Sergey Kovalev vs. Andre Ward
On Saturday night after months of waiting and anticipating the mega-fight between Sergey Kovalev and Andre Ward will finally come to fruition as the main event of an HBO pay-per-view card. What makes this fight so special is that both fighters are in the prime of their careers and both are ranked in the top five pound-for-pound by Big Time Boxing. Kovalev is currently ranked fourth in the rankings while Ward, after spending a lot of time in the two hole, has dropped down to fifth after recent inactivity. Their fight on Saturday is scheduled to go 12 rounds with Kovalev's WBA Super World, IBF World, and WBO World light heavyweight titles on the line.
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| Kovalev may have the power to hurt Ward |
Kovalev is not only one of the heaviest hitters in the sport but he also seems to relish inflicting pain on opponents. The Russian native fights out of the orthodox stance and his jab is a stiff one that has knocked opponents out to the body in the past. It is hard to say what Kovalev's best punch is because he carries tremendous power in both hands. Behind his stiff jab Kovalev will throw a dangerous straight right hand, a punch that could work wonders against Ward, and a massive left hook that can easily end a fight when it lands clean. Kovalev isn't just a slugger though as he showed by dropping, and then boxing Bernand Hopkins to a unanimous decision win in late 2014.
Something that could help Kovalev in this fight is his recent activity. The last few years have seen a very inactive Ward while Kovalev stayed very busy. Since 2011 Kovalev has fought 19 times including twice already this year. His career record stands at 30-0-1 with a highly impressive 26 knockouts. The lone blemish on his resume, a draw against Grover Young in 2011, happened when an accidental foul left Young unable to continue so the fight really should be viewed as a no contest since it only lasted two rounds. Over the course of a career that started in 2009 Kovalev has fought some quality opposition. Some of those fighters include Hopkins. Nathan Cleverly, Jean Pascal, and Isaac Chilemba and in recent bouts Kovalev has faced better fighters than Ward has during that same time.
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| Ward could be too skilled for Kovalev |
Ward also plies his trade out of the orthodox stance. However, unlike Kovalev, Ward is not a heavy hitter, although he should have enough pop to at least get Kovalev's respect. Part of what makes Ward so good is his incredibly high ring IQ. Ward is one of the smartest fighters in the sport and he uses that ring intelligence to pick apart and breakdown opponents over the course of 12 rounds. Ward fights behind a stiff jab that he can land equally well upstairs or to the body and behind that jab he will throw a straight right hand, his best punch. Along with those weapons Ward also has a nice left hook. Ward fights very well from the outside but is also strong in the pocket with his uppercuts and subtle movement.
The resume of Ward is an impressive one that carries with it a perfect record of 30-0 but with only 15 knockouts. The last time Ward lost a fight he was a 12-year-old amateur fighter and as a pro he has faced some of the best. The toughest stretch of Ward's career was 2009 to 2012 and during that time he fought Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham, Carl Froch, Chad Dawson and others. However, since 2011 Ward has only fought seven times which included only one fight in 2012, one in 2013, and none in 2014. To put in in perspective Ward has fought a total of seven times since 2011 while Kovalev fought six times in 2011 alone.
There is no doubt that Ward's resume is more impressive than Kovalev's but since his journey to move up to light heavyweight started Ward has only fought sub par opponents. His inactivity mixed with the recent opponents he has faced may mean Ward isn't quite ready for Kovalev. Also in recent fights Ward's legs don't seem to be what they once were and he will need them to beat Kovalev. Ward is a very good combination puncher and he will need to use those punches against Kovalev. If Ward looks to stick the jab and move and occasionally land the straight right hand he may lose on the cards. Kovalev has much more power than Ward so he will get more credits for the punches he lands. However, if he can't catch Ward clean he can't just wait to land one knockout blow, he needs to remain busy behind his jab. This is a true toss-up fight and the winner will probably move up to the top spot in the pound-for-pound rankings so look for both men to be at their best.
PREDICTION: Andre Ward hasn't lost a fight since he was 12 years old but that streak will end on Saturday night. Ward hasn't lost much but his recent injuries and inactivity have taken away enough of his legs to give Sergey Kovalev the slight edge. Kovalev won't knock Ward out because Ward will spend enough time playing it safe to avoid that fate. However, the Russian fighter will drop Ward at least once on his way to a close but clear unanimous decision win.
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