Kovalev vs Ward: Winner will become the world No 1, says Jamie Moore
Thursday 17 November 2016 15:56, UK
Sergey Kovalev and Andre Ward go head to head on Saturday night and there is little to choose between them. But Jamie Moore knows one thing ... the winner will be the pound-for-pound king.
Live Fight Night International
Who do you want to win?
I've got to be honest, I don't want either to lose! I am a fan of both fighters, obviously for different reasons. Andre Ward has been on the scene for a longer time than Kovalev and we remember him from the Super Six, so we all know how talented he is. Ward will lure you in and make you pay the price and I love that sort of style.
Rarely do we have top-level fighters in the same weight division and it's even rarer when they actually meet.
Kovalev is the exact opposite. His defence is non-existent but as soon as you try to expose that, he leaves you vulnerable to get hit by his shots, which are so powerful. And a big part of Kovalev's success is he is very difficult to read. Honestly, there are pros and cons for them both as fighters and human beings, but I just want to see who wins and how.
Which of their previous fights stand out for you?
For Ward, the win over Mikkel Kessler was his coming-out party because we knew he was coming through but that win put his name on the map. But you can't look past that fight against Carl Froch. Froch took on anyone and everyone but let's be honest, Ward made it look easy. And we know one thing, fighting Froch was never easy.
For Kovalev, I am sticking with the win over Bernard Hopkins. Yes Hopkins was in about the third tail-end of his brilliant career, but he has always been slippery and smart and for Kovalev to cope with that and see it through, was a big win and showed he is smarter than he gets credit for.
If you were in either team, what would be your biggest concern?
Following on from Krusher's win over Hopkins, I wonder whether Ward's basic size might be a problem for the Russian. Yes, Hopkins was Hopkins, but he was 49 years old and smaller than Ward and he still didn't get him out of there. Ward is a big, strong super-middleweight up at light-heavyweight, so maybe he will handle him better than Hopkins did. We will see.
If I was in Ward's team, inactivity might be a concern, but we all know he has never been the busiest fighter in the world. He's had those contractual issues and injuries, but it might sound strange but it could actually work as a positive. I have been through all sorts of injuries and you just find a way to deal with it and work round it and you do make sure you are the best you can be, physically.
And will we see the world's new pound-for-pound supremo come Sunday morning?
Without doubt. When two fighters in the top five of the pound-to-pound list meet, the winner has to get the ultimate respect. Rarely do we have top-level fighters in the same weight division and it's even rarer when they actually face off.
I don't think anyone will question it if Ward or Kovalev goes to the top of people's list. Hopefully whoever wins it won't be controversial and if it is a clear-cut winner, we will have the new No 1 in the world.
We can wait for your prediction, so let's get down to the real issues.. whose nickname suits you the best?
Well their nicknames are, like most things in this fight, the complete opposite, so I am going to have to try and better both of them. Ward calls himself the Son Of God, so to remain biblical, I would have gone for Jamie 'The Baptist' Moore. But if I am honest, you won't be surprised if I say I am more comfortable with Kovalev's. What about Jamie 'KFC Krushems' Moore? Maybe I would have to shorten it to KFCKM or the Maltesers, too.
