Sergey Kovalev & Andre Ward Blogs: Part 2

Sergey Kovalev
Does headlining a PPV event change the way you approach a fight? How much more responsibilities you have? Does that affect your training?

Sure HBO pay-per-view is very important to me; this is big deal. This is my first pay-per-view fight. I think all fighters goal is to be pay-per-view fighter, but it takes hard work and not everybody can do this. For this fight I did more interviews than before because we want to get more fans, but this is part of my job. I am still learning English, I try to learn more all the time. I am more used to this now, so it becomes little more easy speaking English for interviews. I know it’s important because I want fans to come to T-Mobile Arena and to buy pay per view to watch my fight against Andre Ward. Media is only difference this time because this is such big fight. I do every training camp in same way. First I go to physical training in Big Bear, I run, ride bike, lift weights, I exercise, and stretch to get in shape. After physical training I go to boxing training camp. I spar and I work with my coach John David Jackson in boxing ring. My sparring partners change, but most of the time my training is same. I work very hard; I must give 100% in each camp. This is my job; this is what I should do.

Road to Kovalev/Ward, HBO Sports special leading up to their pay-per-view light heavyweight title showdown, debuts Saturday, November 12 at 12:15 a.m. ET/PT on HBO.

Kovalev vs. Ward takes place Saturday, November 19 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT.

Andre Ward Blog Part 2: Monday, October 31

Sergey Kovalev could be the most difficult opponent of your career since probably the Super Six tournament. Is he just a power puncher or do you think he’s a legitimate P4P fighter?

Regardless of who I’m fighting—Barrera, Brand, Kovalev, whoever—there’s always different game plans and nuances when it comes to preparation and training. The reality of it is, every fight is a must-win for me. I prepare for each fight as if I’m facing the most difficult opponent of my career. That’s always been my approach, and I think you’re playing with fire if you don’t adopt that mentality in this sport.

I know this is a big fight, the biggest of my career. But my mindset and my focus have been consistent no matter the opponent, and that’s an invaluable asset. We have to look at Kovalev for who he is—a talented fighter that I respect. He’s my next challenge, and nothing reinforces my determination like a challenge.

Road to Kovalev/Ward, HBO Sports special leading up to their pay-per-view light heavyweight title showdown, debuts Saturday, November 12 at 12:15 a.m. ET/PT on HBO.

Kovalev vs. Ward takes place Saturday, November 19 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT.

Video: Watch the HBO Sports Special – My Fight: Kovalev/Ward

Curtis Stevens vs. James De La Rosa Added to Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound” HBO Pay-Per-View® Televised Undercard

Curtis Stevens
Las Vegas, NV: The Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound for Pound” HBO Pay-Per-View telecast on November 19 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. will now include the 10-round middleweight showdown between Curtis “The Cerebral Assassin” Stevens (28-5, 21 KOs) and James “The King” De La Rosa (23-4, 13 KOs).
Stevens fought earlier this year on the Canelo-Khan HBO Pay-Per-View telecast and scored a spectacular second-round upset knockout of then-undefeated Brazilian Patrick Teixeira. When asked about the upgrade to the televised card Curtis replied, “I know it is Kovalev-Ward but now it is Kovalev-Ward-Stevens. Time to show out!”

De La Rosa was in a similar situation when he defeated former title contender Alfredo Angulo on the undercard of Mayweather-Maidana. He said, “Déjà vu all over again. The same thing happened when I fought Angulo. I am happy to fight on the PPV telecast. I need this win so I’ll leave it all in the ring come November 19.”

Main Events’ CEO Kathy Duva added, “After we announced Curtis would be fighting on the untelevised portion of the Kovalev-Ward PPV card, we heard from a lot of fans asking that the fight be moved to TV so they could see Curtis. What the fans want, the fans get!”

Stevens, 31, of Brownsville, Brooklyn returned to the ring this past May 7 and stopped previously undefeated Brazilian prospect Patrick Teixeira in the second round on the HBO Pay-Per-View® undercard of Canelo-Khan. The victory over Teixeira catapulted Stevens back into the ranking of all four sanctioning bodies, including Top 10 ratings in both the IBF and WBC. He is hoping to continue that momentum and secure another shot at the middleweight title.

De La Rosa, 28, is originally from Mexico but now resides in San Benito, Texas. His most recent win was a unanimous decision upset over former title contender Alfredo Angulo on the undercard of Mayweather-Maidana. De La Rosa has suffered two back-to-back losses since his win over Angulo but both have come at the hands of two previously undefeated prospects in Hugo Centeno Jr. and Jason Quigley. Commonly, fighters in his position would prefer a tune-up to get back on a winning track but, in this case, De La Rosa opted out of that easy route and decided to test himself against another former title contender in Stevens.

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA Light Heavyweight World Titles, takes place Saturday, Nov. 19, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. “Pound for Pound” is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Rosneft and Corona Extra. Tickets are on sale now at AXS.com and the T-Mobile Arena Box Office.

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Video: Take a Sneak Peek at the HBO Sports Special – My Fight: Kovalev/Ward

TWO-TIME OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST CLARESSA SHIELDS ANNOUNCES PROFESSIONAL DEBUT ON KOVALEV-WARD “POUND FOR POUND” FREEVIEW TELECAST

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA (October 25, 2016) – Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist and the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Sportswoman of the Year Claressa Shields will be making her much anticipated professional debut during the lead-off freeview telecast of Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” on Saturday, Nov. 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Shields is set to face an opponent to be announced in a four-round middleweight bout, with each round timed at two-minutes. The pay-per-view telecast will be produced and distributed live on HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. The freeview telecast which includes the live Claressa Shields bout will begin at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT and will be available on cable, satellite, and telco channels.

As an amateur, Shields achieved unprecedented Olympic success as an American athlete. She is the only boxer in U.S. history, male or female, to successfully defend a title, winning back-to-back Gold medals at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio games. The 21-year-old Flint, Michigan native and four-time USA National Champion has merited accolades at every level of international competition, earning Gold medals in the Pan American Games, two World Championships and two-time AIBA Female Boxer of the Year honors. The pride of a nation, Shields looks to break boxing’s glass ceiling and engage a new generation of fight fans with her move into the professional ranks.

“After working hard for so many years and having the honor to represent my country at two Olympic games, I am thrilled to take the next big step in my career, fighting professionally and leading the rise of women’s boxing worldwide,” said Shields. “There is no better place to begin the journey than to join the biggest fight of the year, Kovalev vs Ward, and to fight alongside my idol and fellow U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist Andre Ward. I can’t wait to entertain the fans on Nov.19!”

“Claressa Shields is a uniquely talented and special young woman. At just 21 years old, she is a once-in-a-lifetime type athlete whose talent inside the ring and charisma outside of it gives her the potential to be a trailblazer for women’s boxing and for all of boxing for years to come,” said Mark Taffet and Jamie Fritz, co-managers of Claressa Shields. “We are proud to be part of Claressa Shields’s team and are thrilled she will be part of the year’s marquee event, Kovalev vs Ward, on Nov. 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.”

“Claressa Shields is about to take the boxing world by storm and we are honored to host her professional debut as part of an already loaded fight card on Nov. 19,” said Roc Nation President & Chief of Branding and Strategy Michael R. Yormark. “Claressa’s unique blend of talent, style and charisma make the two-time Olympian a rising force to be reckoned with in the boxing world and beyond.”

Claressa Shields is a talented 21-year-old boxer from Flint, Michigan. Inspired by former boxing star Laila Ali, Shields developed a passion for the sport and began boxing at the age of 11. It was soon after beginning her journey she realized her family was apprehensive towards the contact sports. After weeks of family discussions, Shields was granted her family’s permission to pursue her passion – a decision they will likely never regret.

Shields burst onto the boxing scene, developing a name for herself as one of the most talented female boxers in the country. Her reputation continued to build through her middle and high school years leading her to become the first ever U.S. women’s boxer to qualify for the 2012 London Games. To Shields, simply earning an invitation to the Olympics was not enough, she wanted to make a lasting impact for her country. After three exciting fights, Shields was rewarded her first Gold medal in the 165-pound weight class, and became the first American woman to win a Gold medal in boxing.

Shields was named the 2014 AIBA Female Boxer of the Year, 2014 USA Boxing National Champion, 2015 Pan American Games Gold Medalist in the light heavyweight division, and two-time World Champion in the women’s middleweight division. Chasing greatness, she became the first U.S. boxer to successfully defend an Olympic title as she earned a second Gold medal at the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro. Concluding an unparalleled amateur legacy, Shields announced that she would be making her professional debut on the freeview broadcast of the year’s biggest boxing matchup, Kovalev-Ward at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Nov. 19, 2016.

As a proud Flint, Michigan native, Shields is constantly looking for ways to shine a positive light on her hometown. She understands the importance of being a role model to youth in her community and has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support she has received since returning from Rio with another Gold medal. Following her first Gold medal summer, Shields became the first in her family to graduate from high school and is enrolled in online college classes to pursue her academic goals and competitive aspirations simultaneously.

Follow Claressa Shields on Twitter @ClaressaShields, Instagram @ClaressaShields, and Facebook: www.facebook.com/claressa.shields.7

“Pound for Pound” is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Rosneft and Corona Extra. Tickets are on sale now at AXS.com and the T-Mobile Arena Box Office.

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MGM Resorts International: Scott Ghertner, sghertner@mgmresorts.com, 702-692-6750/Katharine Sherrer, ksherrer@mgmresorts.com, 702-692-6724
Claressa Shields: Ed Keenan, keenan@emcevents.com, 609-432-7859

Video: Watch Some of the Best Moments of Light Heavyweight Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev

Sergey Kovalev & Andre Ward Blogs: Part 1

Sergey Kovalev
Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev Blog Part 1: Monday, October 24

Has becoming the best P4P fighter ever crossed your mind? Is that a career goal for you?

When I was growing up in Russia I did not hear these words pound for pound. Once I learned what this was I knew this was important. I am honored that people think I am the fighter that could get this title. It’s important for me, for my career. I am champion in my division now, but I want to get all the belts and also I would like to be best pound for pound boxer in the world. I respect Andre Ward, he is very good boxer and Olympic gold medal winner, but he is man not alien so I have chance to beat him. My fight against Andre Ward is very interesting for all boxing fans. We both have undefeated record and top rating. I will be prepared 100% to do all I have to do, box, fight, go 12 rounds, what it takes to win I will do. There is much intrigue, many people talk of this fight. They say it’s 50/50 who will win. We will see on Nov. 19 at T-Mobile Arena. I hope all my fans will watch pay per view. This is boxing, anything can happen during fight, but I try always to do my best to win. My goal is to get victory over Andre Ward. It’s big step for me in my boxing career and I must be ready.

My Fight: Kovalev/Ward, HBO Sports special leading up to their pay-per-view light heavyweight title showdown, debuts Saturday, October. 29 on HBO.

Kovalev vs. Ward takes place Saturday, November 19 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT.

Andre “S.O.G.” Ward Blog Part 1: Monday, October 24

How difficult is to go from 168 pounds to 175 pounds and be competitive? What did you have to do to make the jump in terms of dieting, preparation, training?

