Andre Ward (32-0, 16 KOs) defended his WBA-WBC-IBF Light Heavyweight belts with a dramatic eighth-round stoppage of Sergey Kovalev (30-2-1, 26 KOs). It’s Ward’s second victory over Kovalev in as many fights, and while the first fight featured a controversial decision, this one had a controversial TKO.
There’s no denying that Kovalev was rocked by a legal punch, as a right hand rendered him wobbly. The drama started with Kovalev complaining of a low blow beforehand, but referee Tony Weeks deemed it a legal body shot, and that put Kovalev in noticeable discomfort. After Ward landed the crunching right, Kovalev was in massive trouble and the champion went for the finish.