Sergey Kovalev thinks Canelo Alvarez would beat Andre Ward in a light heavyweight fight. Kovalev's opinion comes from his experience in the ring with both boxers.
Fans often talk about a potential Canelo vs Ward match-up. Ward even said he waited for Canelo to challenge him after he retired. But Kovalev, who fought both men, has a clear view on who'd come out on top.
Kovalev faced Ward twice in 2016. He lost the first fight by unanimous decision, though some people thought Kovalev should've won. In the rematch, Ward stopped Kovalev in the eighth round.
Three years later, Kovalev fought Canelo in the Mexican star's first fight at 175 pounds. Canelo won by stoppage in the eleventh round.
In a recent interview with Fight Hub TV, Kovalev shared his thoughts on a hypothetical Canelo vs Ward fight:
"100% [Canelo is a better fighter than Andre Ward]. Maybe Ward was better at super-middleweight but not at light heavyweight. Canelo fights everybody, he has stamina, good legs, speed, IQ, everything. I respect him."
Ward doesn't agree with Kovalev's take. In a recent video, he questioned Canelo's resume and desire to face the best opponents:
"I'm not knocking the hustle, but you lose me when you start saying 'I'm the best fighter in the world', or you lose me when you feel like you don't have to fight the best but then everybody else has got to fight the best. Canelo is a really good fighter man, but you don't really know how good you are until you fight the other best."
Ward criticized the timing of Canelo's fights against notable opponents and disagreed with Canelo calling himself the best fighter in the world. He believes Canelo should prove his worth by fighting the best.
As for Kovalev, he recently lost a wide unanimous decision to Robin Sirwan Safar in May 2023. This fight marked Kovalev's return after two years out of the ring and might be the last of his career.