My competitiveness never leaves me, regardless of weight class. I carry my competitive nature wherever I go. I felt my body was ready to move up, and I’m surrounded by a great team that helped ensure I made that transition the right way. We took a diligent approach—utilizing BMI measurements, blood work, nutritional insight—to ensure I was where I needed to be, and all signs were pointing up.

As a light heavyweight, you have to adjust your training accordingly. It’s unlike any other weight class. You need to place an emphasis on explosiveness and strength. That said, the skills I gained from other weight classes hasn’t left me. My agility and my endurance remain-add that to my new strength and explosiveness, and I’m feeling better than ever.

My Fight: Kovalev/Ward, HBO Sports special leading up to their pay-per-view light heavyweight title showdown, debuts Saturday, October. 29 on HBO.

Kovalev vs. Ward takes place Saturday, November 19 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT.

Isaac Chilemba Teams Up with Roy Jones Jr. As He Prepares for Oleksandr Gvozdyk On Kovalev vs. Ward Televised Undercard Saturday, November 19 from T-Mobile Arena Presented Live by HBO Pay-Per-View®

Isaac Chilemba
Pensacola, Florida (October 20, 2016): As former light heavyweight title contender Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba (24-4-2, 10 KOs) gears up to face Ukrainian prospect Oleksandr Gvozdyk (11-0, 9 KOs) on the Kovalev-Ward HBO Pay-Per-View undercard, he will be training with former four-division world champion Roy Jones Jr.

Chilemba, 29, originally from Malawi, but now residing in South Africa, is coming off the toughest fight of his career. On July 11, this road-warrior travelled to WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev’s home country of Russia to face the champion in front of a sold-out crowd in his own backyard. Despite the unanimous decision loss, Chilemba’s performance against Kovalev raised a lot of eyebrows in the boxing community. Chilemba managed to go the distance against the “Krusher” a distinction held only by one other fighter, future Hall of Famer Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins.

For a number of years, Chilemba had worked with trainer James “Buddy” McGirt but when McGirt was unable to make the trip to South Africa to train Chilemba for Kovalev, he needed to find another trainer. For his stunning performance against Kovalev, Chilemba trained with his manager, Jodi Solomon. The Kovalev fight gained the attention of former four-division world champion and Chilemba’s childhood hero, Roy Jones Jr., who contacted cut man Russ Anber and suggested the two work together going forward. Roy invited Chilemba and Solomon to his gym in Pensacola, Florida to discuss the opportunity of training together.

When asked about that initial meeting Solomon replied, “It was a very big deal for Chilemba because Jones was his childhood hero. The trip to Florida was a huge eye-opener. It was awesome to be in Jones’ gym and for Chilemba to see why he does the things he does and to understand his thought process. Chilemba loved every minute of it. Jones is very passionate about boxing. They connected and got along very well.”

Chilemba grew up watching Jones fight on television in Malawi and has tried to mirror Jones’ style throughout his own career. Chilemba is excited to work with his hero one-on-one now. He said, “For years I have been watching him and trying to learn some of his moves to make them to my own. Now I am very happy that I get to work with him. Jones is my favorite fighter of all time. Working with him is like a dream come true. When I was a kid growing up in Malawi, I used to watch him and try to fight like him. Now working with him is amazing. It is even better than what I expected. Roy Jones Jr. is a master and now I get to work with him and understand why he does what he does. I have always watched him fight and tried to copy him from watching him on the screen. Now I get to work with him in person. It is amazing!”

Roy Jones Jr. added, “It wasn’t just that fight against Kovalev that made me want to work with him. I have been watching Chilemba for some time. After that fight I said I would love to work with him. I saw Chilemba the first time he came to the United States and I realized he was emulating my exact style but he has never had a person who could fully explain it to him. Now he is shocked and amazed that he is able to integrate the nuances of my style. His opponent, Gvozdyk is a very good fighter. It is never easy to beat a fighter like him because he is a very smart guy. He was such a great amateur fighter. We do have our hands full but I am looking forward to seeing how Isaac takes the things that I teach him and uses them to break him down.”

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MY FIGHT: KOVALEV/WARD, HBO SPORTS SPECIAL LEADING UP TO THEIR PAY-PER-VIEW LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE SHOWDOWN, DEBUTS SATURDAY, OCT. 29 ON HBO

HBO Sports, widely acclaimed for its innovative boxing programming, takes an in-depth look at the most intriguing matchup of 2016, the highly anticipated Nov. 19 pay-per-view showdown between undefeated light heavyweight stars Sergey Kovalev and Andre Ward, when MY FIGHT: KOVALEV/WARD debuts SATURDAY, OCT. 29 (10:35-11:05 p.m. ET/PT).

Other HBO playdates: Oct. 30 (10:00 a.m.) and Nov. 1 (10:00 a.m.), 8 (12:20 a.m.), 11 (3:45 a.m.), 13 (11:05 a.m.), 17 (1:50 p.m.), 18 (6:15 p.m.) and 19 (4:45 p.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Oct. 31 (5:45 p.m.) and Nov. 4 (3:10 a.m.), 10 (12:25 a.m.), 12 (8:30 p.m.), 14 (noon), 18 (12:30 a.m.) and 19 (10:20 a.m.)

The special will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO and HBO On Demand, and at hbo.com/boxing, as well as other new media platforms.

Unified light heavyweight champ Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs), who resides and trains in southern California, puts his crown and undefeated record on the line against formidable challenger Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) of Oakland, Cal., a former Olympic gold medalist who cleaned out the 168-pound division and has set his sights on top prize in the 175-pound division.

MY FIGHT cameras travel with Kovalev to his hometown in Chelyabinsk, Russia and connect with Ward in the Bay Area to chronicle the long journey both men took to reach the elite level of professional boxing.

On Saturday, Nov. 19, Kovalev and Ward meet at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, in a telecast to be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. (ET)/ 6:00 p.m. (PT).

For more information, visit hbo.com/boxing; become a fan on Facebook at facebook.com/HBOBoxing; and follow on Twitter and Instagram at @HBOBoxing. Follow the conversation using #KovalevWard.

MY FIGHT: KOVALEV/WARD is narrated by Liev Schreiber.

MAURICE HOOKER VS. DARLEYS PEREZ JOIN KOVALEV-WARD “POUND FOR POUND” TELEVISED UNDERCARD

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA (October 14, 2016) – Rising Dallas, Texas boxing star and NABO Junior Welterweight Champion Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker (21-0-2, 16 KOs) will defend his NABA junior welterweight title against Darleys Perez (33-2-1, 21 KOs) in a ten-round bout on the televised undercard of Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” on Saturday, Nov. 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will be produced and distributed live on HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

In his last appearance on August 6, Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker captivated the crowd at Oracle Arena as the co-feature of Andre Ward vs. Alexander Brand. Hooker wasted no time outperforming Washington D.C.’s Tyrone Barnett, landing a flurry of punches before scoring a technical knockout at the 2:17 mark of the opening round to retain his NABO junior welterweight title. Hooker looks ahead to his next challenge, former WBA World Lightweight Champion Darleys Perez. Perez is coming off a May 20 knockout victory over fellow Colombian Ubadel Soto, an impressive bounce back following a tough title defense loss to Anthony Crolla, the previous year. The veteran fighter, who resides and trains full-time in the U.S., will step up a weight class to meet Hooker.

“I want to thank my team at Maple Avenue Boxing Gym, Roc Nation Sports and HBO for giving me the opportunity to show the world a ‘Mighty Mo’ performance on the undercard of the ‘Fight of the Year’,” said Hooker. “For my part, I promise to put on a show for the fans in Las Vegas and the Pay-Per-View audience at home. No one punches like me. It’s going to be lights out.”
Hooker added, “I will be dedicating this fight to Aaron Pyror, who passed away, earlier this week. I can’t think of a better way to honor ‘The Hawk’s’ legacy than with a big win. I look to be a world-class junior welterweight champion like him.”

“This is my chance get back into the limelight. I have fought all over the world and facing Maurice Hooker in Las Vegas on November 19 is perhaps my last chance to show that I have a lot left inside the ring and I plan to take full advantage of it because losing is not an option,” said Perez. “I will move up to the 140-pound division and I will be ready to challenge this young lion who has never fought a guy like me before. There will be fireworks in Las Vegas and I plan to go home a winner.”

“Not only is Kovalev-Ward the most anticipated fight in recent boxing history, with the addition of Hooker-Perez to the televised undercard – Nov. 19 is an evening that international sports fans simply cannot afford to miss,” said Roc Nation President & Chief of Branding and Strategy Michael R. Yormark. “From our very first day in boxing, Roc Nation Sports has committed to making great fights and creating scintillating global events, and we are thrilled to work with Main Events to add this incredible matchup to the undercard, as ‘Mighty Mo’ Hooker puts his undefeated record on the line against the very talented Colombian Darleys Perez.”

“HBO is the pinnacle of pugilistic entertainment. We are very proud to have Maurice Hooker make both his Las Vegas and HBO Pay-Per-View debut on November 19,” said Arnie Verbeek, Hooker’s manager. “We have worked extremely hard to get to this point in his career and are thankful to Roc Nation Sports for believing in Maurice Hooker’s talent.”

Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker (21-0-2, 16 KOs) was born and raised in Oak Cliff, Texas, where he found a boxing home at Maple Avenue Boxing Gym by way of an outreach program for at-risk youths. His natural talent was soon noticed resulting in him competing as an amateur, during which time he participated in over 100 fights, compiling a record of 97 wins and only seven losses, with 67 victories coming by way of knockout. Hooker turned professional on April 29, 2011, taking on the vastly more experienced Tyrone Chatman at the Orpheum Theater in St. Louis. After four rounds, the judges saw the fight 40-36, 37-39 and 38-38, calling the fight a split draw. Undeterred, in his next fight on June 24, 2014, Hooker scored his first professional win, knocking out Wilbert Mitchell in the first round. Eleven wins (eight by knockout) later, he took on undefeated Abel Ramos on January 17, 2014 in a bout that was featured on ShoBox from the Cook Convention Center in Memphis. After eight close, hard-fought rounds, the judges saw the fight a draw. Four consecutive knockout victories would follow before he took on fellow undefeated prospect Eduardo Galindo on June 26, 2015 at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas for the vacant NABO junior welterweight title. “Mighty Mo” did not disappoint his legion of hometown fans who saw him capture the title with a sixth round technical knockout victory. On October 17, 2015, Hooker successfully defended his title at Madison Square Garden in New York City against his toughest opponent to date in Ghislain Maduma. The 10-round decision win came on the undercard of Gennady Golovkin vs. David Lemieux and was featured on the event’s “freeview” as well as streamed online around the world. “Mighty Mo” made his debut under the Roc Nation Sports banner on the undercard of Andre Ward vs. Sullivan Barrera, this past March at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, where he annihilated opponent Wilfrido “La Roca” Buelvas of Columbia in the first round of a 10-round junior welterweight bout by way of technical knockout. Hooker returned to Oracle Arena on August 6 as the co-feature on the Ward-Brand undercard, defeating Tyrone Barnett of Washington, D.C., to remain the NABO Junior Welterweight Champion. Hooker is ready to step up to the challenge on November 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas when he faces former WBA World Lightweight Champion Darleys Perez.

