Listen in for thoughts about the fight below. Andre Ward and Guillermo Rigondeaux score dubious decisions at Mandalay Bay on Saturday night, over Sergey Kovalev and Moises Flores, respectively.
Hear why you shouldn’t be mad at either fighter in the video.
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LAS VEGAS, NV (June 18, 2017) – Andre Ward vs. Sergey Kovalev 2: “The Rematch” took place on Saturday, June 17 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The championship event, presented by Corona Extra, was produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®.
Below you can find all of the fight results and fighter quotes:
Sergey Kovalev (30-2-1, 26 KOs) vs. Andre Ward (32-0, 16 KOs)
RESULT: Andre Ward by TKO 2 at 2:29 of the Eighth Round
Andre Ward: “I’m ecstatic, I’m happy. I didn’t predict a knockout, but I said it could happen. I’ve been boxing a long time and, sometimes, a lot of writers and reporters they don’t take you at your word. If you look at my career and the way I’ve gone about things, I’m pretty matter of fact. I’m pretty straightforward. I don’t say anything unless I mean it. I have a lot of respect for Kovalev. He is a world champion. He’s been on top for a long time. He’s a great fighter; there’s not a lot of people that elite. I’m not going to throw him under the bus even though they did a lot of different things. But I knew the temperament that I was fighting. I don’t want to call him a frontrunner, but if he’s not having his way, he’s got to dig deep. I don’t know if he had the right answers tonight. Obviously, he didn’t because the fight got stopped.
“I was breathing, he was breathing, but I’m used to working tired. I’m comfortable being uncomfortable; that’s how we work, that’s how we train. When I saw him put his arms on the ropes in between the rounds – I watch all that stuff – that’s trouble for him. I just needed to keep being smart.
“I think it was plain to see that I broke him mentally and physically. I’m not a person that demands respect or none of that. You don’t have to respect me and I don’t demand anything, but at a certain point and time, you got to give a person their just do. I’m 13 years in and I’ve been doing it against the best.
“What’s next? Cruiserweight? Heavyweight? I dream big. Anything is possible when you have God.
“If there are questions marks after this, that has nothing to do with me. I’m going to enjoy my family, kiss my wife and we out.
Virgil Hunter: “I told them (the media) that I only trained Andre for the knockout twice. The first was Chad Dawson. And the second was for tonight. And they laughed at me. But I knew what was going to happen because he (Ward) was healthy. Now we quieted all those who were whining and thought we didn’t take it the first time.”
Sergey Kovalev: “He hit with four low blows. The ref didn’t call them. I felt I could have continued. This is bullshit.”
Moises Flores (25-1, 17 KOs) vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux (18-0, 12 KOs)
RESULT: Guillermo Rigondeaux by TKO at 2:59 of the First Round
Rigondeaux: “The Mexican was a brave kid. I commend him for getting in the ring with me. He has more guts than a lot of these other guys. We both threw combinations at the same time at the end of the first round. But mine was quicker and more accurate. It was only a matter of time. I fight to give the best performance to the public and all the fans. I am making everyone disappear at 122. I am always available. Tell me who is next. I want all of them, and will take them out one by one. I hope the whole world sees what it is like to get in the ring with me. I am tired of the press and everyone saying I am boring. You see what happens when someone brings the fight to me.”
Flores: “It’s not fair. It’s clear that the bell rang. He didn’t throw a punch the whole round. I was winning the round and he waited for after the bell to throw punch when I dropped my hands down.”
Cedric Agnew (29-3, 15 KOs) vs. Dmitry Bivol (11-0, 9 KO)
RESULT: Dmitry Bivol by TKO at 1:27 of the Fourth Round
Bivol: “I’m very glad the flight went this way. I found my ways that I practiced and I used them and you saw the results. I didn’t think he was going to work more as right-handed, as orthodox, but I was ready for everything so the fight ran smooth for me. I tried to open him up but for some reason. he didn’t want to go. He was close, he was very defensive and going back. But anyways, I won the fight!”
Agnew: N/A
Arif Magomedov (18-2, 11 KOs) vs. Luis Arias (18-0, 9 KOs)
RESULT: Luis Arias by TKO at 1:16 of the Fifth Round
Luis Arias: “Finally! Your just heard my name. Top 10 all around. Easy work.”
