Ward-Kovalev rematch a bit short on hype
ANDRE Ward and Sergey Kovalev meet Saturday night in Las Vegas in a rematch of their controversial fight last November where Ward won a unanimous decision to capture the light heavyweight championship.
It’s a matchup of two high-rated pound-forpound boxers and will be distributed by HBO payper-view ($54.95). But the bout scheduled for 12 rounds at the Mandalay Bay Events Center has been overshadowed this week by the announcement that Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor reached an agreement to fight Aug. 26 in Las Vegas.
Truth is, there wasn’t much buzz about WardKovalev 2 to begin with and is destined to underwhelm at the box office. Both are skilled fighters, but neither is a pay-per-view attraction in the manner of Mayweather or McGregor, two dynamic personalities that demand attention.
Kathy Duva of Main Events, who promotes Kovalev, referred to “that circus that’s going to take place in August,” when responding to questions about why Ward-Kovalev 2 doesn’t feel like a big fight.
“This is a big event, the best fighting the best,” she said during the press conference in Las Vegas. “They’re fighting a rematch of the most controversial fight of last year and both are in their primes. I hope these two gentlemen get the attention they deserve.”
Ward-Kovalev 2 should be an excellent fight. The f irst one was. Ward was knocked down in the second round by a crushing right hand, but rallied to control the second half of the fight and earn a unanimous decision. Many were outraged by the decision, including Kovalev, who lost for the f irst time in 32 fights.
“When they f irst announced the winner I could not believe it,” said Kovalev, who enters the fight 301-1 with 26 knockouts. “It felt like I was in a bad dream. I believe that I won the fight. But as much as I would like to change what happened I know that I can’t. I have come to accept this is what happened, and I am now even more determined to do everything in my power to make sure I do not leave the decision in the hands of the judges.”
Ward (31-0, 15 KOs) hasn’t gotten enough credit for coming off the canvas, changing the momentum of the fight and getting three judges to score the fight in his favor, 114-113. The Post also scored the f irst fight for Ward, 114-113.
“As a competitor, I want to get him back for that knockdown,” Ward said. “As a competitor, I want that definitive victory. As far as media goes, I’m not interested in that. I want to leave no doubt.”
Kovalev wore a black baseball hat with big white letters that read “WAR” on it at the press conference this week. The Russian said, “I’ve already said enough, and I will prove it [Saturday].” He then pointed at Ward and said: “You get prepared.” Then he abruptly left the press conference before Ward had spoken.
It ruined any chance of the traditional pose down that is normally used by the media to promote the final days of the fight. Still, the fight is worth the attention.
“The fight means a lot to both men,” said Virgil Hunter, Ward’s trainer. “When it means a lot to both men, that’s normally when you get a good fight.”
Prediction: Kovalev seems to be fighting out of anger which is never a good thing. Ward may have figured him out over the final six rounds. I’ll stick with Ward in another close decision.