Follow Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker on Twitter @mightmohooker, Instagram @mauricemightymohooker and Facebook: www.facebook.com/mauricemightymohooker/.

Darleys Perez (33-2-1, 21 KOs) is a celebrated Colombian boxer hailing from San Pedro de Uraba. As an amateur, with a record of 82 wins and 7 losses, he captured the lightweight boxing gold medal at the 2006 South American games in Buenos Aries, Argentina, and was a contender at the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing, China. Perez made his professional debut on February 14, 2009, by way of knockout over fellow countryman Edwin Ortiz. 27 consecutive victories followed, earning Perez a shot at the interim WBA World lightweight title against undefeated Yuriorkis Gamboa at the Bell Center in Montreal, Canada on June 8, 2013. In a closely-fought contest that went the distance, Gamboa prevailed, handing Perez his first career loss. A year later, Perez received a second chance at the interim WBA World lightweight title, successfully scoring a unanimous decision over Argenis Lopez at the Sheraton Hotel in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Perez was promoted to full titleholder status when the WBA stripped Richar Abril of the belt for twice failing to make title defenses. In the first of back-to-back defenses of the WBA World lightweight title on July 18, 2015, Perez topped hometown challenger Anthony Crolla with a majority decision draw at the Manchester Arena in the United Kingdom. In the rematch on November 21, 2015, again at Manchester Arena, Perez was taken down for the count in the fifth round by a single body shot. Undeterred by his second loss, Perez returned to the ring on May 20, 2016, scoring with a big second-round knockout over Ubadel Soto. Perez looks to continue his upward streak as he moves up a weight class to take on Maurice Hooker for the NABO junior welterweight title on November 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Rosneft and Corona Extra. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

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MGM Resorts’ Odds-maker Jay Rood Weighs in on Sergey Kovalev vs. Andre Ward ‘Pound For Pound’

Sergey Kovalev
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA (October 11, 2016): As WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs) and former Two-Time World Champion Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) prepare for their epic “Pound For Pound” showdown scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, fans, media, experts and odds-makers around the world are split on who will be the favorite to win this virtually even-money battle.

And with good reason. Both Kovalev and Ward are undefeated and in their prime, making for a rare and exciting boxing match-up and a testament to the moxie of the boxers and the promoters.

Jay Rood, Vice President of Race & Sports for MGM Resorts International, provides his expert analysis of this exciting match-up:

“I really believe this could end up being a ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate. Usually fighters in good form don’t meet up.”

Because of that, this fight opened close, has remained so and, most likely, will close so.

“It’s not very often that a fight in Las Vegas that’s this significant is this close in terms of odds,” says Rood. “Ward opened at -145 and he now is at -150. I don’t believe it will change much from here.”

The fact that Ward is the slight favorite is because, in part, the public, especially those bettors who consider themselves as experts or ‘sharps,’ tend to go with the boxer over the puncher.

But while Ward is considered the boxer and Kovalev the puncher, both are versatile, in keeping with the tremendous skill each possess. In other words, Ward, the perceived boxer, has power, and Kovalev, the perceived puncher, can box.

“The public is perceiving this fight, right or wrong, as ‘Boxer vs. Puncher,'” added Rood. “Usually the boxer draws the ‘sharp’ action. Most of the ‘sharp’ money will be on the boxer.”

However, the general betting public appears to be trending toward Kovalev.

According to Rood, “Kovalev will draw good action, otherwise this number would need to be closer to -200 to balance the fight (betting action). I don’t think it will be that one-sided. I think the crowd going to the fight will be 60 percent on Kovalev.”

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA Light Heavyweight World Titles, takes place Saturday, Nov. 19, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. “Pound for Pound” is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Rosneft and Corona Extra.

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Video: Kovalev vs. Ward – November 19 on HBO Pay-Per View

Curtis Stevens vs. James De La Rosa Added to Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” Non-Televised Undercard

Curtis Stevens
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA (October 6, 2016): Curtis “Cerebral Assassin” Stevens (28-5, 21 KOs) returns to the ring and the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on the Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” non-televised undercard to face James “The King” De La Rosa (23-4, 13 KOs) in a ten-round middleweight showdown.

Stevens, 31, of Brownsville, Brooklyn returned to the ring on May 7 of this year and stopped previously undefeated Brazilian prospect Patrick Teixeira in the second round on the HBO Pay-Per-View® undercard of Canelo-Khan. The victory over Teixeira catapulted Stevens back into the ranking of all four sanctioning bodies, including top ten ratings in both the IBF and WBC. He is hoping to continue that momentum and secure another shot at the middleweight title.

According to Stevens, “I’m happy someone is willing to fight me. Bless the Gods. Now, it’s time to turn it up a notch and get ready to check in and check out. The Bully is back!”

This will be Stevens’s second fight working with world-renowned trainer and former world champion John David Jackson. Jackson added, “Curtis Stevens is happy to be stepping back in the ring on November 19 against De La Rosa. He is eager to show the world that he deserves another chance to win the middleweight world title.”

“It’s always good to fight on a big stage,” said De La Rosa. “As always, I’m coming to fight and put on a show. I know I have a tough fighter in front of me in Curtis Stevens. With his style and my style, we’ll warm the fans up for Kovalev-Ward. Thanks to Main Events and AC Sports Management, LLC for putting this together.”

De La Rosa’s manager Adrian Clark added, “This is a must win situation for James and I know that he has the potential to pull off an upset. Curtis Stevens is a very dangerous opposition but again, I believe that JDLR can spoil things and leave Vegas with a ‘W’. It is great to finally work with Main Events again. It has been too long!”

Main Events’ matchmaker and 2015 NABF Matchmaker of the Year Jolene Mizzone had this to say about the match-up: “Kudos to both guys for taking this fight. Curtis Stevens could have waited around for someone to finally accept his challenge, but he wants to keep busy and challenge himself at the same time. James could have looked for that every popular “tune-up” fight but instead opted for a much tougher competitor in Stevens. It’s a breath of fresh air when I get to work with boxers who want to fight!”

*Note: This morning (October 6, 2016) Curtis Stevens and his fiancée welcomed their son King Stevens at 10:12 am. King weighed in 4 lbs 12oz. Mother and baby are both doing well.

Kovalev vs. Ward takes place Saturday, Nov. 19, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. “Pound for Pound” is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and sponsored by MGM Grand Hotel & Casino.

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TWO-TIME WORLD CHAMPION ANDRE WARD KICKS OFF TRAINING CAMP AHEAD OF NOVEMBER 19 SHOWDOWN VS SERGEY KOVALEV

Andre Ward
OAKLAND, CA (October 3, 2016) – Two-Time World Champion Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) officially kicks off training camp in Hayward, CA with trainer Virgil Hunter ahead of his November 19 showdown at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas against WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs). Ward’s training camp, which will serve as a base for Ward over the next several weeks as he continues his quest to dominate the light heavyweight division, is sponsored by a resounding collection of American-based companies including Jordan Brand, Shoe Palace, JetLux, and ProSupps.

Below is what Team Ward had to say about the start of training camp:

ANDRE WARD, Two-Time World Champion and top-rated pound-for-pound fighter:

“I’ve been in pre-camp mode for weeks now following my last fight, and have been mentally preparing for the work ahead of me. It’s an exciting feeling to be in full camp mode, where I can dedicate 100% of my mind, body and soul to the battle I am about to face. This is a fight that we have been working up to since last spring. The game plan hasn’t changed. I am here and I am ready.”

VIRGIL HUNTER, Andre Ward’s Trainer:

“No one beats Andre Ward when it comes to training camp. We’re going into camp with the mentality of another day, another fight, another win. His strive for perfection, work ethic and consistency is what makes him a champion.”

JAMES PRINCE, Andre Ward’s Manager:

“With everything set for the biggest fight of the year on November 19, we are excited to open training camp. What is done here for the next few weeks will play a major part in the final outcome. We thank God for the opportunity and look forward to giving the boxing community and all of our fans, the fight that they have been anticipating.”

Tickets for the most anticipated fight of the year are on sale now and start at $55 on axs.com and at the T-Mobile Arena box office.

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Isaac Chilemba Returns to the Ring to Face Oleksandr Gvozdyk on Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound for Pound” Undercard

Isaac Chilemba
Las Vegas, Nevada: Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba (24-4-2, 10 KOs) will return to the United States on Saturday, Nov. 19 to face dangerous light heavyweight prospect and NABF Light Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr “The Nail” Gvozdyk (11-0, 9 KOs) in a ten round bout as part of the Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound for Pound” pay-per-view telecast live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The bout will be presented by Main Events in association with Top Rank. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Chilemba, 29, a native of Blantyre, Malawi fighting out of Johannesburg, South Africa, is coming off a hard-fought loss against WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev. Isaac holds the impressive distinction as only the second fighter in Kovalev’s career to go the full 12 rounds. The only is future Hall-of-Famer Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins. In doing so, Chilemba managed to raise more than a few eyebrows among boxing fans and media.

In this redemption fight, Chilemba will have a tough challenge against Oleksandr Gvozdyk, 29, of Kharkov, Ukraine. Despite having only 11 professional bouts, Gvozdyk is a top-ten ranked light heavyweight in the WBC, WBO and IBF. Since making his professional debut in 2014, Oleksandr has defeated the first 11 opponents he has faced, stopping nine of them for an impressive 82% knockout-to-win ratio. In his last bout Gvozdyk secured his fifth straight stoppage and made his first successful defense of his NABF Light Heavyweight Title against Tommy Karpency in Las Vegas in July.

When asked about this match-up Chilemba responded, “Firstly, I thank Main Events for standing by me and for this opportunity. I thank my manager, Jodi Solomon, for always standing by my side and believing in me. I thank HBO, my fans, and all boxing followers around the globe. Oleksandr Gvozdyk, with a good amateur back ground, who is a highly as a rated and undefeated as a pro. I’m going to work with my idol, the person I look up to most, Roy Jones Jr. This is a huge opportunity for me to train with him, learn from him, and have him in my corner. Not only is he the greatest, but he cares and has love for the game. I’m looking forward to getting back in the ring, and completing what I should have done in my fight against Kovalev, but 10 times better than ever!”

This fight will be the first time Isaac will be working with his new trainer and legendary fighter, Roy Jones, Jr. who said, “Isaac is a very exciting fighter with a lot of upside. I am very excited to be training him and be part of his team now. I look forward to seeing much bigger and better things from him in the future. He is fighting a very good opponent so we look forward to this challenge. I can’t wait to start to work with him.”

Chilemba’s manager, Jodi Solomon, added, “I am very grateful and happy that Main Events gave Isaac the opportunity to be on this card. I have no doubt he will come into the ring with as much determination and heart as he did against Kovalev and prove that he has what it takes. Also having Roy Jones Jr. in his corner I believe will only bring out an even better Isaac.”

Gvozdyk said, “I am really happy to have this opportunity to fight on such a big card like Kovalev-Ward. Thanks to Top Rank, Main Events and to my manager Egis Klimas to make my goals come true! Chilemba is a tough opponent and I am expecting a tough fight. It’s a good test for me and I will pass it!”

