kick his ass. Is Fury-Wilder 3 really doomed? Andre Ward (31-0) is the new WBA, IBF and WBO light heavyweight champion after winning a razor-thin unanimous decision (114-113x3) over Sergey Kovalev on Saturday night in Las Vegas. Can Tyson KO Jones? [11][12] The fight purses were revealed before the fight with Ward taking a guaranteed career-high $6.5 million and Kovalev, not having a base purse, would receive a percentage of PPV and gate revenue. Is this the right fight for both? Revisiting Ward and Kovalev's controversial first fight, 'Now I got to clean up your mess': How a father's words sparked the Lomachenko-Lopez feud, Fury's next fight won't be vs. Wilder, Arum says, Trainer test positive, Marshall-Rankin fight off, Williams KO's Robinson, sets up title shot, Navarrete beats Villa for WBO featherweight title, Boxer DeAndre Ware gets key to city from Toledo, Spence-Garcia moved to Dec. 5, AT&T Stadium, Campbell-Garcia lightweight fight set for Dec. 5, What's it like to fight Vasiliy Lomachenko? Andre Ward. "Yeah, my fists will say it. Paulie Malignaggi questioned the timing of Andre Ward's stoppage win over Sergey Kovalev. Not so much, but once he's in the ring, his extraordinary boxing IQ, pride and competitive instinct take over. The scores reflected the competitive nature of the fight, not the deeds of crooked or inept judges. As Kovalev lurched around the ring, Ward trapped him in the corner and rammed in a succession of shots around the belt line and the shaken fighter was sagging on the ropes as Weeks swiftly signalled the finish. How does new featherweight titlist Emanuel Navarrete stack up against the best in the division? He wants those straps back so badly that he is fighting not for a guaranteed purse but only for a percentage of the pay-per-view and ticket sales, as opposed to Ward, who got a fat $6.5 million guarantee from his promoter, Roc Nation Sports, even though it means Roc Nation likely will lose money on the event. ET) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center where we can only hope for a conclusive result. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images). The best thing he can do, as champion, he needs to prove that he won that first fight outright. Ward came on second half but the debate will rage! "Kovalev fought a good fight, but once I compute a fighter in my brain, I know what I had to do the next time around," said Ward. Andre Ward beats Sergey Kovalev for unified light heavyweight title – live! I come here looking forward to bringing back everything that I brought, including those belts. Sergey Kovalev hopes to avenge the only loss of his career when he meets Andre Ward on June 17. heavyweight boxing match, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016, in Las Vegas. "I want to say to Team Ward, they've said a lot of trash to my side, my team. You can't knock him for that. For his part, Kovalev said he is who he is. The American hurt Kovalev with a big right hand in the eighth round, but the Russian complained that a few of the final blows were below the belt line after referee Tony Weeks hastily waved off the fight. Can't understand the wide Kovalev cards, honestly. Andre Ward retained his world light-heavyweight titles after a controversial stoppage victory over Sergey Kovalev in their rematch in Las Vegas. All three judges scored the bout 114-113 for Andre Ward, who lost the first few rounds, and then gradually fought his way back into the bout. Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP I gave Ward the 11th and Kovalev … Almost no one had a scorecard that wide. I overrated Ward.". Andre Ward gets the decision, 114-113 on all three judges cards. John David Jackson, Kovalev's trainer and a former world titleholder himself, said he's not sure Ward can change much. We don't want to hear about anything. Perhaps most importantly, Ward did some serious work to Kovalev's body. Ward's purse was a career-high $5 million. That said, the score was still a bit complicated because of the knockdown. 114-114 DRAW: 1 In all he made eight defenses before the controversial loss to Ward. So, there's not much more that he can do than they did for the first fight. The right hand that spilled Ward wasn't flashy, just short and on target. You. But discontent goes deeper than that. [17] The replay was shown on regular HBO averaging 752,000 viewers and peaked at 947,000, which was during the final round. But that's OK because me and my team, we've learned how to deal with the pressure. On Saturday, a lot might depend on Kovalev's ability to do likewise. If he does, that works in our favor. "Why stop the fight? The strange part is that the verdict wasn't a robbery. Andre Ward: “I’m ecstatic, I’m happy. ", --Ward: Ranks third in plus/minus rankings (+15.1), according to CompuBox. A rematch seems like a must after such a close and entertaining fight. Knocked out 12 of his past 15 opponents, --Kovalev: Only three opponents have lasted 12 rounds (Bernard Hopkins -- UD 12, Isaac Chilemba -- UD 12, Andre Ward -- L 12). I want to thank my hater. The hefty jab that staggered Ward in the first round became Kovalev's most effective weapon, and after six rounds, during which Kovalev employed the punch to substantial effect, he was comfortably ahead. Feels too wide looking at that, but I thought he controlled it. [5][6][7], Kovalev's manager Egis Klimas announced that negotiations had begun for the rematch between Ward and Kovalev. I want to destroy this guy as a boxer, as a champion. Thought Kovalev was very tentative after the fifth. A continuación les mostramos el video de la pelea entre el ruso Sergey Kovalev y el estadounidense Andre Ward, era un duelo de invictos en donde Kovalev exponía sus cinturones semipesados de la AMB, FIB y OMB en un combates disputado en el T-Mobile Arena de Las Vegas.. Andre Ward vs Sergey Kovaleve en Full HD According to the NSAC, The T-Mobile Arena was put on hold for June 17, 2017 on HBO PPV. First time around, the man is world champion, and he's been on top a long time. The bout was held on June 17, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada and was televised on HBO Pay-per-view. (0:49). Then the winner quickly slipped back into his tightly controlled public persona, just in time to rise above the wave of hysteria threatening to engulf him. I want to get my belts, and I'm here for this. Others couldn't get past their anger and disappointment. "Right now, I could have continued. He snapped Kovalev's head back on several occasions and found a home for the left hand as well. A big right hand from Ward had Kovalev in trouble which was followed by several low punches to the groin. He is a great fighter, and when you fight great fighters, you have to raise your game." Andre Ward assures Max Kellerman that he will deliver a tremendous performance against Sergey Kovalev, adding that he didn't "have enough fun in the first fight." Fighters always need an excuse for when they lose. Boxing matches are scored on a round-by-round basis and I thought Ward took more frames. [3][4] The bout was held on June 17, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada and was televised on HBO Pay-per-view. THE top two pound-for-pound fighters in the world meet in middle of the ring on Saturday night with Sergey Kovalev looking to extract revenge on Andre Ward. #KovalevWard pic.twitter.com/vfGhlkHjst, — 3 PIECE BOXING (@JimiDeMarino) November 20, 2016. Andre Ward retained his world light-heavyweight titles after a controversial stoppage victory over Sergey Kovalev in their rematch in Las Vegas. Kovalev, 34, who fights out of Los Angeles, won a 175-pound belt in 2013 before claiming two more with his one-sided beat down of Bernard Hopkins in their 2014 showdown. Some would argue that distinction belongs to lineal champion Adonis Stevenson, but that's a topic for another time. I did more than I usually do all the time. The fact that Kovalev held an advantage in total punches landed isn't surprising, but a lot of that work was established in the first four rounds. ", Watch highlights of the rematch between Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev, Sergey Kovalev worked well behind his jab in the early rounds, Both fighters traded body shots at close quarters, Ward piles on more punches in the eighth round, The American climbed onto the ropes after the fight was waved off, Andre Ward admitted his second victory over Sergey Kovalev was the best of his career and believes he is now number one on the pound for pound list, PL clubs reject Project Big Picture, L1 & L2 bailout agreed, West Ham discussing personal terms with Benrahma, Clyne returns to Palace on short-term deal, Neville to lead calls for independent regulation in football, South Africa in danger of ban from international cricket, West Ham fan banned three years for Salah racial abuse, Papers: Liverpool owners looking to buy new club, West Brom agree £15m fee for Huddersfield's Grant, Saint-Maximin signs new six-year Newcastle deal, Ward vs Kovalev II: Andre Ward produces stunning stoppage win over Sergey Kovalev in rematch, We would like your feedback, please fill in our survey. So it was a surprise to many -- including Ward, judging by the look on his face -- that he was announced as the winner, 114-113 on all three scorecards, and handed a pile of title belts. / AFP / John GURZINSKI (Photo credit should read JOHN GURZINSKI/AFP/Getty Images). News.
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