Moments ago at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Andre "S.O.G." Ward kept his undefeated record intact with an impressive unanimous decision victory over former world champion Sergey Kovalev. After suffering an early knockdown in the 2nd round and enduring some heavy leather from the hard-hitting former champion, Ward turned the tide midway through the fight and closed the show strong in the championship rounds. Relive all the action in FightHype's round-by-round results!
ROUND 1
Kovalev fires a right to the body. Ward circles. Jab down low from Ward falls short. Now he connects with a jab to the body. Kovalev inching forward. They wrestle on the inside and Kovalev puts him in a headlock. Now Kovalev backs up looking to counter. They trade jabs. Stiff jab lands for Kovalev and Ward holds on. Ward misses with an overhand right. They trade jabs to the body. Another jab lands for Kovalev. Ward works his way to the inside and fires to the body. Ward fires to the body. Kovalev lands a jab. Round to Kovalev.
Kovalev 10 Ward 9
ROUND 2
Kovalev fires a right to the body. Another. They clinch. Kovalev backs him up to the ropes. Ward lands a good jab. They trade jabs. Ward jabs to the body. Kovalev lands a stiff left. Chopping right lands for Kovalev. Kovalev lands a left. Ward backs up. They clinch. Kovalev looks really strong in there. They trade jabs to the body. Big right hand lands for Kovalev and Ward is down. He's up and takes the count with a smile. Kovalev jumps on him. Ward holds on. Jab lands for Kovalev. Ward backs up. Another jab lands for Kovalev. HARD right lands for Kovalev. Big round for Kovalev.
Kovalev 20 Ward 17
ROUND 3
Ward circles and lands a jab. Ward bumrushes him and lands a right. Both men get a warning from the ref for roughhousing. They trade jabs. Kovalev lands a jab. Kovalev walking him down. Ward circles the ring. Good jab lands for Ward. Hard left lands for Kovalev. They trade near the ropes. Ward fires some shots on the inside. Good left lands for Ward. Kovalev lands a jab. They wrestle on the inside. Jab lands for Kovalev right at the bell. Better round for Ward, but still not quite enough to take it. Round to Kovalev.
Kovalev 30 Ward 26
ROUND 4
Jab to the body lands for Ward. Short left hook lands for Ward on the inside. They wrestle on the inside. Chopping left lands for Kovalev. Ward looks like he's trying to keep the fight on the inside now. Jab to the body for Ward. Ward rakes him with a left hook. Kovalev inches forward. Jab lands for Kovalev. Good uppercut lands for Kovalev. Jab to the body for Kovalev. Ward circles. They trade on the inside. Jab lands for Kovalev. Ward fires to the body. Close round. I give it to Ward.
Kovalev 39 Ward 36
ROUND 5
Kovalev fires to the body as Ward tries to get inside. Again. Left to the body lands for Ward. Kovalev lands a left hook upstairs. Good left hook lands for Ward. Jab lands for Kovalev. Quick jab from Ward snaps the head of Kovalev. Ward fires to the body. They trade on the inside. Good jab lands for Kovalev. Another hard jab lands for Kovalev. Ward answers with a hard left of his own. they trade on the inside. Stiff jab lands for Kovalev. Close one, but I give it to Kovalev.
Kovalev 49 Ward 45
ROUND 6
Left hook to the body for Ward. Ward jabs to the body. They wrestle on the inside. Again, they wrestle in the clinch. Jab to the body lands for Ward. Kovalev just misses with a right. Jab lands for Kovalev. Ward answers with his own. Ward circles and Kovalev follows. More wrestling on the inside. Left hook lands for Kovalev. Ward lands a jab. They wrestle and fire shots on the inside. Not much to choose from, but round to Kovalev.
Kovalev 59 Ward 54
ROUND 7
Ward works the body on the inside. Ward digs a right to the body. Left to the body for Ward. Kovalev just misses with a 1-2. Jab lands for Ward. Good left lands for Ward. Another. They wrestle on the inside. They trade to the body. Solid left lands for Ward. More wrestling on the inside. Kovalev lands a good jab. Solid left lands for Kovalev again. 1-2 from Ward. Another close one, but I give it to Ward.
Kovalev 68 Ward 64
ROUND 8
Solid left hook lands for Ward. They wrestle on the inside. More wrestling. Ward fires to the body in the clinch. Good sneaky body shot from Ward. Kovalev fires a jab. Ward just misses with a left hook. They trade body shots. More wrestling on the inside. Kovalev digs a right to the body. Ward answers. tit for tat so far in this round. Right to the body for Ward. More body shots from Ward in the clinch. Been some close rounds so far; scorecards will be interesting if this goes the distance. Round to Ward.
Kovalev 77 Ward 74
ROUND 9
Left to the body for Ward. 1-2 to the body for Ward. Ward jabs to the body. Again. Kovalev lands a jab. Hard left lands for Ward. Right from Ward just grazes him. Kovalev digs to the body. Ward lands an overhand left. They wrestle. Good right to the body for Ward. Good jab lands for Ward. Right lands for Ward. Kovalev getting a little frustrated with the wrestling in the clinches. 1-2 from Ward. Jab lands for Ward. Another. Ward works the body in the clinch. Looping left lands for Ward. They trade combos at the end. Big round for Ward.
Kovalev 86 Ward 84
ROUND 10
Left hook and an uppercut from Ward. They clinch. Good jab for Kovalev. They trade jabs. Big left hook from Ward. Ward circles. Stiff jab lands for Ward. Another. Kovalev sneaks in a left. They trade jabs. Again. Short left hook lands for Ward. Ward works the body in the clinch. Nice shot lands for Ward. Right to the body lands for Ward. Kovalev bleeding out of his nose right now. Ward doing a bolo punch. Right to the body lands for Ward. Both fighters taunting each other. Great round and great fight. Round to Ward.
Kovalev 95 Ward 94
ROUND 11
They clinch and Ward works him on the inside. The ref gives a warning to Kovalev. Ward works the body in the clinch again. Jab lands for Ward. Kovalev fires to the body. Left hook lands for Ward. They trade jabs. HARD right lands for Kovalev. Ward answers with a left. Right lands for Kovalev. Left to the body and a left upstairs lands for Ward. Jab lands for Ward. They trade punches. Kovalev lands a left. A break in the action after Kovalev falls down as Ward was rushing forward. Stiff jab from Ward snaps the head of Kovalev. Round to Ward, but some of these rounds are close. It just feels like Ward is landing the more telling shots.
Kovalev 104 Ward 104
ROUND 12
Left hook lands for Ward. Again. Kovalev lands a left. Nice left lands for Ward. Big looping overhand right lands for Ward. They wrestle on the inside. Ward works the body. Right hook lands for Ward. They clinch. Ward fires to the body. Right lands for Ward. They trade to the body. Ward works the body again. Left to the body lands for Kovalev. Another left from Kovalev is a little low. Right lands for Kovalev. Left from Ward. Kovalev lands a left. Round to Ward.
Kovalev 113 Ward 114
Official judges scorecards: 114-113, 114-113, 114-113
THE WINNER BY UNANIMOUS DECISION...AND NEW UNIFIED LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD...ANDRE "S.O.G." WARD
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