Andre Ward vs. Sergey Kovalev II
Their first fight ended in controversial fashion after Andre Ward was awarded the unanimous decision win over Sergey Kovalev. On Saturday night the two will square off again but this time it will be Ward bringing the WBO, IBF, and WBA light heavyweight titles into the ring, titles he took from Kovalev after their first fight. This fight, like the first, is scheduled to go 12 rounds and it should be contentious as the two pugilists genuinely don't like each other. Ward enters this fight ranked as the second best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport by Big Time Boxing while Kovalev is right behind him in the third spot and if one of them were to win decisively they could easily become the pound-for-pound king.
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| Ward landing a clean jab on Sergey Kovalev |
Ward is an orthodox fighter who reportedly hasn't lost a fight since he was 12 years old. Perhaps the main reason for Ward's lasting success is his incredibly high ring IQ. Like many elite fighters Ward is able to figure out what his opponent is trying to do and then goes about dismantling them. He certainly is a power puncher but his accuracy and timing do enough damage to earn every opponent's respect. Instead of gunning for the knockout Ward methodically breaks down opponents over the course of the fight and it all starts with his jab. That jab is both accurate and stiff and behind it Ward will throw his best punch, a straight right hand. Ward also has a good left hook in his arsenal and he can sharp shoot from the outside or mix things up from the pocket. When he gets inside Ward loves to work the body and he uses subtle movement to avoid punishment, although Kovalev did knock him down in their first fight seven months ago.
At 33 years old and having been fighting professionally since 2004 Ward is certainly closer to the end of his career than the beginning. His legacy as a top champion is pretty much set in stone but there is little doubt he'd like to finish his career with his perfect record intact. That record currently stands at 31-0 with a respectable 15 knockouts, although many people feel that he did in fact lose to Kovalev in their first fight. On Ward's resume are a slew of impressive names like Kovalev, Chad Dawson, Carl Froch, Arthur Abraham, and Mikkel Kessler among others. The highest profile win of Ward's stellar career was his unanimous decision win over Kovalev and this time around he'd certainly like to win more decisively.
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| Kovalev dropping Andre Ward |
Kovalev is also an orthodox fighter and he also happens to be one of the heaviest hitters in all of boxing. To go along with that power Kovalev also has a mean streak and seems to enjoy hurting his opponents in the ring. Like Ward, Kovalev works behind a stiff jab and even his jab lands with power as he has knocked an opponent out with a jab to the body. What really makes Kovalev so dangerous is that he carries serious power in both hands and defensively he is probably better than he gets credit for. That power is really his calling card though and he can stop an opponent with his very strong straight right hand or his massive left hook. In fact, that straight right hand is the punch Kovalev dropped Ward with in their first fight.
The resume of Kovalev might not be filled with as many impressive names as Ward's, but when you hit as hard as Kovalev does, getting opponents in the ring isn't always easy. "Krusher" as Kovalev is known, started his career in 2009 and he has put together a career record of 30-1-1 with an incredibly impressive 26 knockouts and his lone loss, which came against Ward, could have easily been a win. Kovalev does have dominant wins over Bernard Hopkins, Nathan Cleverly, and Jean Pascal who he knocked out twice. This time around Kovalev will look to get the victory he felt he deserved in their first fight.
The biggest question heading into this rematch might be what exactly happened during the second half of their first fight. Kovalev says he gassed out around the fifth round and certainly he had more success early than he did late. However, it could have been that Ward simply figured him out over the first four or five rounds and was able to find much more success in the second half of the fight. Early on in their first fight the jab of Kovalev was a fantastic weapon as were his power punches but he wasn't as busy late and he will need to be able to step on the gas for 12 rounds to beat Ward in the rematch. If Kovalev has improved his conditioning he could look spectacular on Saturday. As for Ward, he is an ultra confident fighter who never changes his style too much. He survived an early knockdown in his first fight with Kovalev to comeback and get the win so look for him to do much of the same in the rematch. Much of the same would mean playing it somewhat safe and really working the body when the two fighters get inside. Ward is one of the most intelligent boxers in the sport so he may have an easier time handling Kovalev the second time around. A decisive win for either fighter probably makes them the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, a spot every fighters wants to be in.
PREDICTION: There is a very good chance that having already fought Sergey Kovalev once Andre Ward will be able to find success earlier and win this fight easier than he did the first time. However, many people felt that Kovalev did win the first fight despite most of his success coming early. Kovalev seems hungrier than ever coming into this fight and as long as he can control his emotions he should drop Ward a time, or two, on his way to the unanimous decision victory he probably deserved the first time around.
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