Arif Magomedov: “There’s really not a lot I can say about this. He caught me with a really good shot and I couldn’t do anything about it.” (more…)
June 17, 2017
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Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events
Chapter two of Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev vs. Andre “S.O.G.” Ward drama ended in another controversial loss for Kovalev. The referee waived off Kovalev after he struggled to recover from several consecutive low blows from Ward that the official failed to call. Sergey remained on his feet throughout the exchange but nevertheless the referee called a halt to the action at 2:29 of the eighth round.
The first round began with both fighters feeling each other out. Kovalev landed several hard shots and Ward continued to hold and attempt to work the inside. Ward landed a low blow in the second and received a warning from the referee. Kovalev, however, quickly recovered with a slew of combinations. The next several rounds were so close scorecards varied widely. After several low blows that the referee failed to call against Ward the fight was stopped.
Kovalev Suffers Low Blow
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events
A frustrated Kovalev was brief in his remarks saying only, “He hit with four low blows. The ref didn’t call them. I felt I could have continued. This is bullshit.”
Guillermo “El Chacal” Rigondeaux (18-0, 12 KOs) remains undefeated as he knocked Moises “Chucky” Flores (25-1, 17 KOs) flat on the canvas at 2:59 of round one. Many believed the blow was late but the punch was declared legal and Rigondeaux was declared the winner and retains his WBA Super World super bantamweight title.
“The Mexican was a brave kid,” said Rigondeaux. “I commend him for getting in the ring with me. He has more guts than a lot of these other guys. We both threw combinations at the same time at the end of the first round. But mine was quicker and more accurate. It was only a matter of time. I fight to give the best performance to the public and all the fans. I am making everyone disappear at 122. I am always available. Tell me who is next. I want all of them, and will take them out one by one. I hope the whole world sees what it is like to get in the ring with me. I am tired of the press and everyone saying I am boring. You see what happens when someone brings the fight to me.”
Flores, who believed the punch was after the bell replied, “It’s not fair. It’s clear that the bell rang. He didn’t throw a punch the whole round. I was winning the round and he waited for after the bell to throw punch when I dropped my hands down.”
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events
WBA Interim Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol from Russia remains undefeated as he made quick work of Cedric “L.O.W.” Agnew. Despite being only 26 years old Bivol demonstrated why he is quickly making a name for himself in the red-hot light heavyweight division. From the first bell, Bivol torpedoed Agnew with a nasty set of combinations in the corner and sent the veteran into a head first knockdown. Agnew quickly recovered and the round continued but so did Bivol’s come-forward attack. The next two rounds were offensive clinics for Bivol as he continued to dominate Agnew. At 1:27 of the fourth round the referee had seen enough and declared Bivol the winner by TKO.
“I’m very glad the fight went this way,” said Biovl. “I found my ways that I practiced and I used them and you saw the results. I didn’t think he was going to work more as right-handed, as orthodox, but I was ready for everything so the fight ran smooth for me. I tried to open him up but for some reason, he didn’t want to go. He was close, he was very defensive and going back. But anyways I won the fight!”
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events
The HBO Pay Per View telecast kicked off with an exciting middleweight on-sided contest between Russian Arif “The Predator” Magomedov (18-2, 11 KOs) and Luis “Cuba” Arias (18-0, 9 KOs). Magomedov could not handle the vicious attack from Arias and the contest was called to a halt at 1:16 of the fifth round.
Humbled by his second career loss Arif simply said, “There’s really not a lot I can say about this. He caught me with a really good shot and I couldn’t do anything about it.”
Arias replied with, “Finally! Your just heard my name. Top 10 all around. Easy work.”
Hungary’s Zoltan Sera could not survive the first round against Junior “The Young God” Younan. The referee stopped the contest at 1:39 of round one. After the fight Younan said, “I wanted to come out and make a statement and I did just that! I knew I could get it done in one round. I did all I could. I worked my ass off! The love that I have gotten since I arrived in Las Vegas has been tremendous. Thank you! And thank you to my promoter, Roc Nation Sports, for getting me to the greatest stage in boxing!”
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events
Middleweights Vaughn “The Animal” Alexander (10-0, 7 KOs) of St. Louis, Missouri and Fabiano Pena (16-8-1, 13 KOs) of Chiapas, Mexico were scheduled to face each other is an eight-round bout. However, the fight was stopped at the end of the fourth round due to a rib injury Alexander inflicted on Pena granting Vaughn another TKO victory.
