Trash talk by Kovalev isn’t impressing Ward
Trash talking is a big part of boxing, whether the fighters are trying to psych each other out, help sell tickets or just blow off some steam during a rigorous training process. And Sergey Kovalev is doing his best to do his part, as we get closer to his big rematch against Oakland’s Andre Ward for the unified light heavyweight title.
Unfortunately for him, Kovalev is only making Ward chuckle by calling him a “fake champion” and promising to “kick his ass” on June 17 in Las Vegas.
“It’s funny because (he’s) not even good” at trash talking, Ward said at his media workout in Hayward on Friday afternoon. “If you’re going to talk smack, just come with it, enough where I can at least respect it, like ‘OK, that’s a good one.’
“If he wants to post Twitter messages and Instagram messages until his fingers fall off, go for it. At the end of the day it really doesn’t matter, bro, you have to see me in a couple of weeks.”
Ward (31-0) wants to get off to a faster start when he meets Kovalev (31-1-1) again, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Ward was knocked down in the second round in the first fight, in November, but came back to win a controversial unanimous decision. All three judges, American as Kovalev has repeatedly pointed out, scored the fight 114-113, with most reporters ringside scoring the fight for Kovalev.
“Really, it’s about answering any questions that are out there,” Ward said, “removing all doubt, and putting a muzzle on him and his team because they’ve been doing way too much talking lately.”
Ward thought he was “pretty dominant” in the final six rounds of the first fight, but he realizes that doesn’t mean much.
“He’s going to make adjustments, and I assume he’s going to be better, and I definitely have to be better and will be better,” Ward said.
He promises a less workmanlike fight this go-round.
“It’s going to be a lot more flair, it’s going to be a lot more fun,” Ward said. “I’m fixing to put on a show. and it’s as simple as that. I’ve gotten back to just enjoying what I do. Just having fun and doing what I want to do.”
At media day in Oxnard on Tuesday, Kovalev made like Clubber Lang and predicted “pain” for the champ in the rematch.
“One day in my hometown of Chelyabinsk (Russia), one day a girl, 25 years old, slapped me on my shoulder,” Kovalev told reporters. “Then Andre Ward punched me in the fight; it was same. I didn’t feel any hard punches from him. …
“I didn’t feel this punch, but judges counted this punch. It is touches, it is not punches. Punches is punches. His was like a tap. Judges counted any tapping as punches.”
There will be a huge Warriors contingent at the fight, assuming Kevin Durant and his teammates can take care of business in the NBA Finals before a would-be Game 7 on June 18. Ward said watching his good friend Durant play so well in Game 1 on Thursday fires him up.
“I’m trying to look like they did in Game 1. They made it look easy,” Ward said. “Me and KD text and talk a little bit. Just knowing what he’s dealing with and then to see him go out and perform, of course it’s motivating.”
The Warriors often show a hype video from Ward before games. He smiles when he sees it.
“I was tired when I went” to do it, Ward said. “The producer was like, ‘I need energy!’ and I had just worked out twice earlier in the day. They gave me some espresso, I woke up and we went to work for about two hours straight. I loved it.”
Ward doesn’t need any help, not even from Kovalev, to get fired up for the rematch in two weeks.