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Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev run back their 2016 thriller on June 17th, 2017 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ward v. Kovalev II Set for June 17 https://t.co/9lmfR5mVOm pic.twitter.com/Nt6foVZVNl
— Main Events (@Main_Events) April 4, 2017
Controversial Win
It can be recalled that Ward edged Kovalev during their first fight last November 19th, 2016. Despite suffering a knockdown in round 2, Ward gained the nod of all three judges who scored the bout 114-113 unanimously. Controversy erupted as many of the media scores had Kovalev winning.
The first bout was a tale of two stories. Kovalev dominated the first part of the fight, using the 2nd round knockdown to push Ward backwards. But as the longer the fight went, Ward was able to adjust. He began to outpoint Kovalev in the later stages of the contest. Punch stats had Kovalev outpointing Ward but the latter landed more punches in the second half of the fight.
Super Fight
These are the kind of fights that boxing fans deserve to see. Kovalev and Ward were both unbeaten going into their first encounter. Ward was the former Olympic champion and professional boxing Super Middleweight king who moved up in weight to challenge the unified Light Heavyweight champion of the world.
Kovalev was the Krusher who had been knocking out one opponent after another in an unprecedented rise to the top of the division. Ward meanwhile was a ring general and tactician who used his slick boxing skills to beat the best opponents he faced. When they collided, it was a super fight of different styles. As we said, it came down to the judges’ scorecards and only one point separated them.
Pick ‘Em Again
The odds are almost even here. Ward is a -163 favorite against the +130 Kovalev. So we’re getting another pick’em fight from the two best fighters in the division. It’s really hard to pick a winner here because as we saw in the first fight, these are two brilliant fighters who have different styles. Kovalev and Ward were able to do what they wanted to and it all came down to what the judges preferred more.
But to choose between the two, you cannot go against Andre Ward. Ward is the better boxer and more technically sound fighter. As we saw in the first bout, he was able to make adjustments. Kovalev got the early knockdown but he wasn’t able to adjust to Ward’s reply. Having said that, when you have Kovalev in a fight, he can end it anytime because he has the power that Ward doesn’t. The Krusher has shown that he can hurt Ward. Ward showed he can outsmart Kovalev. So in another chess match, we’re going with Andre Ward in another close (and controversial to Kovalev) decision win.