After the contest Vaughn said, “It was a good a good fight for me, another good win. another step to get me closer to where I want to be, amongst the top middleweights. You know soon maybe next year sometime I can be considered for a World title. I just went in there and worked on my defense, what me and my brother been working on in the gym, throwing more combinations and just taking my time.”
The first bout of the free-view ended early with a second round TKO for Tramaine Williams (11-0, 4 KOs) of New Haven, Connecticut at 1:44 against Christopher Martin (30-9-3, 10 KOs) of San Diego, California.
When asked about the stoppage, Williams said, “He was going to take a beating if they let it go for all eight rounds. He has a family he has to get back to. It’s a good thing the ref stopped the fight. If there were 10 more seconds in the first round I would have had him. It would have been over! I’m pretty happy with my performance but I am always going to work to be better. Thank you to everyone for tuning in. I hope to be back in the ring next month. In the meantime, I plan on staying in shape and ready to fight. Thank you to Roc Nation Sports for the opportunity to be on this great card.”
The referee had to stop the third fight of the evening between John Bauza (7-0, 4 KOs) of North Bergen, New Jersey and Brando “Bam” Sanudo (5-5, 2 KOs) of San Felipe, Mexico at 1:14 of the second round. Bauza dropped Sanudo in the first round as well shortly before the bell and Sanudo was able to finish the round.
According to Bauza, “That knock down felt great! It was an easy win because I worked hard. I felt strong in the first round. Thanks to all my followers and supporters. I will keep up great work. Whatever my promoters tell me next, will be next.”
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events
Middleweight Bakhram Murtazaliev (9-0, 7 KOs) made quick work of Alex Sandro Duarte (6-1, 4 KOs) stopping him after at 1:33 of the first round. Murtazaliev dropped Duarte once before the stoppage and the Brazilian quickly recovered but shortly after the referee resumed the action the contest was over.
Murtazaliev had this to say after the fight, “I’m very happy. The fight went so quickly that I didn’t have time to even think about how I felt. I didn’t intend to knock him out, it just happened.”
This was the first career knockout suffered by Duarte who took the fight on short notice after the original opponent Gerald Sherrell had to drop out last week. He added, “He was taller and stronger than me. I was fighting in a weight class that was above my normal weight class. I am disappointed.”
Jonathan Steele and Eriko Gogokhia
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events
In the first bout of the evening Georgian Enriko Gogokhia (5-0, 2 KOs) faced Dallas native Jonathan Steele (7-1, 5 KOs) in a six-round welterweight match-up. In an exciting back-and-forth battle, both fighters landed some tough shots. This exciting battle went the distance and the judges scored the bout 59-55, 59-55, 60-54 all in favor of Enriko Gogokhia who remains undefeated.
Check out a couple highlights from the final press conference between Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (31-0, 15 KOs) defends the IBF World, WBO World, and WBA Super World light heavyweight titles against Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-1-1, 26 KOs).
These guys don’t like each other.
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It’s fight week folks, as Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (31-0, 15 KOs) defends the IBF World, WBO World, and WBA Super World light heavyweight titles against Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-1-1, 26 KOs).
The week began with another rematch as The Dubs, or The Golden State Warriors, reclaimed the NBA title from The Cleveland Cavaliers.
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Televised Undercard & Trainer Roundtables
Photos & Quotes Featuring
Guillermo Rigondeaux vs. Moises Flores
Dmitry Bivol vs. Cedric Agnew
Luis Arias vs. Arif Magomedov
Virgil Hunter & John David Jackson
Ward-Kovalev 2: “The Rematch”
Saturday, June 17, 2017 at
Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas
Presented Live by HBO Pay-Per-View®
Click HERE for Photos
Photo Credit: Roc Nation Sports/Tom Hogan – Hoganphotos/Main Events
LAS VEGAS, NV (June 15, 2017) – On Wednesday, June 14, the televised undercard of Andre Ward vs. Sergey Kovalev 2: “The Rematch” sat down to participate in roundtables with the media during Fight Week Powered by Monster. Head trainers Virgil Hunter (Team Ward) and John David Jackson (Team Kovalev) followed the group of boxing talent with respective roundtables of their own. Ward-Kovalev 2: “The Rematch” will take place Saturday, June 17 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The championship event, presented by Corona Extra, will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
Below is what the participants had to say:
Virgil Hunter, Trainer of Andre Ward
“[Andre’s] ring IQ speaks for itself but the worst mistake you can make is to underestimate the opponent’s IQ. We take it all the way to the top, whoever we’re fighting. The mindset is you’re the best in the world. You’re the best that ever did it. You don’t want to stop the bar on eight when you can go all the way to 10. The bar is set at 10 in giving Sergey the credit that he rightfully deserves. Look, I’ve said it before, but I’m a Sergey Kovalev fan. Just not this fight. But I’m a fan of his. I knew a long time ago that if we ever moved up to light heavyweight that we would meet. I understood that a long time ago.
