LAS VEGAS — Andre Ward engineered a furious comeback on the scorecards to dethrone light heavyweight world champion Sergey Kovalev of Russia by the slimmest of margins Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena.
A powerful right hand from Kovalev (30-1-1, 26 KOs) in the second round sent the East Bay star to the canvas for the first time in four years, punctuating an opening few minutes where the Russian dominated the action on the strength of his left jab. However, Ward rose to his feet, and eventually, his ability to dictate the pace, gauge his distance, and accurate counterpunching got him back in the fight.
“I think after the second-round knockdown, I wasn’t going anywhere and began to step on the gas,” Ward said. “This is my most important and satisfying win.”
John McKaie, Burt Clements and Glenn Trowbridge all scored the bout 114-113 in favor of Ward (31-0, 15 KOs), who added the WBA, IBF, and WBO light heavyweight titles to his collection. Ward previously ruled seven pounds south as super middleweight champion before ascending with the intention of making a successful assault on the 175-pound division.
When the scores were announced, about half the crowd erupted in elation, while the other half showered the ring with boos.
“I know it was a close fight, but it was fair scoring,” Ward said. “It was about those in-the-trenches moments, and Sergey had no inside game. I focused on my inside game and that made all the difference.”
Kovalev undoubtedly disagreed with the judges’ decision, and talk of a rematch has already commenced. The defending champion’s case wasn’t without merit; his early pressure gave Ward fits in the earlygoing, and he scored with the harder shots upstairs throughout the fire.
“It’s the wrong decision,” Kovalev said. “I don’t want to say my opinion. The witnesses are here. They saw it. He got maybe a few rounds. I agree with that. I kept control. I lost maybe three rounds the whole fight.”
But based on the scores, the judges ultimately valued the Oakland man’s ring generalship and his work on the inside, especially to the body. In the second half of the bout, Ward was throwing a lot of punches one at a time, but this style took Kovalev out of his rhythm. The Russian’s use of the right hand waned in its frequency and effectiveness as the fight wore on.
In fact, all three judges gave Ward each of the last six rounds, except for Clements, who scored the last round for Kovalev.
The victor of the final three stanzas, however, will be debated in boxing circles ad nauseam—at least until the public gets a second fight. Main Events CEO Kathy Duva, who promotes Kovalev, said the contract had an immediate rematch clause.
“It was a great fight, and it was what boxing needed, but it was a bad decision, and that’s what we got, too,” said Duva, who claimed referee Robert Byrd’s inaction to break up the clinches mitigated her fighter’s effectiveness. She then opined that Ward would be better off “joining the UFC and fighting Conor McGregor.”
With the bad blood boiling in the immediate aftermath of the decision, at least both fighters can agree on one thing.
“Of course I would do a rematch,” Ward said. “I am not going to negotiate a fight right now. I will go home and relax and see what’s next.”
Kovalev was in accord with everything except the outcome of a return bout.
“Of course I want a rematch, and I will kick his ass,” he said.
The fight, titled “Pound for Pound” during the promotional buildup, indicated that a lot more was at stake than Kovalev’s trio of title belts, as the winner would more than likely be recognized with the unofficial title of best fighter in the world regardless of weight class.
Such a distinction was reserved in the past for legends like Sugar Ray Robinson, whose all-around skills transcended the borders of the scale. In recent years, the crown has passed through the possession of Roy Jones Jr., Bernard Hopkins, Manny Pacquiao, and Floyd Mayweather. Many writers have pegged Nicaraguan flyweight Roman “Chocolatito” González as the current number one heading into tonight, but did Ward’s performance warrant putting him on top of the sport’s Mount Olympus? No Bay Area native has ever ruled the pound-for-pound rankings.
“It’s hard for me to call myself great,” Ward said. “At the end of the day, I am a two-weight division champion.”