It's funny how time distorts History. If I was reading this thread without watching the first fight, I would've assumed that Kovalev was the victim of one of the biggest robberies/ Conspiracies the sport has ever seen! "The ref helped him" etc.
I actually thought Ward won the first fight and considering he got knocked down early, he won it fairly well. And after that knockdown, considering he came up a weight he coped with Kovalev's power brilliantly.
Add to that , he wasn't just beating a champion in the weight above, he was beating a guy who dominated the division and should be given immense credit for that.
I have been very critical of Ward's inactivity, but there's no denying he is a special fighter, and I think he'll win again on points exactly like he did the first time.