The most highly anticipated boxing rematch of 2017 is just around the corner. On June 17 undefeated unified WBA/WBF/WBO light heavyweight champion of the world Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (31-0-0) world champion will defend the title against the man he defeated to become champion, former unified light heavyweight world champion Sergey ‘Krusher’ Kovalev (30-1-1). The bout will take place at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, and features two of the best pound for pound fighters in the world, both of whom are in their respective absolute primes.
Their first fight last November was a thrilling encounter that saw two evenly matched elite talents battle it for 12 rounds of action. The fight resulted in a close but controversial decision where all three of the official judges scored the bout 114-113 in favor of Andre Ward. The majority of observers disagreed with the official verdict and felt Kovalev did enough to deserve the victory. Kovalev took a commanding lead early in the bout, and he scored a knockdown against Ward in round 2 after landing a big counter right hand. But Ward finished the fight strong, and administered an effective body attack throughout the contest.
Kovalev first won the WBO light heavyweight title from Nathan Cleverly back in August 2013. He defended the title 8 times, while also unifying the WBA and IBF versions of the light heavyweight crown when he scored an impressive shutout victory against then unified champion, living legend Bernard Hopkins. On the other side, Ward was a long reigning 168 pound champion who won the very prestigious Super Six tournament. Ward is a former Olympic gold medalist, and he holds many notable victories in the professional ranks against the likes of Mikkel Kessler, Chad Dawson, and Carl Froch. But his most significant victory happened last November when he became the first man to defeat Krusher Kovalev, albeit, under controversial circumstances.
Who will win this epic rematch showdown that will once again provides boxing fans with one of the most intriguing clash of styles in recent memory. Will Andre Ward be able to make a statement and win more decisively this time around? Or will Sergey Kovalev be able to reverse the outcome from their first encounter and secure the victory many felt he deserved last time around? This edition of Rummy’s Corner attempts to answer that question and more while exploring several keys to victory for both fighters, and providing Rummy’s utterly worthless official fight prediction. Please watch and enjoy the video.