Oleksandr’s trainer, Robert Garcia, added, “Oleksandr Gvozdyk is an Olympic medalist with a lot of amateur experience, great skills and tremendous power. Chilemba is a very good fighter who lost a decision to Kovalev. I think Chilemba will bring the best out of Gvozdyk. Gvozdyk is very dedicated and came to the USA to become a world champion and this fight gets him closer to that dream.”

Gvozdyk is managed by Egis Klimas who also manages Sergey Kovalev. Klimas said, “I want to thank our promoter and Chilemba’s promoter, Main Events, for giving us this great opportunity. A special thanks to Isaac for taking this fight right after his severe fight against ‘The Krusher.’ Isaac look good in his last fight and we hope he can bring the same kind of performance or even better to the ring on November 19. We are very excited as bouts like this one will make this great show better and better. See you in Las Vegas on November 19 or on HBO Pay-Per-View.”

According to Main Events’ CEO, Kathy Duva, “Isaac was a warrior against Sergey Kovalev. That was a tough battle for both fighters. Many fighters would have preferred a tune-up fight after facing Sergey Kovalev for 12 rounds but Isaac has the heart of a champion. He wasted no time getting back in the ring and demanded the toughest opposition we could find for him. This should be a great match-up on November 19 in Las Vegas.”

“This is a huge opportunity and a step up fight for Oleksandr especially fighting on this card. We believe he’s ready but there’s only one way to find out and we’ll all have the answer on November 19,” said Carl Moretti, VP, Top Rank.

Kovalev vs. Ward will take place Saturday, Nov. 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. “Pound for Pound” is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and sponsored by MGM Grand Hotel & Casino.

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Kovalev-Ward Press Conference Quotes

Sergey Kovalev
NEW YORK, NY (September 6, 2016) – On Tuesday, September 6, No. 2 Pound-for-Pound and WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs) and No. 4 Pound-for-Pound and Two-Time World Champion Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) participated in an official press conference at Le Parker Meridien in New York City, in advance of their November 19 “Pound for Pound” showdown at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound for Pound” will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets start at $55 and are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

Below is what the fighters, promoters and other dais guests had to say at the press conference:

Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev – WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion

“It’s a big moment in my career. I want to thank all of the people who are involved with this fight, my promoter Kathy Duva, Roc Nation and HBO Pay-Per-View. Thank you to all of my fans. It will be a fight to remember; one for the history books. I just want to give the fans a really great fight in Vegas and on HBO Pay-Per-View.”

Krusher Kovalev
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Andre “S.O.G.” Ward – two-time super middleweight world champion

“I’m grateful to be here today. I want to thank everyone who is associated with this event-the good, the bad, the press, all of it. Obviously HBO, Peter Nelson, Roc Nation, Main Events, everyone who’s associated with it. It’s hard to thank everybody. It’s a lot of people that you guys know of that worked on this fight to get it done. There’s a lot of different nuances that go into getting a fight like this done, but it’s done. That’s what we should all focus on.”

“I thank God for this opportunity. I thank God for my career and being able to compete at a high level through the peaks and valleys. Sometimes that gets overlooked, a veteran in the game. I’ve paid my dues and I continue to pay my dues. This is just another opportunity. I’ve been in this position before and so has my opponent. It doesn’t matter what the other side says, how they feel, what they say. He’s got to get it done and I’ve got to get it done. When those bright lights come on who it’s all about who executes and who gets it done. I don’t have to throw chairs. I don’t have to cuss. I don’t have to act crazy. I said let’s fight, lets fight. You’re selling yourself. I know that what I possess and what I have is in me, and not on me.”

Andre “SOG” Ward
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Kathy Duva – CEO, Main Events

“Finally. There was a time when fighters didn’t consider preserving their undefeated records to be paramount to engaging in actual competition. There was a time when undefeated fighters who were heading to the Hall of Fame actually sought out greater and greater challenges as their careers progressed. There was a time when fighters were courageous athletes and not simply cynical businessmen.

The two men who are here with us today-both in their athletic primes, both unbeaten, and, in my opinion, both heading to the Hall of Fame someday-chose to put their 0’s on the line and face each other to find out just which one of them is the very best. That is why they deserve to earn your pay-per-view dollars, this is what pay per view is supposed to be. That is why we should move heaven and earth in order to come to the beautiful T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas where this fight will take place. That is why the winner will earn the title of best pound-for-pound fighter in the ring.

Since Ring Magazine began to keep records of the pound-for-pound fighters there have only been two occasions when two unbeaten top five fighters have competed in the ring for pound-for-pound supremacy. The first was Meldrick Taylor vs. Julio Caesar Chavez Sr. in 1994, the second time was Oscar De La Hoya vs Felix Trinidad in 1999. That means that on November 19th, this will be the very first time in the 21st century that such an event will occur in our sport. Let’s hope this is the start of something new, a throwback to the way boxing used to be when it was at its best. Let’s hope it doesn’t take another 17 years before this happens again. Let’s hope all the up and coming young sweet scientists learn and follow the example of these young great athletes who sit here today.

So as I said, finally, I’m quite pleased to officially announce “Pound for Pound” and that on Saturday, November 19th, two of the five best fighters in the whole world will fight each other. WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, who is 30-0, will risk all three of his world titles against two-time world middleweight champion Andre “SOG” Ward, who is also 30-0. The fight will take place in Las Vegas, sponsored by our friends at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, at the beautiful new T-Mobile Arena. Tickets are available now, they’re starting at $155 right now because the box office has already sold out all of the $55 tickets we put on sale. You can only get these tickets at the T-Mobile box office and online through AXS.com. I’m happy to report that tickets at other prices are moving much faster than expected and currently there are very few left at the $755 price point and the $155 price point.

This will be live on HBO Pay-Per-View. The suggested retail price is going to be $54.95. It will be presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions. In addition to the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, the fight sponsors will be Rosneft and Corona.”

Michael Yormark – Roc Nation President & Chief of Branding and Strategy

“Let’s make something absolutely clear – on Nov. 19, the stakes could not be higher. In a few minutes, you’ll hear from Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev, the two best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. They will be calm, they will be professional, they will be respectful, but make no mistake about it, in 10 weeks’ time they will be fighting for something they have spent their entire life pursuing – the title of world’s best boxer. For a true competitor like Andre Ward, there could not be a loftier goal. To walk in to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for the undisputed fight of the year, in front of a capacity crowd and millions watching live on HBO Pay Per View, and to know that Andre has the chance to walk out of that ring as the undisputed face of boxing for the better part of the next decade.”

“The Cold War may long be over, but the USA vs. Russia rivalry has never been stronger. It is a battle of world super powers, a matchup of styles as well as beliefs, a collision of two fighters, two cultures, two fan bases. Just like old times, it’s the Americans and the Russians once again. But this is not the space race or Rocky Balboa vs. Ivan Drago. This is for real, and Andre Ward is no underdog. Andre has been training and preparing his whole life for a moment like this – facing an elite opponent on a global stage to find out who the best is. On Nov. 19, I have no doubt that Andre will pick up right where the 100-plus medal-winning American Summer Olympic team left off, with a decisive victory over a worthy challenger in Kovalev, and the title of pound-for-pound king.”

Egis Klimas – Manager, Sergey Kovalev

“I am very proud to represent one of the best fighters in the world, Sergey Kovalev. It’s been a very long road since 2009 when he came here to the United States. He never was pushed by any media, he never was mismatched, he never was protected like many fighters are nowadays. Many don’t know how we used to sit in the van and go from the East coast, town to town, just to get a fight. He never asked me in his career who his opponent is. He just asked when he was fighting and what weight he should be. Again, I’m very proud to represent Sergey Kovalev and I want to thank Andre Ward’s team at Roc Nation for taking this opportunity and putting on the best fight of the year. There has been talk earlier that this is going to be fifty-fifty chance. People also mentioned that they don’t know how it is going to turn out. But, I want to thank a powerful woman, Kathy Duva. She has done a very good job throughout Sergey’s career. I want to thank HBO, T-Mobile Arena, MGM, everybody who was involved in making this fight happen. I’m a little nervous, a little excited, but I am looking forward to whatever it is and can’t wait to see you guys in Vegas on November 19. Thank you.”

James Prince – Manager, Andre Ward

“I’d like to thank God for this opportunity, HBO, Main Events, Roc Nation. I’m really grateful for everyone working so hard to make this fight happen. I witnessed the work and the sacrifice that was made on every side. This fight is kind of simple to me…David versus Goliath. Sergey is Goliath, Andre is David. Once again, I’m really thankful for this opportunity. Andre’s been on this journey for all his life preparing for this moment. So it’s here, the 19th of November.”

John David Jackson – Trainer, Sergey Kovalev

“This fight is one the fans deserve to see. Andre Ward is a very good fighter, undefeated as an amateur. To be undefeated as an amateur is one thing that comes from training. That always speaks volumes for him. On the other side of this we’ve got Kovalev. He’s the Krusher, he seeks and destroys. So come November 19, I expect a great fight between two great fighters. The winner deserves to be pound-for-pound the best boxer in the world. Watch it on Pay Per View, watch this fight. All the talk, all that’s done, now it’s time for preparation and to go to war. And that’s what we’re here for, to go to war. Come November 19th, we’ll see two great fighters trying to be the best pound-for-pound in the world. We’ll see what happens, expect one great fight between two great fighters.”

Virgil Hunter – Trainer, Andre Ward

“I just want to thank you all for showing up and turning out and supporting this great event. A fight of this magnitude is deserving of the fans and Pay-Per-View that are supporting the fight. Obviously, it’s a great fight between two champions and I’m glad to be part of it. See everybody in Vegas.”

Peter Nelson – Executive Vice President, HBO Sports

“I want to thank all the media for being here. It’s all of you that write consistently about the desire to see this sport flourish, have the best fight the best, that causes fights like this to materialize. I want to thank Kathy Duva of Main Events, I want to thank Michael Yormark with Roc Nation, Egis Klimas, James Prince, Josh Dubin for all the work that they’ve done behind the scenes in putting the fight together. There’s been plenty of times where the politics of the business of boxing have superseded fan’s interest over the actual fights themselves.

“I’m happy to report that this fight has consistently captivated everyone’s imagination. Anyone who says today that they know what is going to happen on November 19 is the definition of a liar. We know that there is no telling what can happen. But that, to Kathy’s point, is what defines great fights. It’s about fighters like Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev who have decided to be in the business of putting unified titles on the line and of putting pound-for-pound records on the line, about putting undefeated status on the line, about putting money, status, power on the line, about putting daring to be great on the line, about putting legacy on the line, and the rest of the business end takes care of itself. That’s what great fighters do. That’s why we are all so proud to be part of this event. That’s why there are all these people on the stage that we are all so proud that we are associated with an event where two great fighters will come together for this on HBO Pay-Per-View.

“I want to thank the T-Mobile, it’s a great arena and we are excited to be back there. It looks to be a great undercard that is going to formulate on the show as well. We are excited to see it all come together and look forward to seeing you all on November 19. Thank you.”

