Sergey Kovalev vs. Andre Ward: Winner, Scorecard and Reaction

Three light heavyweight titles, two undefeated records and consideration as the best pound-for-pound fighter in boxing were all on the line when Sergey "Krusher" Kovalev took on Andre Ward at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night. 

In this dream matchup for boxing purists, fans got to see the best attributes of the two fighters. Kovalev's (30-1-1, 26 KOs) raw power showed early as he knocked down Ward (31-0-0, 15 KOs) for only the second time in his career with a crushing right hand in the second round.

Damaged but undeterred, Ward put his genius to work while boxing out of an unfamiliar position: behind on the cards. He used clinching, a stiff jab and crushing shots to the body to flummox Kovalev and earn a tight unanimous-decision win.

All three judges scored it 114-113 to Ward, per HBO Boxing:

HBO's Bill Simmons praised Ward as he began to turn the tide of the fight late on:

Boxing writer Andreas Hale was surprised by the result: 

After the bout, Kovalev said he would like a rematch, per ESPN's Brian Campbell:

Ward earned the WBO, WBA and IBF world light heavyweight titles in only his third fight in the weight class. Per Ring, he came into the bout as the No. 4 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, with Kovalev at No. 2. Ward might assume the No. 1 spot after using his technique and ring IQ to battle back from early adversity.

Ward tried to establish the jab to the body early, using it to interrupt Kovalev's forward movement. Kovalev's jab was better to start, however, and his power was much more readily apparent. Ward appeared to struggle with taking some of Kovalev's more direct shots.

The early show of power from Kovalev was no fluke, as the Russian dropped Ward late in the second round with a driving right-handed shot directly to his opponent's chin. Ward was attempting to counter a glancing jab, but his own punch to Kovalev's head left him open to the one-two combination.

HBO Boxing provided a look at the rare sight:

The knockdown came 11 years to the day since Ward's only other trip to the canvas at the hands of Darnell Boone in a middleweight bout early in his career.

USA Today's Mike Coppinger thought Ward was lucky to see the bell: 

Ward did well to get back into the fight in the third round, per The Vertical's Chris Mannix: 

Wary of Kovalev's power, Ward worked on gumming up the works and messing with Kovalev's rhythm and timing in the middle rounds. Ward focused on maintaining distance, scoring with the jab and clinching when Kovalev closed the gap. A stinging jab that landed flush on Kovalev's face drew a roar from the crowd, the surest sign that Ward had put the knockdown behind him. 

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Amir Khan felt Kovalev was letting the fight get away from him: 

The ninth saw Ward put together his best round. With Kovalev's frustration mounting, Ward used his aggression against him, slipping in hard shots to the body when Kovalev found himself off balance. Ward's jab remained a potent weapon, and Kovalev's inability to cut off the ring allowed Ward to pick his spots.

It was still a close fight, as Kovalev's power shots did plenty of damage when he landed them, and he did better with his jab in the 10th. Blood began trickling from Kovalev's nose during the frame, but he soldiered on.

Bad Left Hook's Tom Craze felt Ward had taken over: 

By contrast, Write on the Button gave Kovalev the 10th: 

The final two rounds saw excellent exchanges, with the crowd showing support for both fighters. At the final bell, the foes embraced and went back to their corners to await the result. 

While the bout wasn't perfect in terms of the action, it was an entertaining scrap that demands a rematch. Some will disagree with the result, but Ward proved his technical prowess and ability to coolly assess an opponent and probe for weaknesses have little parallel in the sport. 

Kovalev has plenty of technical ability, but his power remains his greatest asset. If he can find the range in a potential rematch, he could get back what he lost Saturday night.