Ward/Kovalev 2...who wins?

[powerpuncher]

After seeing a replay, Kovalev was clearly hit low the last punch before the stoppage and I think that Weeks was looking for a chance to stop it rather than if the punch were a foul. That last low blow clearly hurt Kovalev.

Again, I think Ward was on his way to win either way. Kovalev was about gassed out and ward always comes on stronger as the fight progresses. It's just unfortunate that Weeks stole a legitimate victory from Ward.

Bad job by Weeks on the stoppage. I don't think he did awful before that but the whole last round he seemed a little too ready to stop the fight.

[goti71]

Clearly the last shot was square on the balls (the first three being borderline low as Kov said).
Just notice Kov's bum jolting back; that's definately not a body shot. As someone said, it looked more like resignation and I think it's because of all the stuff Ward was getting away with. (One of the first low blows he complained about was just laughed off by the ref).

I think ward seemed to be getting an edge during those rounds anyway.

[Nameless]

Not only were the blows quite low, but I also think that Kovy would deserve a count and not get a stoppage right away. Just my 2 cents, but I think that the issue of these last 2 fights are pretty controversial and will do nothing to improve boxing's image

[Ron Swanson]

Dear lord people. Over and over "I think he deserved a count"

The fight was fought under the unified rules of the boxing commisions. That means no standing eight count. He CAN NOT give him a standing eight count. If we're going to ignore what was happening in the fight for details let's get the details right.

[Batman]

Dear lord people. Over and over "I think he deserved a count"

The fight was fought under the unified rules of the boxing commisions. That means no standing eight count. He CAN NOT give him a standing eight count. If we're going to ignore what was happening in the fight for details let's get the details right.

I agree, I think Kov was hurt bad and Ward may have kept the pressure on and may have forced the stoppage, unfortunately we will never know because the ref took that option away from Ward.

He couldn't have have a standing 8 count but he could have gave Kov a 5 minute count following a low blow, I mean hell he could have gave him a total of 30 minutes if you added the 6 low blows together.

[mikeeod]

Is a moot point, really. Kov was wilting at the time of the stoppage. He was exhausted and frustrated, so the stoppage was literally the best thing for him. He can convince himself he was robbed and didn't have to suffer an extended beating. I thought his trunks were high so while a couple of the shots were under the belt, they still looked borderline/legal to me. I like Kov, but Ward is too much for him.

[Freedom]

[Ron Swanson]

Couldn't make it through the video because the guy has the rules wrong. It is not decided low or not low by the beltline. And Weeks pointed that out to them before the fight because Kovalevs trunks were high. If trunks are high they say "this is fine....this is low" pointing out where it will be decided because it is not decided by the beltline. If people get the rules right they will be far less frustrated.

[Master]

Also there should be no further rematches as Ward had Kovalev number and I am sure Kov does not want to fight Andre again no matter what he says.

[Master]

The fight was better than their first fight.

Kov fought better and was ahead.

Ward starting putting the pressure in the second half of the fight and was coming on strong.

Kov did quit or gave the ref a reason to stop the fight as he was complaining but the punches were low and the ref should have called it as such.

The fight fans were cheated out of a legitimate ending.

Hope Kov comes back.

Ward is quality and the best p4p boxer.

[Gandalf]

Dear lord people. Over and over "I think he deserved a count"

The fight was fought under the unified rules of the boxing commisions. That means no standing eight count. He CAN NOT give him a standing eight count. If we're going to ignore what was happening in the fight for details let's get the details right.

That's being GENEROUS to Ward. Ward was smacking Kov repeatedly in the balls. Being more realistic, a halt should have been called, Ward warned, and five minute time be called. A harsher man would say dock a point from Ward as it wasn't the first time he had done that. Instead the ref stopped the fight and ruled it a stoppage. It was bollocks.

Kovalev has outboxed Ward twice now and yet look at HBO salivating over Ward. It's topsy turvy land.

