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Cloutier’s Canada Corner
Ward Dethrones Kovalev...
But The Judges Decision Is Controversial
By Daniel Cloutier
LAS VEGAS - The Las Vegas bookies established the
Californian Andre Ward as the favorite (2-1) Saturday
evening in the ring of the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and
they did not miss their target. In the fight of the year on
the international scene, a matchup between two fighters
ranked among the top five best boxers pound for pound in the
world, Ward became the new WBA, WBO and IBF light
heavyweight (175 pounds) champion of the world, in beating
the Russian Sergey Kovalev by unanimous decision in 12
rounds.
The judges Bert Clements, John McKaie and Glenn Trowbridge
all scored the fight 114-113 in favor of Ward. But the
result was controversial. Most of the boxing writers at
ringside were giving the win to Kovalev by two or three
points. With this contested result, Ward (31-0-0) is still
undefeated. For Kovalev, it was a first lost ((30-1-1).
“I am extremely disappointed by this result, said Kovalev. I
am sure I was deserving the win. Ward got few good rounds
offensively, I can’t denied it, but I certainly controlled
the action in most of the rounds, I definitively connected
more punches than Ward in this bout. Everybody saw it
clearly. Ward got to give me a rematch.”
Ward, obviously, did not agree with Kovalev. “The fight was
close, but I definitively did enough to win it, said Ward. I
was faster than him, better technically. Kovalev believes he
has been robbed. I say… no way. But if Kovalev wants
absolutely a rematch, trust me, I will give him this second
chance.” Ward is a former WBC and WBA super middleweight
(168 pounds) champion of the world.
The two fighters were careful in the first round, a round
lightly dominated by Kovalev.
After one minute of action in the second round, Kovalev
charged Ward with several good punches, and finally, he sent
the Californian on the floor with a great right hand on the
chin.
Ward came back in the third round with a couple of good
attacks, but Kovalev replied also with a couple a good
charges.
After a very close fourth round, lightly dominated by
Kovalev, the Russian was busy offensively in the fifth, but
Ward connected the best punch of the round.
Kovalev controlled totally the action in the sixth round. He
connected by far the best punches of the round.
Ward got his best offensive round in the seventh. He
connected Kovalev with several good shots.
In the eight, like in the seventh, Ward was more busy
offensively than Kovalev.
Kovalev came back in the action in the two following rounds.
He was more busy offensively than Ward in the nine and 10th
rounds.
Ward was impressive in the 11th round. He placed several
good shots to the Kovalev’s head.
The 12th and last round was intense, each fighter having his
good moments offensively.
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