Ward vs Kovalev 2 Odds for Saturday’s Rematch – HBO Boxing is back at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada this coming Saturday night as the cable giant hits with their latest PPV offering.
The main event sees WBA, WBO and IBF world light heavyweight champion Andre Ward (31-0) defending his titles against the man he took them from last November, Sergey Kovalev (30-1-1). Both men entered the first fight the number one and number two ranked fighters at 175 pounds and that has not changed. The first meeting between the two was a tense, closely fought contest that saw Kovalev knock Ward down early in the fight only to have the judges award the bout to Ward by the slimmest of margins after the match went the distance. What was grudging respect between two top sportsmen has turned into bitterness over the disputed loss and that could translate into a different fight for this second meeting.
The first meeting between the two was also on HBO pay-per-view and that fight sold approximately 200,000 PPVs. That is not particularly high and the cable company has not devoted the same amount of upfront publicity promoting this second bout. The match was signed with a relatively low amount of trash talk but both men know this match is about their legacies. The fact is as the #1 and #2 guy in their division, there really are no other big fights for either of them. Many fans expect a Kovalev win that sets up a third meeting but Ward will be looking to avoid that whole scenario.
Many observers feel Kovalev should have been given the edge in the first bout and Kovalev’s camp certainly feels that way. Will Kovalev be worried about leaving the fight in the hands of the judges again? Kovalev did floor Ward in the second round but he was not able to capitalize on the knock down, allowing Ward to recover. If he is able to rattle Ward again look for Kovalev to put a lot of effort into finishing the fight.
But what if he isn’t able to get Ward out of there? Can Kovalev out box Ward? The common thinking is no. The first fight saw Kovalev start out strong but eventually it was Ward who took control of the fight after Kovalev tired and Ward had seen him operate. Ward showed his superior boxing tool kit as he took the fight by winning the later rounds. If anything, the experts see Ward having an easier time with Kovalev the second time around
Ward vs Kovalev 2 Odds For Saturday’s Rematch
A second world title fight graces the undercard as WBA super bantamweight titlist Guillermo Rigondeaux (17-0) takes on undefeated Moises Flores (25-0). Undefeated light heavyweight prospect Dmitry Bivol (10-0) of Russia will be taking on veteran Cedric Agnew (29-2) as Bivol looks to position himself for a challenge of the Ward-Kovalev 2 winner.
Below are the odds at the books as we enter fight week. The live event at the Mandalay Bay features 10 fights in all, so check back later in the week for additional lines and changes.
Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino – Las Vegas, Nevada – HBO PPV
Light Heavyweight 12 rounds –
Sergey Kovalev +135
Andre Ward -155
Super Bantamweight 12 rounds –
Moises Flores +500
Guillermo Rigondeaux -900
Light Heavyweight 10 rounds –
Cedric Agnew +1300
Dmitry Bivol -3000
Ward vs Kovalev 2 Odds For Saturday’s Rematch / Check out more boxing news and features at The Sweet Science, where the best boxing writers write.
Check out TnS Podcast #29 where we look in-depth at the first meeting between Sergey Kovalev and Andre Ward.
[related_post_one]
The NBA has crowned the Golden StateWarriors 2016-2017 champs, but can they repeat?. Click here for more b-ball.