“You can never tell what’s going on in a fighter’s mind. I tend to let Andre set the tone. If we have to change it up, then I’ll come in and we might change up a few things. But he’s been doing it so long and I trust him. I know exactly what I’m looking at when he’s fighting. He can set the tone. If the frustration becomes an asset for us, we’ll stay there and keep him frustrated.
“Me knowing Andre’s mindset and how he approaches things, I told him that we’ll train for a knockout. It doesn’t mean it’s going to come, but we’ll train for it. It’ll be quite evident in the fight. He’s going to get hit because you got to get hit to win and get knockouts. He’s been hit by Sergey and he described the punches just as I see the punches on TV, very sharp… not concussive but sharp. [A knockout] is a possibility. I’ve only trained Andre to purposefully knock out somebody twice – the first one was Chad [Dawson], the second one was this one. I never trained him to knock anybody out, but those two I did. Only twice have we changed strategy to stop somebody.
“What we want to do is make sure Sergey doesn’t get the flush punch. He might graze you, he might rush punch, he might punch you like ‘get off me’ as opposed to being planted and zeroed in and ‘boom’ give him that shot. Sergey never landed another punch after the knockdown. So, if Andre was hurt, how could he make Sergey miss? All you got to do is watch it after the knockdown.
“I’ll have to take Sergey at his word, but when I look at the fight, I just don’t see where he got tired. He continued to throw and he continued to press. I don’t see personally where he got tired and I think I can identify fatigue in a fighter pretty well. But I have to take him at his word.
“No, Andre never made any excuses about his fight. Look, it was a tough fight, a great fight. If you came to the fight and participated in the fight, you don’t have any excuses. I’m not making any excuses; I’m just saying we’re going to have a different fighter. That doesn’t guarantee victory or anything, just a different fighter.”
John David Jackson, Trainer of Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev
On the first fight against Ward:
“My opinion is the same now as it was that night: Sergey won the fight. If you look at the first half of the first fight Sergey dominated. If you look at the second half of the fight Ward got back in the game but Ward didn’t come back and dominate like the way everyone says he did. Especially with the knockdown, Sergey won the fight hands down but he unfortunately didn’t get the decision. For this fight, if he can fight the second half of this fight the way he fought the first half of the last fight, then of course we will win the fight. He has proved it publicly that he can outbox Ward at his own game. The question now is, can Ward come back and try to outbox Sergey at Sergey’s game? That is highly doubtful. Ward isn’t a big puncher and can he take Sergey’s body shot? We’ll see in the second fight what happens but if Sergey fights the second half of this fight the way he fought the first half of the last fight then he wins. I had the first half 5-1 or maybe 6-0 for Sergey but the second half I had it 3-3 or at best 4-2 for Ward. So, when you count in the knockdown, Sergey won the fight.”
On whether it’s the game plan to knock out Ward:
“No. Sergey needs to stick with his jabs and his combinations, put every round in the bank just like we did the first fight but in the second half he needs to sustain that attack. Don’t falter and he will win. If he goes for the knockout, he may not catch Ward. Ward is a very defensively sound-minded fighter. Sergey needs to be smart.”
On Sergey’s tiredness, late in the first fight:
“There is a different conditioning coach now so hopefully that helps him physically as well as mentally. They seem to work well together. If he did his job than Sergey will be fine. For the first fight Sergey was running 14 miles a day and I asked him why. I told him he was going to wear his legs out. He is still running but not nearly as much. He is saving himself for this time around. I told him that although he was fatigued he hid it pretty well. I couldn’t tell that he was fatigued. He got a different coach for the conditioning part and that should work for him. If it works for him physically, it will help him mentally. And that is a tremendous blow to help him win this fight. Now that he has brought a new guy in let’s see if that is what he needed to be more successful in his pursuit of Andre Ward.”