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SERGEY KOVALEV VS. ANDRE WARD “POUND FOR POUND” TICKETS GO ON SALE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2

Sergey Kovalev
LAS VEGAS, NV (Aug. 27, 2016) – Tickets for the most anticipated fight of the year go on sale to the public on Friday, Sept. 2 at 11:00 a.m. PT. The Saturday, Nov. 19 showdown between No. 2 Pound-for-Pound* and WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs) and No. 4 Pound for-Pound* and Two-Time World Champion Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) will crown the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Tickets start at $55 and are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound for Pound” is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

The mega-fight will be only the third bout in the history of The Ring Magazine pound-for-pound list to pit two undefeated Top 5 ranked pound-for-pound fighters against each other.

Kovalev, the Russian Wrecking Ball, 33, has been dominating boxing’s light heavyweight division with his aggressive, fan-friendly style since his breakout performance against then-unbeaten Nathan Cleverly in 2013. His rise to boxing stardom has been meteoric, as he has gone from an unknown fighter from Chelyabinsk, Russia to headlining HBO Pay-Per-View in just four years after signing with his first promoter, Main Events. Out of of Kovalev’s 30 career victories 26 have come by way of knockout. Additionally, he has entered into championship rounds only twice in his professional career. Kovalev has always sought to test himself against the best boxing has to offer; he wants to prove in the ring that he deserves that mantle.

Ward, 32, the last American man to win an Olympic Gold Medal in boxing (2004), reigned as the WBA Super Middleweight World Champion from 2009 to 2015 while fighting mostly out of his hometown, Oakland, CA. He announced his intention to move to up to the light heavyweight division in search of a bigger challenge in 2015, shortly after signing with his current promoter, Roc Nation Sports. He has been a top rated pound-for-pound fighter since 2011. Ward is seeking to assume his place and leave a legacy at the top of the sport.

Kovalev said, “I am very excited to finally get my chance to face Andre Ward on November 19. I want to face the best competition. I want to be the best Pound-for-Pound fighter in the world. Thank you to all of my fans and I hope everyone will come out and see this great fight on November 19 in Las Vegas.”

Ward responded, “I am excited, man. I am looking forward to it. I want to be the light heavyweight champion of the world… We will see you in November. I have been doing this for 22 years and if I am not ready to fight the best now then I will never be ready. I have been preparing for these moments since I been a kid. You got to respect Sergey for the way he has gotten to where he has gotten. He didn’t have any soft touches. He wasn’t protected. He wasn’t really pushed by the media. He is a guy who should get a lot more credit than he has. The winner of this fight could possibly be pound-for-pound #1.”

Main Events’ CEO, Kathy Duva, added, “There is no greater thrill for a boxing promoter than putting together a fight that the fans want to see. Sergey has always strived to be the best and face the best and on November 19 the new Pound-for-Pound king will be crowned. I think it is fitting that this fight is taking place in Las Vegas. Las Vegas has been home to many of the biggest and best fights, including both Taylor-Chavez I and De La Hoya-Trinidad. Now it will be the venue for the first Pound-For-Pound showdown of the new millennium. This should be a great night!”

Roc Nation President & Chief of Branding and Strategy, Michael Yormark, said, “From its inception, Roc Nation Sports Boxing has remained committed to promoting the biggest fights featuring the world’s best fighters. That is exactly what we have in Kovalev-Ward – a fight that transcends boxing, transcends sports, and enters the rarefied realm of seminal cultural events. On Nov. 19, on boxing’s most legendary stage, we will find out who the best boxer in the world truly is. It will be a clash of cultures, styles, strategies and personalities and we are proud to represent Andre and be a part of history.”

“This pound-for-pound battle between two great champions will be a sensational matchup at T-Mobile Arena,” said Richard Sturm, president of Entertainment and Sports for MGM Resorts International. “We look forward to working with both Main Events and Roc Nation Sports on this championship event which should be one of the most anticipated fights of the year.”

*According to The Ring Magazine

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Ortiz – Ustinov to possibly land on Kovalev – Ward

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, The WBA Heavyweight title bout between Luis Ortiz and Alexander Ustinov could wind up on the November 19 card featuring Sergey Kovalev and Andre Ward.

Vlad Hrunov, bidding on behalf of Russian promoter Andrey Ryabinsky’s World of Boxing, was the only bidder for Ortiz-Ustinov, winning with the minimum allowable bid of $600,000. Ortiz is entitled to 60 percent, meaning he will earn $360,000, and Ustinov is entitled to 40 percent, meaning his purse will be $240,000.

Hrunov told ESPN.com that the fight is penciled in to take place on Nov. 19 in Moscow, Las Vegas or Minsk, Belarus, where Russian native Ustinov lives.

However, Hrunov said there is a good chance that the fight will land at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and take place on the HBO PPV card headlined by unified light heavyweight titleholder Sergey Kovalev taking on former super middleweight champion Andre Ward in one of the year’s most anticipated matches.

Video: Sergey Kovalev Q & A

Sergey Kovalev Q&A Part 1 #KovalevWard

Sergey Kovalev Q&A Part 2 #KovalevWard

Kovalev-Ward “Pound for Pound” Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev Q&A Moderated by Michael Buffer

KATHY DUVA: We are here mostly for you to get a chance to talk to Sergey Kovalev and to get a better sense of where his head is right now leading into the fight we all want to see. Knowing from experience, the most fun anyone in my position could have is to be in the position to announce that the biggest fight of the year that everyone wants to see, between two of the top five pound-for-pound fighters that everyone wants to see, with undefeated records – usually it’s a lot of fun. I do hope that at some point during this promotion it will become fun. I am here to tell you that we are planning to have the fight on November 19 and we expect that the fight will be taking place somewhere, and where that is we will let you know. I will hand the mic over to Michael and we will proceed.

Michael Buffer
Photo Credits: Craig Bennett/Main Events

MICHAEL BUFFER: Ladies and Gentlemen, we have here the fighter that is universally recognized by most as the true, undisputed light heavyweight champion of the world. That is with no disrespect to Adonis Stephenson – the man the fans and most pundits would agree is definitely the most universally recognized light heavyweight champion of the world is Sergey Kovalev, so let me turn the mic over him and we will take questions.

SERGEY KOVALEV: Thank you everyone for coming. I am really happy about the fight that is coming up against Andre Ward on November 19th and I am really excited. I am really excited because the two best boxers in the light heavyweight division will fight. It is three months before the fight and I will just take my time and it will happen. I will answer any questions you have.

We don’t see two five pound-for-pound fighters fight each other that often – what makes this fight worth the risk for you?

SERGEY KOVALEV: This fight for me is dangerous. Any fight is dangerous but this fight is really important for my career and for the boxing world because it is a really high level for both of us. When I was a child I was just dream to be on this level so this fight for me really means a lot. For me this fight means everything in my boxing career and after this fight we will find out who is the best pound-for-pound.

Are you disappointed Andre is not here? Was he supposed to be here and why is he not here?

SERGEY KOVALEV: I am not disappointed that he is not here – it will be much better if he was here but if he is here it is no problem. We can speak without him. The most important thing is that he will be in the ring on the 19th.

KATHY DUVA: He felt that it was too close to his fight to have to travel.

What is going on with the site? Apparently it was supposed to take place at T-Mobile and now there is some talk of it going to Barclay’s in New York or MSG?

KATHY DUVA: We have an agreement with the T-Mobile as far as I am concerned.

Do you think you can outbox Andre Ward?

SERGEY KOVALEV: It is my goal. I like to have goals in my life and this makes my goal, yes.

Could you imagine yourself as being the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world? Is this something you dreamed of when you were a kid?

SERGEY KOVALEV: I never dreamed about it because I never knew about this word “pound-for-pound,” so I never thought about being the best pound-for-pound. I always wanted to be the best in the light heavyweight division. But now that Andre said this is the fight for the best pound-for-pound, yes it is now my goal.

Sergey has proven him self on the road, he is kind of a road warrior – does it even matter to you where the fight is?

Jackson, Klimas & Kovalev
Photo Credits:
Craig Bennett/Main Events

EGIS KLIMAS: We just didn’t want to get to the point where we say it doesn’t belong there. To Andre Ward it belongs there. Right now he is a top level guy in the light heavyweight division – there is no doubt about it. We never wanted to fight guys that we didn’t know about. They are going to step in the ring and the winner will be the pound-for-pound guy. Sergey Kovalev deserves to fight for the pound-for-pound.

This will be only the third time since the inception of The Ring pound-for-pound that two of the top 5 pound-for-pound were undefeated and fought each other. The first one was in 1990, a Main Events fight, Chavez-Taylor, with Don King; and in 1999 when Trinidad and De La Hoya fought and set all kinds of box office records. Leading up to that, we have Kovalev’s trainer two-time world champion John David Jackson – so J.D., why don’t we see fights like this more often?

JOHN DAVID JACKSON: One of the problems making these types of fights is the promoters can’t get along. The fighters for the most part will fight each other. Sometimes it is not within their powers to make the fights and that’s why sometimes you don’t see these big fights. Sometimes one TV network has one fighter and another TV network has another fighter. There are a lot of reasons the fights are not made but I am glad this fight is made for the fans – they get to see a world class fight between two world class fighters on a world class level.

Does your current status being in the top-pound-for-pound, have status, or is it appreciated in Russia?

SERGEY KOVALEV: I don’t know because I don’t hear any opinions about that from Russian fans. After a while people are thinking that I am the best, yes, and in my hometown for sure.

MICHAEL BUFFER: I can vouch for that. We had a fight in Russia a few weeks ago in Ekaterinburg, Russia and Sergey literally could not go anywhere. He was attracting hordes of people. He is so admired in Russia. There are so many great fighters coming out of Russia. They don’t think of him as the light heavyweight champion or a pound-for-pound champion, they think he can walk on water in the world of boxing. He is definitely a fan favorite.

John David Jackson and Sergey Kovalev
Photo Credits: Craig Bennett/Main Events

Do you plan on changing any part of your training regimen for this fight?

SERGEY KOVALEV: I don’t think that that we are going to change anything but we can add something.

JOHN DAVID JACKSON: Yes. Exactly what Sergey said. There is not much to change but we can add certain things. And we will try to capitalize on the mistakes that Andre makes. Camp is going to go according to plan and we are going to get the work in that needs to be done.

How do you rate Andre Ward as an opponent? Do you expect a hero’s welcome in your home country if you are victorious?

SERGEY KOVALEV: I cannot rate Andre Ward because I have not fought him yet. After the fight I can make some points about that. All of my Russian fans and all of my family – I will dedicate this fight to all of them. I want to bring my belts and victory to Russia.

Were you happy with your fight in Russia and your performance?

SERGEY KOVALEV: I was happy with the victory over Chilemba. This guy was not a punching bag. He was very uncomfortable for me. The show was great and thank you very much to the Russian Copper Company that helped promote the show in Russia – they made it similar to a show in the USA. I was happy with my last fight and it was good preparation for my next fight for November 19.

JOHN DAVID JACKSON: I was happy with the victory. Could he have done some things differently? Yes and he realizes he will be more prepared for the Ward fight. You cannot take any fighter lightly. There is always room for learning and with each passing fight you learn more. And now it’s time to move on and be better prepared for that fight.

