Official 2016 Boxing Thread: 11/5/2016 - Vargas/Pacquiao Top Rank PPV.

[illphillip]

Great fight. Nothing but respect for both guys. Kovalev got to showcase his boxing and that he's not just a "puncher". Ward proved his mettle taking on a heavy hitter, getting rocked and coming on strong thereafter.

Anyone crying "robbery" is a moron. Very close fight. 50/50 fight going in, 50/50 fight coming out.

The fight literally went down the way a large majority of people thought it would. Kovalev either had to get him early, or Ward would get a UD.

People are placing far too much stock in ONE knock down. Granted, it provides an advantage on the scorecards that could come into play later. But one point is hardly insurmountable.

I think a lot of people were swayed by Lederman's scorecard during the telecast. I disagreed with his scoring as early as rounds 4/5, which could have gone to Ward. Max was saying the same.

Kovalev definitely lost steam as the fight went on. Great body work by Ward. With the jab (or the "stab" as we call it) and the power shots.

He was also bleeding from the nose in the later rounds.

Very close fights with some very close rounds after the 3rd. Ward was the more accurate and cleaner puncher. And Kovalev's power didn't really show much after the first few rounds if memory serves.

All in all a great fight that lived up to the billing and one I would gladly watch (and pay for) again. Getting emotionally invested in who won and how ain't for me since it doesn't effect my pockets.

 

[illphillip]

Because that's how it's always been.


So why does the Challenger get the edge? If it's such a close call that it could go either way, why would you give it to the Challenger?


Even call it a draw, atleast Kovalev gets to keep his belts.

If the challenger does enough in a close round to sway the judges and gets edge in the round fine, same for the champion. The theory of just because your the champ you are afforded the luxury of winning close rounds because of your status entering the fight I just don't understand I guess..

Majority of the people watching had Kovalev winning. So yeah, I'm sure that theory still stands.

You gotta take it from the Champ! Everyone knows that.

If it can go "either way" then that means the challenger didn't do enough to persuade your decision.

If fights were judged on the totality of the fight (the way PRIDE fights used to be), and not round by round, this theory might actually make sense.

But I've long felt this was one of the dumber thought processes when it came to judging fights. Just my opinion.

 

[Kaleo15]

So Kovalev will be exercising immediate rematch clause.

It's mandatory correct? Meaning the only way the fight doesn't happen is if BOTH fighters agree not to fight?

 

[lightweight champion]

Basically if Ward doesn't agree to the rematch and drops the belts. If Kovalev enacts the rematch clause it obviously means he wants to fight again.

 

[illphillip]

They should absolutely run it back.

 

[krispacinla]

Yep run it back..

 

[onlyjs]

After rewatching it on mute
R1 Kovalev
R2 Kovalev
R3 Kovalev
R4 Kovalev
R5 Ward
R6 Kovalev
R7 Ward
R8 Ward
R9 Ward
R10 Kovalev
R11 Ward
R12 Ward
114-113 Kovalev rd 2 was the game changer

 

[illphillip]

^^^

And I can totally understand scoring the fight for Kovalev. But even then, the scoring is THAT close.

Certainly not a robbery. Absurd at how much that term is being used.

I really believe Lederman's scorecard (and I also felt Lampley's commentating was very pro Kovalev. Max and Roy had to kind of check him a few times, especially when it came to the clinching that was initiated by Kovalev and not Ward) had people looking at the fights a certain way when it could have easily gone another way.

 

[Bobby Layne]

Max was all over Ward's jock. The only one you could really say was impartial was Roy.

 

[Sonny Corinthos]

Max was all over Ward's jock.

 

[yungmatt]

Watched the fight live with sound then watched again an hour later on mute. I scored it 7-5 kovalev both times and I can't knock anyone who scored it 6-6. But I can't possibly see how anyone could score it 7-5 ward which is the least he'd need to win

 

[illphillip]

Didn't notice Max but maybe the combination of Lederman + Lampley made him less noticeable.

Rounds 1 & 2 were definitively Kovalev's. 7, 9, & 11 were definitively Ward's. It was hard to call just about every middle round. 10 & 12 had a lot of momentum swings. Excellent fight from 2 of the Top 5 P4P fighters in the world. I'm glad it did not disappoint.

Agreed with this.

People in here talking about payoffs, corruption etc. for a fight that was very close and was won by one round on the cards.

Hopefully amidst all that madness people appreciate the fight itself and the way both performed.

 

[monstar]

All in all awesome fight, hope this fight did ppv numbers it really deserved to. I wonder how many other guys try to fight on the inside going forward against kovalev.his clinching (head locking) ended up hurting him BC it was totally exposed and ward was loading up on those.