On prediction for the fight:
“I give Andre a lot of credit for being a very defensive-minded fighter. The fight might go the distance but that’s ok. We aren’t worried about that. If it goes the distance and Sergey does what he is supposed to do, he dominates; he should win hands down. Just think about this: if Sergey hadn’t slowed down and kept up the same pace he had, what would Ward have done differently? He would have gotten his ass whooped the same way because Sergey beat him in the first half of the fight the way he wanted to. Sergey slowed down and that allowed Ward to get back in the game. If he didn’t slow down, then what would Ward do? He would have still lost the second half of the fight the way he lost the first half. Sergey allowed him to get back in the game. He didn’t just do it; Sergey allowed him to get back in the game because he got tired.”
On the knockdown in the first fight:
“I wasn’t surprised he got up because Sergey didn’t hit him flush. It was kind of a grazing shot. It wasn’t full with his knuckles. If Sergey had hit him with a solid shot, Ward probably wouldn’t have gotten up. He got hit with a shot that wasn’t solid.”
On changes for this fight:
“We worked on the inside game. Both fighters held a lot and Sergey was to blame for that also. Now Ward thinks that he is going to hurt Sergey to the body and probably break him down. Well, guess what? If you watch Ward’s fights he grabs a lot. He is not a true inside fighter. He grabs a lot and he holds and hits with the free hand. As good as Sergey punches, do you think that he is going to stand there and take those kinds of punches to the body? No. Sergey’s mentality is different. He is a survivor-type fighter. He is defensively sound. Once he gets hit he is going to take off. He is not going to stand there and take those kinds of punches.”
Guillermo Rigondeaux (17-0, 11 KOs), WBA World Super Bantamweight Champion
“I can’t wait for Saturday night. The Mexican boxing community is going to be out there and every Mexican is ready for war, so we’re ready to put on a spectacular fight on Saturday. I believe my preparation has always been excellent and the Cuban school of boxing has always been something I’ve focused on. I believe, on Saturday, June 17, it will be shown. I train for one boxer at a time and when it comes, it comes. You just train hard all the time. No boxer intimidates me in any way. [Flores] is a good boxer and I’m impressed by his style, but I’m not intimidated by anyone. It’s a God-given gift to move [the way I do] in the ring and have the reflexes I have. It just kicks in. I go to work when I step into the ring.
“I’m 122 pounds, I’ve always been at 122 but I’ll still beat anyone at 126. Weight isn’t really much of a big issue for me. I just want the big names and the big fights. For really good quality boxing, it’s not really about size. It’s more about heart, conditioning, speed, experience, excellence – everything I’ve gone through. We live everyday based on the results and the good work we put in. All the people are intimidated to get in the ring with me.
“When you have two superstars like that – and two friends of mine – it’s hard to determine [who will win]. But they’re going to put on an excellent show on Saturday, June 17. Andre Ward will truly have to prove whether he’s the real champ and this is the real test.’
Moises Flores (25-0, 17 KOs), Interim WBA World Super Bantamweight Champion
“I feel great; I’m level-headed. I’m trying to take advantage of the opportunity and do what I need to do. [Rigondeaux] being favored is not really a big deal. I’ve been the underdog during my last five fights, so this is nothing new to me. I understand the game. I’m humble; I’m OK with it, I’m ready. I’m ready to fight.
“[My reach and height] is definitely an advantage. We’re definitely going to use that advantage – we just need to use it the right way. His age will play a part in [the fight], so we need to take advantage of it and my youth. But I’m sure he’s done his job in the ring and in the gym. But so have I. I think it will be one of the toughest fights of my career because of his boxing style. He operates from a distance, his legs are strong and he’s intelligent. He doesn’t have the same speed he once had, but he’s still fast. We just need to attack him and trap him. I think my boxing style can slow him down.
“These are the opportunities you train for. He’s a boxer in every sense of the word. But what can he – or any rival – do to me that life hasn’t already done to me. [Rigondeaux] is the posterchild of a real boxer and, for all that, I give him credit. People talk because they love to see action, blood, a horror movie. They want to see combat. Rigondeaux has talked a lot and we’re going to confront him in the ring. There will be action, there will be blood. I work for that.”
Dmitry Bivol (10-0, 8 KOs) – Interim WBA Light Heavyweight Champion
On changing opponents from Sullivan Barrera to Cedric Agnew, a Southpaw:
“Any fight with any level opponent can create problems for a fighter. This is boxing and anything can happen. I think that if I follow the plan that we have set everything is going to be good. I am definitely glad with the way things have gone now. It is my 11th fight and I am glad to be fighting on such a big event on HBO Pay-Per-View. It is a great honor. It is a great achievement for me. We have set certain goals with my manager, my trainer, my promoter and the rest of my team and so far, everything is going by the plan. I am very glad that everything is going the way it is.”