Where can I get the shirt you were wearing in the ring Saturday night doing the post-fight interview?

SERGEY KOVALEV: (laughing) I got the shirt in Las Vegas.

How do you think the negotiations will end?

KATHY DUVA: There is always a sticking point. There will be a sticking point until they get in the ring. Then I will be able to sit back and watch how these months of hard work and in this glorious moment, that I have been looking forward to more than anything in the world, because at that point Roc Nation isn’t going to be able to do anything for Andre Ward any more.

Do you think Andre Ward has more power as a light heavyweight to hurt you and do you think you can knock Andre Ward out?

SERGEY KOVALEV: I think so, yes. He was power – he will be a lot heavier and has been in his last two fights. He has been fighting twelve rounds to get enough experience for November 19. We saw the power when he fought in the super middleweight division. Sure, I will try to knock him out because I am Krusher and I try to live up to my nick-name. Let’s do it.

Do you look forward to the challenge that Andre Ward brings to your fighter?

JOHN DAVID JACKSON: Yes, of course. He is an intelligent, very smart fighter. Anyone that has gone undefeated as an amateur and then undefeated as a pro, that is something you’ve got to respect. Having said that, he does like a challenge. He is difficult and he is good at what he does. We have to break him down systematically and beat him at Sergey’s game. He may do some things that he gets away with, but we will break him down and the fight will go our way. It is a dangerous fight because he is a boxer – he is not a puncher – he has a tendency to be more crafty. So it is a great challenge for me and I welcome the challenge – to prove that I am one of the better trainers in boxing, one of the better teachers in boxing. That’s why I love the challenge of an Andre Ward fight.

Would watching Saturday’s Ward fight help or because his style is so different than Sergey’s is it something you can throw out the window?

JOHN DAVID JACKSON: I couldn’t watch the fight. There was a bad thunder storm and knocked the cable out. But I’ll watch it. Brand is a different fighter than Sergey, way different, and he represents a different challenge for Ward. Ward couldn’t even look good in that fight and he didn’t. Come November 19, it will be a different mind-set for Sergey and for Ward.

Ward said he is a combination of Floyd Mayweather Jr. Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins…

JOHN DAVID JACKSON: No, he is far from Roy, and Floyd and he has a little bit of Bernard in him. Listen, Ward is good at what Ward does. His style is different from everybody else’s and he has mastered that. It is not the most exciting style in the world and it’s not fan favorite, but it works for him and it got him to be as good as he is today and you can’t take him lightly. So it works for him and whatever shortcomings he has we have to expose that in this fight. So for him to say he like Roy, no. Floyd? No. A little like Bernard? Yes. But he is not them. He is Ward and that works for him. He should be happy with what he’s done and not compare himself to those fighters. He should be happy with what he’s done but he can’t do what they did.

You have been at ringside for a Ward fight. Do you see a weakness in Ward?

SERGEY KOVALEV: What I would like to say, that in my case and I will use what I learned in my training camp.

Who was your toughest opponent? How does Ward compare?

SERGEY KOVALEV: I have some fights when I fought really hard. The hardest was I think the first fight against Darnell Boone from who I got the knockdown and also Andre Ward got a knockdown – it really was a tough fight for me. I didn’t have enough experience for him at that point. I won’t know how tough Ward is until I fight him.

How were you treated in Oakland?

SERGEY KOVALEV: This was my second time in Oakland. My first time in Oakland was when Andre Ward fought Barrera. The first time was really good – it was nice. But this time it was “Booo” and I understand why – it is Ward’s home. But it is OK – it is supposed to be like that.

Now you are focused on November 19. If you win do you think you will fight Adonis Stephenson, or do you think he will run away again?

SERGEY KOVALEV: If you understand that I am focused on this fight, why would you ask that question? It would be up to him. I am ready for him but it is not my decision to fight against Stephenson, I am fighting Ward and he is Chickenson.

You seem like a nice guy always smiling. Andre Ward seems like a nice guy, always smiling. Can two guys fight without any trash talking?

SERGEY KOVALEV: I can fight without trash talk. I have huge respect for Andre Ward. Yes I am ready to fight without any trash talking but if my opponent is going to start saying stuff then I will answer but never start trash talking myself.

Should you win this fight, will you fight Adonis Stephenson?

SERGEY KOVALEV: Yes

John, how would you fight Ward?

JOHN DAVID JACKSON: Since I am not the puncher Sergey is, it would be a boring fight. It would be a masterful type of fight and not the type of fight you would want to see.

How excited are you to have your first pay per view event?

SERGEY KOVALEV: I am very excited and I understood a long time ago I give a lot of thanks to Egis, and Main Events and Kathy Duva personally. Dreams come true in America.

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An end to Andre Ward press releases

WardWins300
By Bart Barry-
Saturday in Oakland light heavyweight Andre Ward decisioned a Colombian named Alexander Brand on HBO by scores predictable as they were lopsided. The match was the final installment of a four-part infomercial for Ward’s fall fight with Russian Sergey Kovalev which will happen unless one of them moves to a rival broadcaster the way Adonis Stevenson did the last time HBO used light heavyweight matches as advertisements.

The problem with Alexander Brand was not his incompetence at any skill save enduring consciousness – fogging up the ol’ mirror these days is the larger part of landing a televised role on the side which is B – but how incompetently he met the hopes of Andre Ward’s promoters Throne Boxing (three shows this year, two of them Ward’s) and HBO who put its dwindled credibility behind broadcasting two Ward warmups in 2016 and two Kovalev warmups in the name of a Nov. 19 match whose contract is signed though its venue remains undecided which makes you wonder what else but signatures adorns this fabled contract. Surely someone between HBO and Throne (remember that weekend we thought Big Daddy Kane’s former hypeman was going to save boxing?) hoped Brand would remind viewers of Kovalev in some way less superficial than complexion. And yet.

Brand retreated from the beginning and made himself a barely mobile bag for Ward to practice on in a way that was near to opposite Kovalev’s approach as possible and practice on him Ward did though without anything suspenseful as peril or, heaven help us, a knockdown. Ward seemed to want to harm Brand in the late-middle rounds but overshot his cross uncharacteristically and made disconcertingly little progress with a leaping lefthook lead. Ward was not much of a puncher at 168 pounds and probably isn’t thrilled to be at light heavyweight with Kovalev there awaiting him but what Ward did have seven pounds ago was a defense that looks less impenetrable today than it did when Ward fought and cleanedout real competition as recently as four years ago.

Part of what goes forgotten in the throes of Ward’s Embarassment Years, 2013-2016, is Ward finished the Super Six undefeated and next fought Chad Dawson who beat Bernard Hopkins five months before Ward iced him. Whatever infamous squandering Ward did after he unbuttoned Dawson that name along with Mikkel Kessler’s and Carl Froch’s composes a triumvirate more impressive than every name on Kovalev’s resume save Hopkins’ which has to have an asterisk, even in this dreadful era, if the name belongs to a man in his 50th year when you decision him. To further incite Soviet apologists let us doubledown by adding each name on Gennady Golovkin’s resume to each name on Kovalev’s resume and diminish Ward’s preeminence in no way whatever: Half-century Hopkins remains the only name deserving mention among Kessler’s and Froch’s and Dawson’s which means, in defiance of what industry and relentlessness publicists have dedicated to the cause, in one meaningful category Ward has accomplished about three times the sum of Kovalev and Golovkin.

But toss that when you consider Saturday’s spectacle because Saturday diminished Ward’s legacy more than burnished it so if you need solace it’s here: Ward looked bad enough against Brand to convince a goodish number of the folks who reliably purchase pay-per-views (OK maybe not Crawford-Postol but most) the guy who needed judges to best a 49 5/6-year-old Hopkins is going to rip through Ward. Kovalev is not going to rip through Ward. If ripping through Ward could be done somebody at least would’ve decisioned him in the past 20 years.

Oddly the best argument in Kovalev’s favor is not Kovalev’s career record but Ward’s recent record. Had the guy who snatched consciousness from Chad Dawson gone directly in the ring with even the current version of Kovalev oddsmakers justifiably would’ve set Ward a 4-1 favorite and should still favor Ward though not because of anything they saw Saturday or anything they’ve seen from Ward’s mentor Virgil Hunter in a decade.

What oddsmakers saw to sober them Saturday from Ward were a few righthands that Branded him. Ward complemented the Mayweather low-lead hand with a low-lead shoulder wrinkle of his own – a terrible idea that defied the extended left arm with which Ward otherwise steers opponents – and it got him clipped a few times that did not tell because it bears reiteration: Alexander Brand is godawful. Worse yet for this morning’s oddsmakers was how Ward dropped to his own right to collect those punches in a way that belied what mobility Ward has or once had.

Ward has narrowed his stance considerably against recent opposition to allow a greater transfer of weight back-to-front when he punches and because widening himself as a target hasn’t been a problem for him – opponents of Brand’s caliber have the same chance of solving Ward’s defense in 36 minutes as a fourth-grader has of solving an encryption algorithm with a pencil. But if Ward doesn’t return his feet to the wide spread he previously employed, against Kovalev he’s going feel fragile. He shouldn’t plan either to be so bored by Kovalev he spends rounds as a southpaw like he did against Brand.

So long as Ward keeps stabbing Kovalev’s gut with his jab, though, he should decision the Russian in a match that is compelling. Not four-tuneup compelling, of course, but compelling nevertheless.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Video: Watch: Sergey Kovalev and Andre Ward announce their Saturday, November 19 HBO Pay-Per-View Showdown

SERGEY KOVALEV VS. ANDRE WARD “POUND FOR POUND” SHOWDOWN OFFICIALLY SET FOR SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19 PRESENTED LIVE BY HBO PAY-PER-VIEW®

Sergey Kovalev
OAKLAND, CA (Aug. 6, 2016) – On Saturday, Nov. 19 the world’s best pound-for-pound boxer will be crowned. Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs), the WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion, and Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) Two-Time World Champion, officially announced their long-awaited showdown following Ward’s victory over Alexander Brand at the conclusion of the live HBO World Championship Boxing® telecast Saturday night at Oracle Arena in Oakland. Kovalev vs. Ward will take place Saturday, Nov. 19. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT and is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions.

Kovalev and Ward are currently ranked the number two and number four pound-for-pound boxers in the world, respectively, by The Ring Magazine, making their hotly anticipated fight only the third bout in the history of The Ring Magazine pound-for-pound list to pit two undefeated top-five ranked pound-for-pound fighters against each other. Odds makers and pundits have this fight evenly matched at 50-50 and it is poised to be a sure-fire 2016 Fight of the Year candidate. History will be made on Nov. 19th!

Making the fight even more intriguing, Kovalev and Ward are polar opposites. The Russian Wrecking Ball Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev is an unbeaten knockout artist sitting atop boxing’s light heavyweight division. With his ferocity in the ring and his charisma outside of it, Krusher is on his way to becoming the sport’s next big star. The last American man to win an Olympic Gold Medal in boxing, Andre “S.O.G.” Ward is already a future Hall of Famer. Known for his strong character and integrity outside the ring and his warrior’s instinct inside it, Ward has not lost a fight, amateur or professional, since he was 12-years-old. Kovalev’s seemingly unstoppable offense-first approach stands in stark contrast to Ward’s slick, defensive style that has been an unsolvable riddle for every foe he’s taken on.

