Andre Ward vs. Sergey Kovalev 1

The first round began. Kovalev came out strong. Feeling out process. Clinch, break. 2:00. Ward jabs the body. He lands a counter right, Kovalev replies. Ward lands a left to teh body. Kovalev lands a pair of stiff jabs, some rights to the body inside. Ward lands a rgazing left uppercut. Kovalev lands a triple jab and a hard right. 1:00. Kovalev jabs the body. 35. Ward lands a right to the body. 15. Kovalev lands a jab. R1 ends, 10-9 Kovalev I'd say. "Show him different looks," they tell Ward.

R2 began. Kovalev jabs in, lands a good one. Ward lands a good counter jab. And another. 2:00. Kovalev lands a left and another. Ward shook his head, ate a right. Kovalev lands a hard right and a grazing left. And a left. Kovalev jabs the body. 1:00. Kovalev jabs the body, eats one to the head, lands a counter right dropping Ward. Only the second time he's ever been dropped. He's up, eats a left. Ward goes for what looks like a double-leg to clinch, lol. Kovalev right uppercut and left with 15 and a jab. Kovalev lands a hard one-two. Ward lands a left. R2 ends, 10-8 Kovalev.

R3 began. Ward lands a jab. And a right, a strong clinch throwing Kovalev around. Gets warned. "Let's stop right now, keep it clean." Kovalev lands a hard one-two. Ward lands a left. 2:00. Ward lands a jab. Kovalev lands a right, eats a left. Ward lands a crisp left. 1:00. 35. Kovalev lands a jab. 15. R3 ends, 10-9 Ward but close. "This is what greatness is, this is what it's all about," they tell Ward. "Keep that jab working, don't reach," they say. "He don't wanna fight you, keep that jab working," they tell Kovalev.

R4 began. Kovalev lands a right inside. Kovalev lands a counter left. Ward jabs the body. 2:00. Kovalev lands a counter right. Ward lands a jab. Kovalev lands a right to the body, eats a jab to the body. 1:00. Ward lands a right to the body inside. 30. Kovalev lands a jab. Another double jab. 15. Ward lands a left to the body inside. R4 ends, 10-9 Kovalev. Ward's mother has her head bowed in the front row. "Fight fire with precision, set those traps," they tell Ward. "Go to the body," they tell Kovalev.

R5 began. Kovalev lands a couple rights to the body. Ward lands a good left to the body. 2:00. Ward lands a right, eats a counter left and a jab. Kovalev lands a jab. Ward lands a great jab. Ward lands a couple lefts to the body. 1:00. Kovalev lands a counter left. Kovalev lands a jab. 35. Ward lands a jab and a big right counter. 15. Kovalev lands a jab. Ward jabs the body. R5 ends, 10-9 Ward but close. "We got seven more to go okay?" they inform Ward. "Take that smirk off his face."

R6 began. Ward lands a hook to the body. Ward jabs the body. Ward lands a couple lefts to the body inside. 2:00. Kovalev lands a counter right. And another right counter. 1:00. Kovalev lands a right. 35. Ward shakes his ehad after dodging another. 15 as Kovalev lands another right. Ward lands a left to the body, eats a right. 15. Ward lands a couple lefts to the body and a left uppercut. R6 ends, 10-9 Kovalev but very close. "He can't take the jab," they tell Kovalev. "You think he's wearing down, huh?" they ask Ward and call him Dre. "Combinations, don't try to load up. When he's trying to rest you gotta make him work. You wanna be great? It's time to be great," they say.

R7 began. 2:00. Ward lands a good jab. Pace has slowed. Ward lands a stiff clean jab and a right. And a stiff jab clean. Two lefts to the body inside. Ward lands a jab. 1:00. He jabs the body. 35. Kovalev lansd a jab. He lands a stiff left. 15. Ward lands a right. Kovalev lands a left. R7 ends, 10-9 Ward clearly. "We gotta win every single round," they tell Ward. "This is what greatness is." Mentions some boxers who 'got up.' "Ali got up, do it!" they finish.