On the Russian light heavyweights:
“I have certain pressures in my career and in boxing most of those pressures come from what I have to accomplish for myself. The goals I have set are for myself. It really isn’t a competition or a comparison to other fighters from Russia or any other fighters in the division. As long as I am achieving what I have set out to do and as long as I am going beyond what I am supposed to be doing fight after fight, that is the achievement for me. That’s a win for me.”
On his opponent:
“I never really try to set the main goal of knocking somebody out. Obviously, I want to showcase a good, exciting fight. I will be looking for openings and if there are openings I will use as many of them as I can. Hopefully, I can try to finish the fight earlier but I am ready to go the full ten rounds if I have to.”
Cedric Agnew (29-2, 17 KOs) – Former WBO Light Heavyweight World Championship Challenger
On his opponent: (more…)
Andre Ward vs. Sergey Kovalev 2: “The Rematch” Media Picks
Saturday, June 17, 2017 at Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas Presented Live by HBO Pay-Per-View®
Andre Ward vs. Sergey Kovalev 2: “The Rematch” Media Picks Saturday, June 17, 2017 at
Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas Presented Live by HBO Pay-Per-View®
LAS VEGAS, NV (June 14, 2017) – On the heels of the most anticipated fight of the summer, here is what some of the media are predicting for Andre Ward vs. Sergey Kovalev 2: “The Rematch” on Saturday, June 17 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The championship event, presented by Corona Extra, will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
Tim Dahlberg, Associated Press
I had Kovalev winning the first fight, so maybe I’m the wrong one to ask. But I think a boxer always has an easier time making adjustments than a puncher and that should favor Ward in the rematch. Ward has a good measure on Kovalev’s power and he’s really good at switching things up in the ring, as he did in the late rounds of the first fight. I think it goes the distance again, with Ward taking a unanimous decision.
Ward: Unanimous Decision
Bernard Fernandez, SweetScience.com
There is an expanding school of thought that Ward, the craftsman/technician, will be even better the second time around, having had 12 rounds and months of tape time to work out an even more intricate fight plan. I’m not sure I buy into that. Kovalev is no one-trick pony; he has skills to go along with superior power. If it’s a KO, he probably gets it, and it’s not out of the question that he can win on points as well. Let’s call it “Krusher” by 10th round stoppage.
Kovalev: 10th Round Stoppage
Keith Idec, BoxingScene.com
Kovalev by split decision. There isn’t much separating these elite light heavyweights. Expect another very competitive fight that includes several more very difficult rounds to score. Kovalev will win a debatable decision this time and create demand for a rubber match.
Kovalev: Split Decision
Michael Rosenthal, Editor Ring
Ward was successful in the second half of his first fight with Kovalev because he made necessary adjustments. I believe he’ll carry that knowledge and momentum into the rematch, which he’ll win by a unanimous decision in another competitive fight. No controversy this time.
Ward: Unanimous Decision
Matt Christie, Boxing News Online
Just like the first contest, this one is exceptionally hard to call and the events of that closer than close opener do little to make the job of choosing a winner any easier. Kovalev was a menace throughout, but perhaps the defining factor could be Ward’s ability to adjust. He did it in the first bout whereas Kovalev struggled to when it became clear the tide was turning. The pick is for Ward to win again on points, but without the controversy.
Ward: Unanimous Decision
Brian Campbell, CBSSports.com
Ward has already tasted Kovalev’s power and figured out ways to adjust and disarm “The Krusher.” That puts the pressure on the former champion. While you can expect Kovalev to be more aggressive, Ward just seems to have an answer for every style thrown at him.
Ward: Unanimous Decision
Willard Ogan, NBC Sports Bay Area
The fight will start slow with Ward working inside. Body shots will do Kovalev in.
Ward: 10th Round TKO
Michael Woods, NYFights.com
Ward adapted pretty quick to the Russian’s attack. We should see “Round 13” look like the second two-thirds of fight one. Unless Sergey is fresher on fight night because he’s not over trained. But he is 34, and he is what he is. Ward is the better adaptor, and a defensive master.
