Forget the extravagant claims of greatness and fight-of-the-year talk. Last Saturdays Andre Ward-Sergey Kovalev bout was boxings version of a beggars banquet -- nothing epic, just a decent meal after a steady diet of stale sandwiches and flat beer at pay-per-view prices.Wards unanimous decision victory (114-113 on all three official cards) didnt really settle much, and had it been a fight between lesser lights, its unlikely we would still be talking about it.But boxings core audience was emotionally invested in the match. It was the showdown it craved and lobbied for, a fight between a pair of undefeated light heavyweights who seemed made for each other. A relentless power puncher against a master craftsman, but with a double twist: The puncher could box, and the craftsman had a mean streak.Expectations were high, a little too high as it turned out. But thats the burden all major matches must bear during boxings seemingly never-ending winter of discontent.Ward-Kovalev had no shortage of tension and suspense, but with the possible exception of Kovalev knocking down Ward in the second round, there were few memorable highlights. Clinches were more numerous than meaningful exchanges, and neither man ever mounted an all-out attack, even though they must have known it was close.We should have learned by now that the best-fighting-the-best formula does not necessarily guarantee a great fight. Thats up to the fighters. But the odds in favor of something exceptional happening are obviously enhanced when the combatants are among the elite.During the prefight hype, Ward-Kovalev was likened to the first bout between Shane Mosley and Oscar De La Hoya, in 2000, a superb example of a brilliant fight between exceptional fighters at the peak of their careers. Shane and Oscar held nothing back and tore into each other virtually nonstop from first bell to last. It was magnificent stuff fought at the highest level.We werent that lucky Saturday. Neither Ward nor Kovalev seemed as eager as Mosley and De La Hoya to risk all in the quest for glory, which is, of course, a prerequisite for true greatness.But these are trying times. Boxing has been sinking in a sea of mediocrity since the crushing disappointment of the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fiasco and the ensuing backlash.Ward-Kovalev didnt quite live up to expectations but provided enough of a boost to keep boxings bent nose above water. That has to count for something.Its easy to understand why a sizable number of viewers believed Kovalev deserved to have his hand raised and were ticked off when he didnt.I, too, had the Krusher ahead, 115-113. But theres a difference between a robbery and a controversial decision, and Ward-Kovalev fell into the latter category. It was that kind of fight. Neither ever gained total control.At first it looked as if Kovalev were about to dispatch Ward with the sudden violence of a man who laughs at his victim as he falls. He staggered Ward in the first round with a jab and knocked him down in the second with a right to the head. Nothing to it, right?Ward seem seconds away from oblivion, but in the face of the greatest crisis of his career, he found the resiliency to keep going. He hung in there through the first half of the fight, taking his lumps, getting in his own share of the blows, but generally falling further behind.As things progressed, however, Wards subtle but highly effective work to the body began to sap Kovalevs strength. You could see the change in the Russians face, and Andre had the better of it most of the way down the stretch. Not by much, but apparently enough to win by a single point on each card.The promoters ambitiously named Ward-Kovalev Pound for Pound, alluding to the notion that the winner would ascend to the top of the mythical rankings. It didnt seem that big a leap of faith at the time. Going in, Kovalev and Ward were No. 3 and No. 5, respectively, in ESPN.coms P4P hierarchy. Now, not so much.Pound-for-pound is such an arbitrary and subjective concept, an argument can be made for the inclusion of any number of boxers, depending on ones criteria. For me, P4P is an arena of the mind, where all the boxers are the same size and compete against one another.Playing by those rules, nothing that took place at T-Mobile Arena last Saturday convinced me that either Ward or Kovalev should advance above Roman Chocolatito Gonzalez and Gennady Golovkin, currently No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Others, Im sure, have different ideas.Putting too much emphasis on P4P rankings can backfire. Right now boxing is like an unfaithful spouse trying to patch things up with its partner. Its going to take a long time and a lot more than one or two good fights. Ward-Kovalev was a good start, but only a start. A rematch could be another.An occasional good fight is nowhere near enough. Continuity is vital to even a minor boxing renaissance. The hardcore audience isnt going anywhere. Theyre hooked on boxing and are in it for the duration. The sport has to round up the strays and seduce the casuals to thrive. And thats not going to be easy.The answer is the same as in any business: consistent quality at a reasonable price -- not exactly boxings governing business model. But every now and then we get lucky. The next few months might, just might, be one of those times.The upcoming schedule is PPV free and features Vasyl Lomachenko-Nicholas Walters on Nov. 26 and Terence Crawford-John Molina on Dec. 10. Molina is unlikely to last long with Crawford, but Lomachenko-Walters is intriguing.Badou Jack-James DeGale (Jan. 14), Carl Frampton-Leo Santa Cruz II and Keith Thurman-Danny Garcia (Mar. 4) await us in the new year. All have promise, and with a bit of luck, could keep things going.Its boxing were talking about, so undue confidence is foolish. Fights fall apart for countless reasons. It comes with the territory. But the upcoming schedule is promising, and if things