Sergey Kovalev (30-1-1 with 26 KOs) is set to face Andre Ward (31-0 with 15 KOs) on June 17 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas in a rematch of the fight held Nov. 19 that ended in a controversial, yet unanimous decision victory for Ward, with all three judges scoring the bout 114-113.
Kovalev will be looking to regain the three light heavyweight titles he lost in the first bout and prove to those who felt he was robbed that they were right.
However, in order to emerge victorious from this rematch and regain the titles, Kovalev should take into account the following keys:
Look for KO, early finish
The crucial key from the first fight still holds true: Kovalev must look for an early KO. It should be the first task in the Russian's strategy. He has already shown that he has the power to send Ward to the canvas and will need to do the same again in the rematch, but with one major difference. This time around, he not only needs to put Ward down, he needs to finish him up.
Keep the pedal to the metal
If Kovalev fails to knock Ward out early, he cannot afford to make the same mistake as in the previous fight, when he slowed the pace and surrendered the initiative in the second half of the bout. Kovalev will have to sustain the same pace throughout the fight, as well as finishing each round strongly in order to convince the judges that he deserves the nod. He already knows that he cannot, and should not, rely on the judges.
Do the right thing
The left jab followed by a right hand was the most effective combination for Kovalev in the first fight. On several occasions he was able to land a straight left to Ward's face and then double the impact with an overhand right. These were hard punches that rocked Ward. Kovalev perhaps lacked repetition and perseverance in the first fight, and that can't happen in the rematch
Offense is the best defense
Ward will look to be less direct in this fight than he was in the first bout. He has already felt the power of Kovalev's punches and suffered when he tried to attack him down the middle. Kovalev should cut off the ring and throw a high volume of punches. He could switch it up and look to work the body to slow Ward down.
Corner knows best
Kovalev's corner will play a key role. Firstly, by encouraging Kovalev to stay active without losing focus, and then by tactically outsmarting Ward's corner. Ward's repeated clinching is not something they want and Kovalev's corner should make sure the referee does his job.