Ins and Outs of Kovalev vs Ward

Ins and Outs of Kovalev vs Ward
Anyone who is fortunate enough to catch this fight but a bit unaware of these two superstars of their sport take heed! I present to you a brief synopsis of Kovalev Ward, which will put you up on some of the particulars around making an educated guess of the outcome.

Kovalev's Assets
 Kovalev is the defending champ fighting of the light  heavyweight division which he has cleared it out essentially single handed (with the exception on the frequently inactive Adonis Stevenson). He has done so with his impressively devastating power and continual development of ring IQ which served him well against the likes of cagey fighters such as Bernard Hopkins and Jean Pascal. Kovalev will enter this fight looking to maintain a stellar reputation as the Krusher. The key to doing so will be using his range to set up big shots. Despite being seen as a mauling and unstoppable force, Kovalev is a smart fighter who likes to set up his punches from a distance and set the pace of the fight forcing his opponent to fight off the back foot. The best way to ensure this will be for Kovalev to make Ward respect his power early in the fight and be prepared to take some punishment to offset Wards attack.  Both fighters like to take time to find a rhythm and I believe this will be a major factor in the fight; While Kovalev's power is very unlikely to dwindle throughout the fight, it would be unwise for Kovalev to allow Ward to dictate the fight early on.
Ward's Best Bets
Ward will want to keep this fight on the inside, where he likes it. When Kovalev is forced to back up he has appeared awkward, but when he is forced to fight in a phone booth, he seems to be outright befuddled. The close range fight will neutralize much of the Krusher's power and allow Ward to steal rounds. From this range Ward will need to only worry about the rare seen uppercut of Kovalev which, unless he has been working harder than ever on it, can be expected to make a rare if nearly non existent appearance. Ward will also need to rely on his ring IQ and, believe it or not, power, which has yet to make an appearance at the light heavyweight division. Kovalev is strong but has rarely been hit clean of by hard punches. And while Ward is no knockout artist, he has the discipline and skill to set up punches Kovalev may not see making the Krusher gun shy to engage at close range.
Why Ward is the Favorite
 All conventional stats on paper would point to Kovalev to win this fight: He is the bigger, taller, stronger, less injury prone defending champion and yet Andre Ward has been picked by many to dethrone him. Despite Wards layoffs and recent injuries, I think the most telling reason for supporting Wards odds is his reputation and experience. Ward is a former Olympic gold medalist who made a name for himself when he cleaned house in the super six tournament. With the likes of Froch, Abraham, Kessler, Bicha and later Chad Dawson as notable names on his victim list it is hard to argue that Ward hasn't been here before and found a way to win. Conversely, the biggest names on Kovalev's hit list are a nearly fifty year old Bernard Hopkins (who to Kovalev's credit I believe was carried through the fight) and Jean Pascal who struggled against the former and seemed not to show up mentally to his rematch with the Krusher. Ward is the smarter and more skilled of the two. Kovalev does best against stationary fighters who come with the intent to survive and hasn't fought a man with the physical ability possessed by SOG. However at Light heavyweight Ward has yet to dazzle to the same extent that he once did at the middleweight divisions and has yet to face the kind of power Kovolav possess. Boxing is the theater of the unexpected and this fight will be no different. This fight will be a tough call but certain to bring some surprises. I wouldn't be surprised if Andre Ward tastes the canvas for the first time or if Kovalev finds himself putting a glove to the ground. At the end of the day, the fight will skyrocket either fighter to a level of P4P greatness they both deserve.