fall into place, we could look back on Ward-Kovalev as the start of a roll.It was, at the very least, a time when arguably the two best fighters in their division chose to fight each other. Thats never a bad thing. Cheap Jerseys From China . The team says the Spain international has a muscle pull in his right leg. Barcelona hosts third-division side Cartagena in the return leg of their round-of-32 tie after winning their first meeting 4-1. Cheap China Jerseys Authentic .com) - The red-hot Los Angeles Kings will try to extend their winning streak to a season-high seven games when they visit the Edmonton Oilers for Sundays clash at Rexall Place. http://www.jerseysnflwholesalechina.us/ . Ferrer, trying to win his fourth title on Mexican soil, will next play South Africas Kevin Anderson, who eliminated American Sam Querrey,7-6 (2), 6-4. Also Wednesday, Gilles Simon (6) of France beat Donald Young of the United States 6-4, 6-3, Ukraines Alexandr Dolgopolov downed Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-4 and Croatias Ivo Karlovic defeated Dudi Sela of Israel 7-6 (4), 6-2. NFL Jerseys Outlet . After a lengthy wait, persistent rain finally forced the postponement of the Nationals game against the Miami Marlins on Saturday night. The teams, and a few thousand fans, waited nearly four hours from the 7:05 scheduled start time before an announcement was made shortly before 11 p. Cheap Football Jerseys China . Tuesdays surgery at Atlantas Piedmont Hospital was performed by Dr. Xavier Duralde and Hawks team physician Dr. Michael Bernot.SAN DIEGO -- Marlon Byrd lined a two-out double over a hesitant right-fielder Chris Denorfias head in the eighth inning, Mets outfielders saved two runs with outstanding plays and New York snapped a three-game skid by beating the San Diego Padres 4-1 Thursday night. Zack Wheeler struck out a career-high 12 for New York. Eric Young Jr. saved a homer by leaping above the wall and knocking the ball back onto the field in the third inning. Center fielder Juan Lagares then threw out a runner at home plate in the fifth. Byrd doubled off reliever Luke Gregerson (5-7), who had intentionally walked the left-handed hitting Daniel Murphy to pitch to the righty Byrd. Gregerson hit pinch-hitter Mike Baxter with a pitch. Baxter stole second before Murphy was walked. Denorfia made his first step in on Byrds hard-hit ball. He then hesitated and never recovered as the ball sailed over his head. Scott Atchison (3-1) got the victory by pitching a scoreless seventh inning. John Buck added his 15th home run, a solo shot off Padres reliever Tim Stauffer in the ninth. It was his first homer in 96 at-bats. Rookie Gonzalez Germen pitched two scoreless innings for his first career save. He struck out three of the Mets 15 Ks Thursday. Both starting pitchers, Wheeler and the Padres Tyson Ross, were outstanding. Wheeler went six innings, allowing one run on seven hits. He walked one and threw a career-high 115 pitches, 73 for strikes. Ross also allowed a run. He worked seven innings and yielded five hits. He struck out eight without walking a batter and threw 109 pitches, 74 for strikes. The Mets took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth. Murphy singled to left leading off. He went to second on a hit-and-run groundout by Ike Davis. With two outs Josh Satin hit a slow roller that shortstop Ronny Cedeno barehanded and threw to first. The throw appeared to be in time, but first base umpire Brian Knight ruled that first baseman Yonder Alonso had pulled his foot off the bag. Murphy never stopped running as Alonso thought that he had made the last out and headed for the dugout while Murphy came all the way around to score. The Padres tied the game in the bottom of the fourth.dddddddddddd They loaded the bases on singles by Chase Headley and Denorfia sandwiched around a walk to Alonso. With one out Jaff Decker hit a sacrifice fly to left scoring Headley. In the third, Rene Rivera hit a ball that was out of park in left field but Young leaped at the wall and the ball his glove and the top of the wall before laning on the outifeld turf. Rivera raced in for a triple. Wheeler then struck out Ross and Will Venable to strand Rivera at third. In the bottom of the fifth with runners on first and second and two outs, Alonso hit a line drive to centre field. Lagares fielded the ball and threw one hopper that catcher John Buck grabbed and just tagged a sliding Ross for the final out of the inning. Lagares also made a diving catch on Jedd Gyorkos liner in the eighth with a runner on. NOTES: Venable extended his hitting streak to a career-high 12 with a single in the fifth. ... Mets manager Terry Collins said that rookie 3B Wilmer Flores would likely avoid being placed on the DL. ... Mets fill-in closer LaTroy Hawkins was not available Thursday after getting his in the groin on a comebacker in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Mets closer Bobby Parnell (herniated disk in neck) and 3B David Wright (right hamstring strain) remained back in New York on the DL, and there is no timetable for their return. ... Padres OF Carlos Quentin, out since July 31, got a second opinion on his right knee Thursday at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic in Los Angeles. Results of the tests were unavailable. ... Padres C Nick Hundley, who went on paternity leave on Thursday, became a father for the first time when his wife Amy gave birth to a girl earlier in the day. ... The Padres called up Chris Robinson from Triple-A Tucson to take Hundleys place on the roster. . Padres RHP Jason Marquis was moved from the 15- to the 60-day disabled list on. Marquis underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on July 30. ... The Mets and Padres continue their four-game series Friday with New Yorks RHP Jenrry Mejia (1-3, 2.22 ERA) scheduled to pitch against the Padres RHP Edison Volquez (8-10, 5.80). 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