Neither man has faced an opponent like this before. Who will be the next “Pound for Pound” king? Find out Saturday, Nov. 19!

Additional details for the event, including ticket information, will be released shortly.

Live on HBO tonight, when asked about whether or not Ward is ready to face him Kovalev said, “I think he is ready. I am ready too. The fight against Chilemba was similar to how it is going to be against Andre Ward. He is a really great champion and he proved this today. I just want to say, let’s do it November 19 on HBO.”

Ward responded, “I am excited, man. I am looking forward to it. I want to be the light heavyweight champion of the world. I got past this step. He got past his step. We will see you in November. I have been doing this for 22 years and if I am not ready to fight the best now then I will never be ready. I have been preparing for these moments since I been a kid. You got to respect Sergey for the way he has gotten to where he has gotten. He didn’t have any soft touches. He wasn’t protected. He wasn’t really pushed by the media. He is a guy who should get a lot more credit than he has. The winner of this fight could possibly be pound-for-pound #1.”

*The Ring Magazine began publishing pound-for-pound rankings in 1989.

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“The Krusher” is Back in the US Catch Him on ESPN Deportes and SI Now Before He Heads to Oakland for Ward-Brand

Sergey Kovalev
Totowa, NJ: WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion and Ring Magazine’s #2 Pound-for-Pound fighter Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs) has returned to the US following his unanimous decision victory over Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba in his home country of Russia on July 11 in Ekaterinburg.

Before heading to Oakland, California this Saturday for a ringside seat to watch two-time world champion and #4 Pound-for-Pound fighter Andre “S.O.G.” Ward’s (29-0, 15 KOs) battle with Alexander Brand at the Oracle Arena, Kovalev spent some time in Miami, Florida with ESPN Deportes and in New York, New York with SI Now.

Kovalev’s interviews with ESPN Deportes will air tonight and tomorrow at the following times:

8/5: Noche de Combates – 9:00 PM ET on ESPN Deportes
8/6: Golpe A Golpe – 4:00 PM ET on ESPN Deportes

Links to the interviews are provided below:

Sergey Kovalev reta a Adonis Stevenson
Sergey Kovalev Challenges Adonis Stevenson
El campeón mundial ruso explica por qué “Chickenson” lo sigue evitando.
The Russian World Champion explains why “Chickenson” continues to avoid him.
http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/videohub/video/clipDeportes?id=2748374

Sergey Kovalev no regala títulos
Sergey Kovalev does not give titles
En una entrevista exclusiva con Sebastian M. Christensen, el actual campeón mundial nos cuenta sobre su próxima pelea contra Andre Ward en noviembre y sus razones por qué aún no sea enfrentado con Adonis Stevenson.
In an exclusive interview with Sebastian M. Christensen, the current world champion tells us about his upcoming fight against Andre Ward in November and the reasons why he has not faced Adonis Stevenson.
http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/videohub/video/clipDeportes?id=2747422

Detrás de cámaras con Sergey Kovalev
Behind the scenes with Sergey Kovalev
Mira como el campeón mundial ruso pasó su visita en las oficinas de ESPN Miami.
Watch as the Russian world champion visits the offices of ESPN Miami.
http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/videohub/video/clipDeportes?id=2747513

Sergey Kovalev says he would crush Andre Ward
http://www.si.com/boxing/video/2016/08/05/sergey-kovalev-crush-andre-ward

###

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POUND-FOR-POUND STAR ANDRE WARD GEARS UP FOR SERGEY KOVALEV BATTLE BY FACING ALEXANDER BRAND EXCLUSIVELY LIVE ON BOXNATION ON AUGUST

LONDON (July 25) – Pound-for-pound star Andre Ward will face power-punching Columbian Alexander Brand exclusively live on BoxNation on Saturday August 6th.

The fight, taking place in Ward’s hometown of Oakland, California at the Oracle Arena comes hot on the heels of rival Sergey Kovalev’s unanimous points victory over Isaac Chilemba, which was also screened exclusively live on ‘The Channel of Champions’.

Should Ward overcome the tricky and tough Brand then he is all set to take on Russian assassin Kovalev later this year in a super-fight for the WBA, IBF and WBO light-heavyweight world titles.

However, to look past Brand would be foolish, with the Bogota banger having an impressive record of 25 wins, 19 by knockout, and just a sole split decision loss to world champion Badou Jack.

Former world champion Ward is recognised as one of the finest boxers of his generation and the undefeated star will be looking to make his mark on the 175-pound division after dominating at super-middleweight.

The 32-year-old, with a record of 29 fights and 29 wins, 15 by knockout, and having beaten the likes of Carl Froch, Mikkel Kessler and Arthur Abraham knows he cannot takes his eyes of Brand who will be looking to cause a major upset.

“I have to focus on one guy and that’s Alexander Brand on August 6. I will not take him lightly,” said Ward. “If I’m not successful August 6, there is no fight down the road with me and Sergey Kovalev and I’m very clear about that, it’s not just a fight for me. It’s very important for me to look good in the fight, to my standard and to my team’s standard. I have a certain amount of pressure on myself to go out there, perform and hopefully, look good doing it.”

“It will be a great honour to face Andre Ward and better yet in his own backyard,” said Brand. “Fighting somebody with such an illustrious career, facing a guy that perhaps hasn’t lost a round in his entire life, is even more thrilling. We were set to face each other last November, but he was forced to pull out of the fight with an injury. Now the time has come to fight him and I can’t wait to derail his future plans. I’ll work hard to spoil them.”

Jim McMunn, BoxNation Managing Director, said: “Andre Ward is one of the very best pure boxers in the sport today. It is fantastic that we will once again be able to showcase his talents exclusively live on BoxNation. He is well aware of the big opportunities he has down the road but shocks can happen in this sport if you lose focus even for the briefest of moments. This is a very intriguing fight and one we are pleased to bring to our subscribers.”

Ward v Brand is another scintillating addition to the upcoming BoxNation schedule which includes Carl Frampton v Leo Santa Cruz and Canelo Alvarez v Liam Smith.

Ward v Brand is exclusively live on BoxNation (Sky/Freeview/Virgin/TalkTalk/Online & App) on August 6th. Buy now at boxnation.com.
– ENDS –

About BoxNation

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Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Mayweather vs Maidana, Saunders vs Eubank Jr and Khan vs Canelo.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Freeview (Ch.255), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.415), online at watch.boxnation.com and via apps (ios, Android, Amazon). BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

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Kovalev decisions Chilemba in Russia; retains Light Heavyweight titles;

Sergey Kovalev retained the IBF/WBA/WBO Light Heavyweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Isaac Chilemba at Divis Arena in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

In round seven. Kovalev dropped Chilemba with a hard straight right down the middle.

Kovalev, 174.5 lbs of Kopeysk, Russia won by scores of 117-110, 116-111, 118-109 and is now 30-0-1. Chilemba, 175 lbs of Johannesburg, South Africa is 24-4-3.

The challenger said, “I want to thank Kovalev and his team. I came here to fight. As I said before I have been short a couple times at my world title shot. Tonight I had three titles in the palm of my hand and I came here to give all I can. I believe I did give it my all and unfortunately I came up short. I am proud of my performance tonight even though I didn’t get a victory tonight and I thank God for that. I am a fighter. I was born a fighter. I was born a warrior. I always fight. I always get going and I won’t back down. I will be back soon in the ring. I believe my promoter and my team will give me that. I will be back soon.”

And still the WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight Champion, Sergey Kovalev said, “My promoter and manager chose a fighter that is similar to Andre Ward’s style, so that I will be prepared for the fight with Ward. When they told me that my opponent will be Chilemba because his style is similar to Andre Ward’s style, I was thinking to myself what’s so similar to his style? Their height is different, so at first I didn’t see much, but after the fight I realize that, in fact, he does have similar style to Andre Ward’s: waiting out and counter-attacks, he is not going in much, he waits in defense and waits for the right moment.”

On his preparation for the fight, Kovalev continued, “There were obviously some moments during the training with regards to my health, because I got a cold and I didn’t say anything, so the information wouldn’t get to Chilemba, that it might work against me. So myself and my trainer worked hard to overcome this stage and prepared for the fight.”

On the knockdown in round seven, “If it wasn’t the end of the round I would have pursued to actively attack him. But because the bell rang, we rested and he managed to pull himself together and I didn’t want to waste my energy. He is very experienced and had as many fights as myself and with boxers of highest level, therefore I was boxing and continue boxing and whatever happens, then it happens. There was no aim to knockout him, but the main aim was to gain experience from this fight for the next fight in November in Las Vegas.”

On fighting in front of his hometown crowd for the first time as a champion, “When I box as a visitor, there are much less fans that support me, there is more support for the opponents and I love to disappoint my opponents’ fans, which is sort of a motivation.”

On whether he was injured during the fight, “In general there are no major injuries. I have a little bruise on my eye, I don’t know how. No major punches I didn’t feel, there was a head bump, that could possibly damage, but there are no other injuries, which is the most important thing. There were mistakes during the camp, you can’t do everything perfect. And when you meet these difficulties you gain experience. What doesn’t break us makes us stronger.”

On experience gained in the fight, “I gained experience; there are things that I have to work with now. I have to work with opponents that sit in the defense and I have to work more with my left arm. And probably I also wanted to make a hard punch and that worked against me. My arms felt heavy and not everything that I wanted happened, and that is again because it’s Chilemba. He is actually a very experienced fighter and like many “couch-experts” said: what round? I never think about when knockout is going to be – it’s boxing, you need just one punch. We are all under God and how he judges, that’s how it’s going to be. I believe my mistake was that I was trying to put power in every punch. I had a heavy feeling in my hands. That’s why he was faster than me in some moments. ”

On how Ward and Chilemba compare, “Andre Ward’s got different timing, he’s faster with his legs. He’s not only good in defense but also he can attack. He has some defensive tricks. If saying in an advanced way, his defense is more modernized. He can feel his competitor better, he’s got better reaction. He also has good experience. After all, he is an Olympic champion. The last American [male] champion at the Olympics. Moreover, he is undefeated. This adds a kind of psychological pressure. He is the best in all the categories. But talking of power he is not a crusher. We have 2 different styles. So that is the difference between them. They are counterpunchers.”

Main Events’ CEO, Kathy Duva, CEO added, “The toughest fight is always the one right before the big one and for a road-warrior like Sergey the toughest fight is the one at home. Tonight Sergey had both tonight. On top of that Isaac Chilemba fought the fight of his career tonight. Isaac deserves all the credit in the world for going 12 rounds with the Krusher. This is the type of tough fight Sergey needed to prepare for Andre Ward. Like the great champion he is, Sergey overcame all these obstacles and won.”

Who the hell is Isaac Chilemba and why’s he on HBO (again)?