Ward: Unanimous Decision
Daiske Sugiura, Yahoo! Japan
Kovalev might be spending too much energy on hating Ward, which could backfire, and Ward is calm and collected, focused on what he needs to do. That being said, I watched the first fight twice, scored it for Kovalev both times. Quite simply, Kovalev is a better and stronger fighter at this weight class, it won’t change, and the judges will get it right this time.
Kovalev: Unanimous Decision
Ward vs. Kovalev 2: “The Rematch,“ a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA Light Heavyweight World Championships, is presented by Roc Nation Sports, Main Events, Andre Ward Promotions, Krusher Promotions and Corona Extra, sponsored by Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Jetlux, Life10 Electrolyte, Zappos, D’USSÉ Cognac, ProSupps and Powered by Monster. The championship event takes place Saturday, June 17 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center 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. Tickets for Ward-Kovalev 2: “The Rematch” are available on axs.com and at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Box Office.
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Ward-Kovalev 2: “The Rematch” Set for
Saturday, June 17, 2017 at
Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas
Presented Live by HBO Pay-Per-View®
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Photo Credit: Roc Nation Sports/Tom Hogan – Hoganphotos
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Video Credit: Roc Nation Sports/Main Events
LAS VEGAS, NV (June 13, 2017) – Unified Light Heavyweight World Champion Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (31-0, 15 KOs) and former titleholder Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-1-1, 26 KOs) opened Fight Week Powered by Monster with their Grand Arrivals at Mizuya Lounge at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on Tuesday, June 13, ahead of their ultimate rematch on Saturday, June 17 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The championship event, presented by Corona Extra, will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
Below is what the fighters had to say:
Andre “S.O.G.” Ward – Unified Light Heavyweight World Champion
“I am looking forward to making a statement in this fight and answering any questions that may be out there and removing any doubt that may be out there, so I’m excited. You got to look at the other side of the coin, there’s a lot of people that thought I won the fight and he got what he asked for. Now after this, we don’t want to hear any excuses. We don’t want to hear about anything. We’re going to shut the door on this and, like I said, take all doubt and all questions off the table.
“In this sport, I have very little room for error. I always have the pressure on my side – no matter if I’m the challenger or the champion. But that’s OK because me and my team, we’ve learned how to deal with the pressure. We know how to deal with it. I come here looking forward to bringing back everything that I brought, including those belts. I’m excited. I can’t wait, we’re a couple days away. All of this talking is getting ready to be over. We’re getting ready for my favorite part, which is the fight. June 17. It’s about business, so I did what I had to do the first time. I’m looking to turn it up this time.
“The pressure is always on, man. It comes with my territory and it’s been like this since I’ve been a baby – 16 years old, 17 years old. You get to a point where you don’t run from the pressure, you embrace it. That’s what all the greats do. All I got to do is be myself and that will be enough. Everything else will take care of itself. At the highest level, you’re going to face adversity. It’s not if, it’s when. But the question is how do you respond? We responded like we were supposed to. I’m just looking forward to giving the fans another great fight in a few days here at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on June 17.
“A lot of people talk about the jab and the right hand. But if you look at the second part of the fight, he [Kovalev] wasn’t landing right hands and jabs. He had a good moment and he’s a really great fighter – I’m not taking anything away from him. That’s why I want to face the best, to be the best. Some people thought I won, some people thought I lost. So let’s do it again and that’s the beauty of rematches in this sport. It’s nothing to get defensive about. You just lace it up, do it again and we’ll see what happens.
“I got out of that business a long time ago – trying to prove people wrong – because it’s not an even playing field. I’ve shut guys out – 120-108; 120-107 on the scorecard – and I’ve literally heard grumblings about something. If it’s not this, it’s that. You get to a place where you mature as a man, you mature as an athlete, and you make the decision that ‘I’m going to live my life in the middle.’ I appreciate the praises, but I can’t get too high with those. And the criticisms – I can’t get too low with those. People are entitled to their opinions. Let me just keep doing me and that’s really the best place to be as an athlete.
“Tactically, I obviously want to have a better start and I’m going to have a better start. That’s really what got me in my hole – the start. I’m sure he’s made some adjustments and he’s going to come harder, but I’m ready. I’ve done everything I’m supposed to do. When you prepare the way you’re supposed to – and all the boxes are checked – it’s time to go to work. And I’m going to go to work, having fun and enjoying what I do, and put on a show in the process on June 17.”
Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev – Former Unified Light Heavyweight World Champion
“You know it’s good that he’s believing himself right now, that he’s got the key for me, but he didn’t get the key. He won two rounds against me as empty Kovalev, I remember I was like a heavy bag. Just like a fighter who came in the boxing gym like one month ago. And he’s like right now, ‘oh yeah I beat the Kovalev, but he won with empty Kovalev’.
“For this fight, I definitely had to get in shape, have different emotions and different motivations. I don’t just want to get my belts back and thank boxing fans for the support. I want to thank my haters – they motivate me to keep going. I want to get my belts and I’m here for this.
“Yeah, my fists will say it. I’ve already said enough. I want to say to Team Ward – they’ve said a lot of trash to my side, my team. He will pay for everything; I promise you.
“I appreciate him giving me the opportunity to get my belts back and on June 17 it’s going to be a different fight.
“I was empty one month before the November fight. Ward fought an empty Kovalev. This time I will not be empty – Ward will be fighting Krusher. I had pushed myself so hard in the beginning of training camp that one month out I was empty. I felt so much presser for the fight – my first fight on HBO Pay-Per-View – that I just trained too hard.”
Ward vs. Kovalev 2: “The Rematch,“ a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA Light Heavyweight World Championships, is presented by Roc Nation Sports, Main Events, Andre Ward Promotions, Krusher Promotions and Corona Extra, sponsored by Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Jetlux, Life10 Electrolyte, Zappos, D’USSÉ Cognac, ProSupps and Powered by Monster. The championship event takes place Saturday, June 17 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center 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. Tickets for Ward-Kovalev 2: “The Rematch” are available on axs.com and at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Box Office.
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Training Camp Notes: Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev A Whole New Philosophy
Oxnard, CA: Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-1-1, 26 KOs) has an entirely new training philosophy as he prepares for his highly-anticipated rematch with Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (31-0, 15 KOs) on June 17 live on HBO Pay Per View® at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. He has fired his strength and conditioning coach and has vowed not to make the same mistakes this time around. His new coach, Aleksandr Mikhailovich, has a new philosophy centered around his prior experience working with biathletes.
Kovalev, the 33-year old from Chelyabinsk, Russia, believes he over-trained for his first fight with Ward and, as a result, when he failed to knockout Ward in the early in the bout, the Krusher ran out of steam in the championship rounds. Describing his training regimen for the first fight, he said, “I ran a lot. I did a lot of workouts. I did three workouts a day. I over-trained because I did a lot. I had a conditioning coach and he was scared to say something to me. I don’t know why. He thought if he said to me I would dispute his comment or not pay him money. He is crazy. I was confused myself. I worked with him for the rematch with Jean Pascal. After these next two fights, he killed me: Chilemba and Ward. I said to him bye-bye.”
For the rematch, Kovalev has a brand-new strength and training philosophy that allows him to get the most out of his workouts. Krusher explained, “I do less workout this time to save energy. I spent a lot of energy and a lot of power in my last training camp and I was empty already one month before the fight. I never fought ten rounds of sparring for the last fight of training camp. I maximum, one time, I sparred eight rounds. Already, yesterday, I spar ten rounds. I feel tired but I feel much better than last training camp.”
“I said before my last fight with Andre Ward that I should to get more work, more training and I did it,” said Kovalev. But he realizes now this hurt him in the long run. He continued, “I understand that I made my mistake, big mistake. It’s good experience for me too. But right now, I just try to get back all my training camp experience what I did before the fight with Chilemba. Because Chilemba fight and Andre Ward is the worst two, similar shape. I fought very bad. I looked very tired in both of these fights. Right now, delete this and get back what I did before these two fights and I hope it will bring success June 17.”
His long-time trainer, John David Jackson, had this to say about Kovalev’s conditioning for the rematch: “I noticed that this time around his conditioning coach was a bit different. He has him resting more. The other coach had him doing a lot of things that to me were unnecessary. I don’t get in the way of the conditioning coach’s job and I’m not doing that with this guy, but he seemed more interested in keeping Sergey a little more relaxed and not over-training.”
Ward vs. Kovalev 2: “The Rematch,“ a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA Light Heavyweight World Championships, is presented by Roc Nation Sports, Main Events, Andre Ward Promotions, Krusher Promotions and Corona Extra, sponsored by Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Jetlux, Life10 Electrolyte, Zappos, D’USSÉ Cognac, ProSupps and Powered by Monster. The championship event takes place Saturday, June 17 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center 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. Tickets for Ward-Kovalev 2: “The Rematch” are available on axs.com and at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Box Office. (more…)
