In my last post leading up to the fight I predicted a decision for Ward. That's what the final result was, but I honestly think they got it wrong just as I did with my prediction.
As the fight started Kovalev was in total control. He easily won the first two rounds as he dropped Ward in the second. I thought he easily won the first four rounds controlling the fight with his jab. The 5th round was a close round as Andre Ward worked better on the inside, but Kovalev still controlled the distance fairly well. The 5th round was the only round I gave Ward in the first 6.
This is where the fight got real close and rounds became hard to call, however Kovalev had a 5-1 round advantage at this point with a knockdown in the 2nd. I'll say this...Andre Ward did not win the last six rounds of this fight. There were some close rounds 7-12, but there's now way those were all Ward rounds for a second half shut out. The harder and more effective shots had been all Kovalev through the first half, and that didn't stop in the second half. Even the rounds I scored for Ward, Kovalev was still hitting him with hard effective shots.
The jab was effective for Kovalev, but late in the fight Ward used better angles than he had before, as he could see that Kovalev would follow him instead of cutting off the ring. Ward was able to out score him at this point. Kovalev was still able to close the distance and did so fairly well, but he really needed to cut the ring off better instead. This is where Andre Ward was able to score on him coming in, and no doubt where the judges scored all the rounds for Ward.
I think the 114-113 Kovalev is as close as you could've had the fight. That's assuming that Ward won all the close rounds. Which I think anyone who watched the fight knows he didn't. When Kovalev wanted to close the distance and hit Ward he could do it at will. There were times he got caught coming in, but he scored himself every time and with harder more effective blows.
Andre Ward was given credit for showing true grit and turning the fight around and making it close. He did not beat Sergey Kovalev in that fight. The American fighter got the decision on American soil in a close fight. I think anyone objectively watching this fight would agree that Sergey Kovalev won this fight. Decisions like this are not good for the sport. Andre lost that fight and should give Kovalev the immediate rematch.
The Fighters
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