Ward keeps record intact

AMERICAN Andre Ward stopped Sergey Kovalev in the eighth round to retain his IBF, WBA and WBO titles yesterday in a rematch of their light heavyweight fight seven months ago.

Ward (32-0) hurt Kovalev with a right hand that buckled his knees and then finished him off on the ropes with a series of body shots around the mid-section in Las Vegas.

Referee Tony Weeks stopped the fight with 31 seconds left in the round with Kovalev kneeling down from what he said was a low blow by Ward.