[Ron Swanson]

Dear lord people. Over and over "I think he deserved a count"

The fight was fought under the unified rules of the boxing commisions. That means no standing eight count. He CAN NOT give him a standing eight count. If we're going to ignore what was happening in the fight for details let's get the details right.

That's being GENEROUS to Ward. Ward was smacking Kov repeatedly in the balls. Being more realistic, a halt should have been called, Ward warned, and five minute time be called. A harsher man would say dock a point from Ward as it wasn't the first time he had done that. Instead the ref stopped the fight and ruled it a stoppage. It was bollocks.

Kovalev has outboxed Ward twice now and yet look at HBO salivating over Ward. It's topsy turvy land.

A couple points. If Weeks had halted the action ruling a low blow I would have no issue. I'm just saying you can't change the rules with "I think he should have". It wasn't an option to give a standing 8. I personally hate no standing 8. I think champions always deserve a chance to recover. But I understand the reasoning. Standing 8 opens too many things up to judgement and also would often steal fighters option to finish.

In this instance no standing 8 count robbed Ward of the opportunity to finish him clean.

What's hilarious in all this is everyone wants to talk about what didn't make the outcome to avoid what did. Outboxing, I agree. But it's irrelevant because Andre broke him. He was not going the distance.

Low blows, there were some. But it was the hard legit punches that hard Kovalev gassed and had him ready to be stopped.

Here's John David Jackson(I really don't like this guy but if he's right he's right) on point about the fight

https://youtu.be/Yk4Dr61QwS0

[Vendettos]

If the punches were low Kov took it like a bitch.

Millions of dollers on the line and he coward like a girl, he barely moaned about it as the stoppage happened.

Case and point, he was happy the fight was ended and decided that his victory was going to be his ability to claim low blows

That's was his whole win in that moment.

You can moan all you want guys but in that 25 seconds of being chased after that right hand landed he accepted that "low blows" was his argument. He was in trouble and we could all see that he was in danger... low blows or not, even before the "low blows" Ward was all over him and he folded.

He is a warrior and he trained everyday for months, a punch in the balls is hard to take yes but they wear full protective gear, almost everyone takes a shot that may be considered low IN EVERY fight you've ever watched. It's not like the shots where massively low, even after watching 10 replys (and wanting Kov to win ) they didnt seem obviously low.

Fair victory.

[Gandalf]

Clear as day, a completely illegal punch and then the ref jumped in to finish it off. Ward cheated and the ref screwed up.

Kovalev beat Ward twice. That was not a loss. Ward had one dominant round and squeaked two others in a fight he was LOSING.

[Gandalf]

If the punches were low Kov took it like a bitch.

Millions of dollers on the line and he coward like a girl, he barely moaned about it as the stoppage happened.

Case and point, he was happy the fight was ended and decided that his victory was going to be his ability to claim low blows

That's was his whole win in that moment.

You can moan all you want guys but in that 25 seconds of being chased after that right hand landed he accepted that "low blows" was his argument. He was in trouble and we could all see that he was in danger... low blows or not, even before the "low blows" Ward was all over him and he folded.

He is a warrior and he trained everyday for months, a punch in the balls is hard to take yes but they wear full protective gear, almost everyone takes a shot that may be considered low IN EVERY fight you've ever watched. It's not like the shots where massively low, even after watching 10 replys (and wanting Kov to win ) they didnt seem obviously low.

Fair victory.

Think about those two bolded statements for a moment and watch the slow motion video I posted above. The punch was VERY low and it was an absurd 'victory'. Not only are you bad at scoring fights, but you talk gibberish.

Losing a round pretty badly is just that. Ward had a couple in the first fight and you don't stop it based on that.

Ward was still losing on many cards even with a 10-8 round, but as the evidence shows, there shouldn't have even been a KD and should in fact have been a Ward deduction thus solidifying Kovalevs lead with an even round 8.

To stop a fight like that? A big no, no, no.