Sergey Kovalev, Andre Ward Set To Square Off In Biggest Fight Of 2016
In two days Sergey "Krusher" Kovalev and Andre "S.O.G." (Son of God) Ward will descend on T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for their mega fight. The HBO pay-per-view bout marks just the third time in boxing history, according to Ring Magazine, that two undefeated fighters ranked in the top five pound-for-pound will square off.
It's the year's biggest fight. And to the victor goes the unified light heavyweight world championship, along with the designation as best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
"If you look at his resume -- not just the wins, but the guys he's beaten -- and you look at my resume, you don't have to justify that. It speaks for itself, and I think this is a must-see fight," politicked Ward at their September news conference.
About a month before that, Kovalev acknowledged, "This is the hugest test in my career because it's Andre Ward."
The lead up to Saturday has been several months in the making and highly anticipated, as the deal for this fight would have been torn up if either fighter hadn't kept their undefeated record intact in their respective bouts over the summer months.
It was Aug. 4, and Kovalev — the current pound-for-pound world No. 2 — had flown in to New York to promote the would-be fight with Ward. Kovalev had just beaten Isaac Chilemba in a unanimous decision a few weeks prior, holding up his end of the bargain of remaining unbeaten.
At this time, Ward was 2,900 miles away preparing for his Aug. 6 fight versus Alexander Brand, hoping to ensure victory himself. He did that and more, winning every round on his way to a unanimous decision, the 30th victory of his career.
Enjoying the anonymity back in New York's Financial District, just days before the reality of Ward's win, Kovalev sat in a shaded park wedged between One World Trade Center and a marina that hugged Manhattan's southern tip, and spoke exclusively with WFAN.com.
The 6-foot Russian wore a white and red trucker cap with his nickname "Krusher" embroidered on the front, along with an understated T-shirt and jeans. A slight cut stretched across the bridge of his nose; leftover spoils from his July 11 win over Chilemba. On his right fourth finger lay a gold ring with a red gemstone, a gift from his promotional team, Main Events. Inscribed on the side is the night that he defeated Bernard Hopkins -- Nov. 8, 2014 -- the biggest win of his career to date.
"I do my job, and I'm ready for the fight, or any fighters, because it's work and big business," he said, devoid of any substantial emotion.
The current WBA, IBF and WBO titleholder seemed irked by any suggestion that there would be extra pressure placed on him to beat Ward and remain undefeated.
Kovalev speaks in similar fashion to how he fights -- straight to the point and lacking flamboyance. The Chelyabinsk-born 33-year-old articulates with powerful voice inflections that punctuate his message, as he lacks complete command of the English language.
Life was not easy for Kovalev, and boxing, which a childhood friend introduced him to at age 11, became his way out of poverty.
Having grown up in a factory-laden industrial section of the former USSR, Kovalev, at 10 years old, hocked newspapers, pumped gas and collected cans for money because his family had become gravely impoverished by the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. He also flirted with criminal mischief, engaging in petty robberies and street fights.
When Hopkins was asked in a phone interview where he ranks his fight with Kovalev among the toughest he's had in his career, he said "third or second."
Even with Hopkins' validation, Kovalev may still be the best fighter in the world that you've never heard of. Despite his untarnished record of 30-0-1 with 26 KOs, he doesn't appeal to casual boxing fans. At least not the way that great champions before him did, like the aforementioned Hopkins, the outspoken Floyd Mayweather or the likable Manny Pacquiao.
Hopkins, however, is a good judge of character, as his last professional fight was that 2014 loss to Kovalev.
"Sergey Kovalev right now is better than he was two, three years ago," Hopkins said. "He's better than he was when he came here."
And then there's Ward. He is Kovalev's antithesis in almost every way, the protagonist in the unscripted drama that has yet to unfold.
The current pound-for-pound world No. 4 boxer (30-0-0, 15 KOs) is a counterpunching extraordinaire, highly skilled in neutralizing opponents' strengths. He's also polished in his speech, appearance and disposition. Just about the only thing in common that he shares with Kovalev is an undefeated record to his credit.
On Sept. 6, about 10 weeks before the fight, both fighters were in midtown Manhattan's Le Parker Meridien hotel for the inaugural televised news conference. The San Francisco-born, Oakland-raised Ward addressed the media fresh off his latest win that he had to have, and he officially turned all his focus to Kovalev.
"I'm not putting too much stock in it, but getting another 12 rounds is obviously very important," he said reflecting on his tune-up fight with Brand. Ward added, "The more rounds the better, but a lack of rounds will not be an excuse," referencing his preparedness for Kovalev.
The boxing inactivity that Ward eluded to was from 2013 to 2015 when he didn't fight because of legal battles that he was entangled in with his former promoter, Dan Goossen. Injuries also added to his absence during that time, most notably one that required shoulder surgery in January 2013.
"It definitely wasn't fun, that's for sure," Ward said. "It was the toughest time that I've probably gone through in my life from a personal standpoint."
But coming into Saturday, a healthy Ward has had two fights already in 2016. And so has Kovalev.
Talking to reporters in a small room before journeying to the main news conference room for the posturing and stare-down formalities for the cameras, Ward reinforced his status as one of boxing's elite.
"I've been in this position before," he said. "Obviously this is my biggest fight from an attention standpoint, but I've been in several championship fights, and I've defended my title against top opposition for many, many years. You don't get ready for these moments in eight weeks, 10 weeks. I've been preparing for moments like this since I was 9 years old. I've been grooming to be a champion since I was a kid."
At 32 years old, Ward hasn't lost a fight since he was 13.
When Ward arrived at that September news conference, he looked dapper and spry. He took pride in his appearance. Sporting a neatly manicured mohawk, he wore a dark suit and a buttoned-up maroon shirt with no tie. On display for the throngs in attendance, the tailored suit blanketed his solid 6-foot frame well.
As a biracial child of parents who battled drug addiction -- his dad's vice being heroin and his mom's crack cocaine -- Ward developed escape artist tactics that have also served him very well in the ring. The world stage has never seemed too big for him.
"He has a chance now to be the golden boy that he set out to be when he came out of the (2004) Olympics and won the Golden Gloves," Hopkins said of Ward.
"It's a dangerous setup, but a perfect setup because you ain't ducking no one and you have an opportunity right now to get all that you missed back in one fight -- Sergey Kovalev," Hopkins continued.
"I think the whole outcome is going to be 50-50 unless somebody gets an early knockout."
Subscribing to that theory, the edge would have to belong to Kovalev, as his knockout total of 26 is much greater than Ward's 15. It makes sense that if Kovalev were to win, it would be by knockout, and if Ward were to win, it would be by unanimous decision.
But when has logic and sense dictated boxing?
Back on that August afternoon in New York, Kovalev channeled his inner Don King, shamelessly saying, "Not any predictions, but I can say only one thing: The fight will be very big intrigue and very interesting because I will be in the ring."