Andre ward truly is a monster and so is kovalev

 

[Arthur Shelby]

Great Fight

Lederman scorecard

 

[gunna get it]

Great fight. Nothing but respect for both guys. Kovalev got to showcase his boxing and that he's not just a "puncher". Ward proved his mettle taking on a heavy hitter, getting rocked and coming on strong thereafter.

Anyone crying "robbery" is a moron. Very close fight. 50/50 fight going in, 50/50 fight coming out.

The fight literally went down the way a large majority of people thought it would. Kovalev either had to get him early, or Ward would get a UD.

People are placing far too much stock in ONE knock down. Granted, it provides an advantage on the scorecards that could come into play later. But one point is hardly insurmountable.

I think a lot of people were swayed by Lederman's scorecard during the telecast. I disagreed with his scoring as early as rounds 4/5, which could have gone to Ward. Max was saying the same.

Kovalev definitely lost steam as the fight went on. Great body work by Ward. With the jab (or the "stab" as we call it) and the power shots.

He was also bleeding from the nose in the later rounds.

Very close fights with some very close rounds after the 3rd. Ward was the more accurate and cleaner puncher. And Kovalev's power didn't really show much after the first few rounds if memory serves.

All in all a great fight that lived up to the billing and one I would gladly watch (and pay for) again. Getting emotionally invested in who won and how ain't for me since it doesn't effect my pockets.

That Ward right hook to the body was devastating

Kovalevs left side was red from that ****.

Also, Ward left hook could be a game changer in 2ndd go round. After getting beat to the punch and getting knocked down trying to catch and fire with the roll counter right he left that **** alone.
Ward's left hook was getting thru late a lot ...

Btw Kovalev is an excellent boxer. Do you remember how many counter rights pascal nailed kovalev with? 1st counter Ward pulled he got SMASHED with the follow up Right hand. That's SKILL!

 

[boxer15]

Reading this thread I'm almost sure a few of you are the salty middle age men on YouTube that hate on excellent fighters win or lose.

In a 50/50 fight the knock absolutely means everything given it provides the one point advantage to one of the 50/50 scores giving them the win. That is a robbery and if you can't understand it, you're blinded by other biases.

Only thing Ward won last night was a record for most failed takedown attempts in a boxing match.

Given Ward put his career on hold to wrongfully sue a promoter that had done him no wrong, you can guarantee they'll do everything to avoid the rematch.

 

[boxer15]

People really trying to say Ward did enough in round two to negate the point advantage for a knockdown? Y'all are crazy.

 

[wavy daddy]

Ward was a lil ***** for duckin his head in kovelevs armpits.

I hope he Tasted sweat from that.

Wards clinchin was annoying.

 

[dedafyats]

Yea crazy what these refs let ward get away with, yesterday and his entire career.

He tore up Kessler's face with all those bhop headbutts
What a fraud

 

[freakydestroyer]

What's the the round when Ward was setting up a bolo punch and got hit with a jab to the face? that was hilarious

 

[boxer15]

Kovalev needs to wear puncher's gloves if he can get the rematch, not those big everlast pillows he was wearing last night. Ward was wearing Grant's puncher's gloves and wasn't able to visibly hurt Kovalev all night. And do not misconstrue that at all, landing decent body shots that don't stop him from coming in doesn't count.

 

[dat dude chris]

What's the the round when Ward was setting up a bolo punch and got hit with a jab to the face? that was hilarious

I wanna say like the 7th. Jawn was funny lol

 

[lightweight champion]

I wanna say like the 7th. Jawn was funny lol

My boys and I were dying at that.

"Aww man, c'mon Danny Wheeler! You gon' let them put Kovalev in Creed 2?!"

 

[illphillip]

In a 50/50 fight the knock absolutely means everything given it provides the one point advantage to one of the 50/50 scores giving them the win. That is a robbery and if you can't understand it, you're blinded by other biases.

No robbery. If "bias" is the reason I don't see "robbery", then "bias" is probably also the reason you're claiming others are blind for not seeing it.

If you're talking sheer mathematics, then yes, one point would mean everything when all else is equal.

But you guys know how these fights are judged and these rounds are scored when it comes to boxing.

When I say 50/50 fight, I mean I can't say one dude completely dominated the other. Even with one knockdown in the 2nd round of a 12 round fight. Because 11 other rounds tell the story too. And obviously some judges felt Ward won 7 of those.

People seeing razor close rounds differently does not = robbery.

It almost discredits how great/close the fight was and how great both guys fought when that term is used IMO.

People really trying to say Ward did enough in round two to negate the point advantage for a knockdown? Y'all are crazy.

Where is this happening?

 

[Kaleo15]

Damn Lomachenko is -900 now? He's really that much of the favorite against Axe?

Idk man, I like Walters! He has great KO power! Love that uppercut too!