R8 began. Ward lands a left. Ward lands a left to the body inside. 2:00. Ward lands a right to the body inside. Ward lands a stiff jab and eats a jab. Kovalev lands a right to the body, eats a left to the body. 1:00. 35. Kovalev lands a good jab. Ward lands a good jab and a right, left to body. Right to body. 15. Ward lands a left to the body. R8 ends, 10-9 Ward. "He's tired, keep sticking him," they tell Ward.

R9 began. Ward jabs the body. Again. And another high. Eats a combo and lands a counter left and a big right, 2:00. Kovalev right to body and a left and a right high. They trade a right to the body. Ward lands a jab. And a right, eats a left. Kovalev lands a few rights to the body inside, 1:00. Ward lands a big straight right. Kovalev lands a left. Ward does the wind-up, eats a right. Ward lands a jab. 35. Ward goes to the body a few times then head with lefts, some rights to the body, breaks with a big left hurting Kovalev. 15. Ward lands a left. Kovalev lands a right and a jab. R9 ends, 10-9 Ward, crowd loves it. "He's tired, you don't hesitate. Look at what you're doing and HIT THOSE TARGETS!" they tell Ward, "Confidence. We need these three rounds."

R10 began. Ward lands a left uppercut. Kovalev lands a jab and a hard one. And a jab. Ward lands a good left, eats a counter. 2:00. Ward lands a left, eats a right to the body, lands a jab. Kovalev lands a jab. And another. Ward jabs the body. Ward lands a jab. Kovalev replies. Ward lands a counter left. Does the windup. 1:00. Ward lefts to body inside. Stalking, lands a hard left, eats a right and a left. 30. Ward lands a jab and eats one. Ward does the windup landing a jab, eats one and another. 15. Kovalev lands a hard right to the body. R10 ends, 10-9 Ward but close. Could go either way. "He's busted up, he's tired. Look at him Dre," they tell Ward.

R11 began. Ward jabs the body. Ward jabs the head then body. 2:00. Ward lands a left. He lands a counter right. Kovalev lands a left eating one. Kovalev lands a hard left, eats one. Ward lands a left. 1:00. Ward lands a left uppercut and a big left. Ward lands a stiff jab, lands another, Ward moving away. 35. Kovalev frustrated. Ward pushes Kovalev down lol. Nose bleeding of Kovalev. 15. Ward lands a stiff jab. R11 ends, 10-9 Ward, crowd loves it. "Stay on balance and counter like you're going out there to kill him, focus and go out there like a dog, don't go home without it, get him Dre, don't hesitate, be a dog and let him know who's the boss, put him down, do it!" they tell Ward.

R12 began. Ward lands a left. And another and eats one. Ward lands a left. And a right. Kovalev lands a left. And a right. 2:00. Ward lands a left. And another inside. They trade a few rights to the body. Ward left to the body. Another. 1:00. Kovalev replies. Another. Another, that was low to Ward. They continue. 35. Kovalev lands a jab. Ward lands a left. 15. Ward lands a right to the body. And a left to the body. R12 ends, 10-9 Ward but very close. 115-112 Ward IMO.

114-113 UD for Ward. New unified light-heavyweight champion and still undefeated. Kovalev's wife gives the thumbs-down to the camera. Kovalev's shaking his head giving double thumbs down. They hug. Thanks Jesus Christ. "It's never good getting dropped but I'm pleased with myself how I responded." Said he expected Kovalev to fade a little bit. Credits his coaches saying he needed every round and to go and get it. Very classy guy when asked if this fight made him great. Said he'd give Kovalev a rematch "of course," but isn't going to negotiate right now. Time for Kovalev's interview. "The wrong decision." "This was the fight of my life. I'm disappointed for dropping the decision like this." "I kept control of all the fight, all rounds." "Of course I want a rematch and I will kick his ass." Says the American judges scored it for the American and he's a guest. "Don't make it politics, it's a sport."