By Bart Barry-

Sometime soon – or conceivably as you read this – light heavyweight champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev will beat up a South African named Isaac Chilemba in a Russian city called Yekaterinburg. HBO will air the mess sometime this evening as part of a yearlong promotional attempt to have Kovalev fight Andre Ward in the network’s one anticipated fight of 2016.

Since now everyone is a promoter anyway . . .

This afternoon the man who calls himself “The Golden Boy” but others know as the Joburg Jo and the Malawi Malcontent, the Gauteng Gatlin Boy and the Terror of Turning Stone, Miguel Isaac Chilemba Zuze, brings his broadfists and rage in a Russian ring with the express purpose of mauling Sergey Kovalev not far from the Soviet Union’s best-known nuclear-waste dump. Frankly the broadcast in broad daylight should be rated R and the reason HBO will not do its tapedelay till after dark. That a network specializing in naked violence and graphical gore like “Game of Thrones” would ultimately flinch at a live broadcast of a boxing match reports to its viewers the unalloyed peril that accompanies Chilemba whenever gauze mounts his knuckles and leather rides his flying fists.

Actually Chilemba is the right man for the job of launching HBO’s one-off MNB series as men returning from second shifts at work will conduct an informal race with Krusher to determine if Kovalev can put Chilemba to sleep before Chilemba snatches the consciousness from HBO’s viewing audience. Such suspense now heralds the Monday arrival of the manly art of self-defense.

The case of Chilemba raises what has become a common question for main events in a way it once was a common question only in undercards and walkouts: Does Chilemba know he is going to lose or will awakening from unconsciousness bring him more than the standard surprise? And if he does know he’s going in the ring as a sacrifice, did he know it before signing the contract or while boarding his flight to Russia or during the weighin that probably happened while this got written?

There was a time so many Mexican taxistas and albañiles staffed the nohoper side of undercards one brought his opera glasses to spot Alfonso Zayas at welterweight or Tun Tun at straw, a time competent matchmakers allowed nary a victor to shuffle from the red corner across a 12-match marquee. After showing valor and a certain whimsical willfulness for a quarter hour this hopeless opponent of the prospect being developed would catch a left hook or right cross flush and drop as if shot then rise to his right knee before the seven count and retain his crouch till the fabled 10 1/2-count at which time he would spring upright and spread his gloves to plead the ref allow his continuance. The referee would make some avuncular gesture or other embracing the lad to tell him neither could conscience his absorbing one more blow. Then the nohoper would do a shameless lap of posture and disbelief before conceding it was not the prospect’s fault and in a show of abiding sportsmanship raise the victor’s taped fist high above both heads.

After a short medical suspension this taxista or albañil would be back on the circuit making enough money to bid zealously on a used pickup truck postfight (my favorite such character was the supremely courteous Genaro “Trancazos” Trazancos who after beginning his career 1-1-1 managed to get himself on television a number of times and fight Miguel Cotto’s older brother and Steven Luevano and Edwin Valero in a three-loss streak that became a curtain-calling 1-11 [10 KOs] close to his career). Such men had no believable chance of prevailing but truly believed they might ring one up and slice the other man just once – since it takes only a punch – and gave honest fighting efforts in a way few of us circumstanced similarly would do. Their job was to ensure a knockout. They were stuntmen who expected to complete the jump but didn’t mind a net stretched just below.

With the advent of the PBC and its quality bending effect there’s no longer any banking on an opponent’s honest effort. Most of the a-siders have adjusted to this and found solace in admonitions to win tonight and look good next time and while that next time never comes it’s not a thing PBC handlers think a biographical video cannot fix. Writing of biographical videos, the only reasonable explanation for HBO’s signing a contract that binds the network to air this farce is a chance to roll viewers towards a Terence Crawford infomercial for a pay-per-view match that mayn’t find its 100,000th viewer in a couple weeks.

Kovalev is a problem for the contemporary nohoper arrangement. He’s a bully-cum-sociopath who derives open joy from torturing lesser men. One might hope performing before a crowd of fellow Russians would leash his psychopathy a teensy-weensy bit until one recalls Kovalev killed Roman Simakov in the very same city five years ago. Kovalev is a loving father now, we’re told, and probably appreciates human life fractionally more than he did then and so Chilemba may well be safe this afternoon.

Therein lies another explanation for boxing’s moribund fanbase: Another main event, an HBO main event no less, finds aficionados fixated on the health and safety of its network-sanctioned opponent.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Kovalev-Chilemba Official Weigh-In Results

Serhey Kovalev
Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev
Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba
Chelyabinsk, Russia
Blantyre, Malawi
29-0-1, 26 KOs
24-3-2, 10 KOs
WT: 174.6 Trunks: White/Red
WT: 174.8 Trunks: Black/Gold

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About Kovalev-Chilemba:

The July 11 bout between Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev and Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba is a 12-round fight for the WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Titles at the DIVS Sports Palace in Ekaterinburg, Russia as part of the opening night ceremonies for the International Industry Trade Fair “INNOPROM-2016.” The event is sponsored by Russian Copper Company and Igor Altushkin and presented by Main Events and Krusher Promotions in association with German Titov Promotions, and will be televised in the United States at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT (same day tape-delayed) exclusively on HBO.

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Kovalev vs. Chilemba Press Conference Quotes

Sergey Kovalev
Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev – WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion

“Hello to everybody here in my homeland of Russia. I hope you are all going to be here Monday night to support me. I thank God for all the opportunities he has given me and all the acquaintances he has made for me including Igor Altushkin who made this event possible. Thank you to everyone for their organization and for making this event for everyone who loves boxing. The hardest time of my training camp is past now and I am going to give you good show. My opponent, Chilemba, is very motivated and that is why he is so dangerous. But I am also motivated. There are a lot of fights in my future. Also I would like to give a special thanks for television channels which are going to televise the event, Match TV and HBO. Thanks to Kathy Duva, my promoter, and Titov Boxing Promotions. Also thank you to everyone who participates in these organizations and to all the fans of boxing. Your support is very important to me. I will be glad to see you all Monday night.”

Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba – WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight Challenger

“Thank you. First of all, I want to thank God for life, strength and getting us all here today. I want to thank Main Events for standing by my team. I want to thank Sergey Kovalev and his team. I want to thank my team and HBO. I really appreciate it. For the last 10 years of my career, I got into a few title fights. I won IBO Super Middleweight Title. Since I moved to light heavyweight we have been chasing the WBC title. And we came up short three times. Now I have a shot at three world titles. I really believe God works in mysterious ways. This is my time. This is my destiny. I believe I was destined to be WBO, WBA and IBF World Champion. I want to thank the Russian people for the support and warm welcome. In my life I have been through a lot of obstacles. I stumble and fall and I know how to pick myself up. I have been through hell and made it back. Nothing can stop me. Thank you.”

Kathy Duva – CEO of Main Events

“It is a pleasure to be back here in Ekaterinburg. I want to thank our gracious sponsor Igor Altushkin and the Russian Copper Company. I would like to thank HBO and Match TV. Also I would like to thank German Titov and his staff. I have known Isaac Chilemba for as long as I have known Sergey. He has worked very hard to get his opportunity. I know he is coming to win this fight. However, I believe Sergey is the best pound for pound fighter in the world. I know he cringes when I say that, but he is special. We all know Sergey always comes to win too. As always we expect a tremendous fight on Monday night. I am not going to say the best man will win because they are both very good men. But the fans will win in the end because I know it will be a great event.”

John David Jackson – Trainer of Sergey Kovalev

“Thank you for being here. This should be a very entertaining fight for the fans. Hopefully it can be just that and you can enjoy the fight. Training camp was good for Sergey and he is ready to defend his titles. Thank you very much.”

Egis Klimas – Manager of Sergey Kovalev

“Hello. I would like to thank my fighter Sergey Kovalev. It is an honor for me to present one of the greatest fighters in the world. I would like to thank our main sponsor, Russian Copper Company. Also thank to HBO and Match TV for broadcasting this event to the world. Sergey Kovalev is going to show the world again on Monday night.”

Jodi Solomon – Manager of Isaac Chilemba

“I would like to thank Main Events for this opportunity and Sergey Kovalev and his team. I would also like to thank the people of Russia for the warm welcome we have received here. I really don’t like to give long speeches, but the magnitude of this fight compels me to say more than I am used to. Isaac and I started working together eight years ago and I was the only woman working in boxing in South Africa. As a result, most people in boxing decided I would never make it and neither would Isaac because he was working with me. In a matter of three years we proved them wrong when he won five titles during that time. I feel like now we have come full circle. For the first time in six years Isaac and I have trained in South Africa again. Again we are faced with doubters. Again we are going to prove them all wrong. Thank you very much.”

German Titov – German Titov Promotions

“I believe Chilemba is the best in top ten boxers in the world. This is a great opponent for Kovalev. Thank you Kathy Duva and Main Events.”

Alexsey Titov – German Titov Promotions

“I want to thank everyone. I am very thankful for the experience we got organizing this event. This is the top event in Russia. You will be amazed by the organization of the show. It is going to be highest level. The climax of this event is going to be Sergey’s performance. He is a very talented fighter. Let’s not look passed this show and be here.”

###
About Kovalev-Chilemba:

The July 11 bout between Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev and Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba is a 12-round fight for the WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Titles at the DIVS Sports Palace in Ekaterinburg, Russia as part of the opening night ceremonies for the International Industry Trade Fair “INNOPROM-2016.” The event is sponsored by Russian Copper Company and Igor Altushkin and presented by Main Events and Krusher Promotions in association with German Titov Promotions, will be televised in the United States at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT (same day tape-delayed) exclusively on HBO.

Sergey Krusher Kovalev Discusses Fighting in Russia

Sergey Kovalev
“On July 11th I will step into the ring having a “home court” advantage as they say in other sports. As for me, the fight against Isaac Chilemba will be no different than any other fight in my career. The goal does not change no matter where I fight and who sits in the audience. However, I will appreciate the home crowd cheering instead of the booing from the stands that I got so used to over the years beating my opponents in their backyards. Thousands of my supporters, friends and family have been waiting for this fight to happen in Ural and I’m very thankful to the man who made it happen, Igor Altushkin of Russian Copper Company. Although I can’t find time to read all of the comments and letters that fans send to me daily on social media, I feel that the entire country is behind me in this fight.

“I know my opponent is not sleeping either. I am sure that Chilemba recognizes how big this opportunity is for him, and he’ll definitely try to use every opportunity to spoil my November “party” with Andre Ward. He will step into the ring charged and ready to bring a big fight. I will have to show some teeth in order to win. My motivation to defend my titles in front of the home crowd cannot be any bigger. That I can assure you all about!

“The confidence I get before every fight is also driven by my global fan base. I have supporters sending me notes from Philippines, Germany, Kazakhstan, Mexico and many other countries from around the world. It humbles me and makes me even more determined to show them a great fight. They say Mondays are tough, but I hope that July 11th will be the Monday you will get to enjoy, to witness a great night of boxing. This letter would not be complete without thanking HBO Boxing for their continued support and finding a way to broadcast this fight to my North American fans in the old tradition of Monday Night Boxing.”

Kovalev vs. Chilemba will be televise Monday, July 11 on HBO at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.