By Norm Frauenheim-
Only the records are similar, almost identical. Unbeaten on one resume. Unbeaten on the other. But that’s where the similarities end.
Sergey Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs) and Andre Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) come from different sides of the globe, grew up speaking different languages and eating different foods.
Then, there are their respective career paths. They began at opposite ends of the professional spectrum in a journey that will put them in the same dangerous place, a ring at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on Nov. 19, in a fight more intriguing than any over the last year-and-a-half.
Ward has the Olympic pedigree, gold in 2004 and the last American man to fight his way on to the medal stand’s top pedestal. When Ward was winning gold, Kovalev was virtually unknown, even at home in Russia.
Ward had fame before he answered his first bell as a pro. Kovalev toiled in anonymity, first in Russia, then North Carolina before anybody in the U.S. could pronounce his name. Now, these light-heavyweights are fighting on equal terms for perhaps the top spot in the pound-for pound debate.
“There’s no A-side and no B-side,’’ Kovalev promoter Kathy Duva of Main Events said this week during a conference call. “It’s two great fighters fighting each other. Sergey holds the titles right now, Ward has held titles in the past. Ward is a legendary fighter; Sergey is trying to become one. …There are certain fights that defy that A-side/B-side description and I think this is one of them.”
Ward, a slight favorite when the bout was announced, is considered the boxer. Kovalev is seen as the puncher. But their assigned roles in an anticipated classic are too simplistic. Both are blessed with ring intelligence as well as an ability to know when and how to adjust.
Kovalev gets the edge in power because he has the better knockout ratio and long, precise right hand as lethal as any in the business. Ward has the edge in boxing skill, in part because he a switch-hitter who seamlessly switches from left to right and back again. Show Ward a style, and he’ll adjust quickly and with chameleon-like subtlety.
The fight is fascinating, because of the psychology. It’s a thinking man’s fight and Kovalev thinks he has the edge.
“For me this is a mental fight,’’ he said. “It’s not who is stronger, but who is smarter and brings best skills into the ring and who is mentally stronger.’’
It’s an old game, one that Ward has played often.
“Mentally, it’s honestly the same to me,’’ he said. “Obviously, there’s a lot at stake and it’s a different challenge moving up in weight, pay-per-view, all of those things make it a little bit different. Whether it’s Alexander Brand or Sergey Kovalev, I approach every situation the same way. I wouldn’t be able to get to this level and stay at this level if I checked in and checked out.
“It’s the same dedication and it’s the same work. For me it’s about trying to be the best in sport where there’s little room for error. I understand that every time I step into the ring and leads to me making sure I prepare accordingly.’’
But the HBO pay-per-view bout ranks as a potential favorite among thinking fight fans because of that anticipated moment, or moments full adjustments and counter adjustments. To wit: Puncher becomes boxer; boxer becomes puncher.
Duva suggests that Kovalev might have an edge because of his life experience in an industrial corner of Russia
“I’ve seen Sergey demonstrate his mental toughness time and time again,’’ she said. “He’s been through more adversity in his life than most fighters have ever even contemplated. I’m aware that Ward has faced adversity, but I never heard Sergey talk about how boxing is a sacrifice, where we frequently hear from Ward about how it is. Sergey’s attitude towards boxing has always been, ‘Oh wow, this is a great opportunity and I’m so happy I’m doing it.’
“I know he has tough times and there’s days at the gym where he probably doesn’t feel that way. But his attitude has always been about loving his work, and loving what he’s doing. He can’t wait for the fight to start. He works hard because he wants to be the best. It’s not just his mental toughness, it’s his mental attitude, I think it’s very positive and I think that’s the thing that carries him.
“That and the chip on his shoulder. That has been there forever. Just wanting to prove he’s the best. You take that combination of work ethic, and chip on his shoulder and focus like a laser, and then loving what he’s doing. Sometimes, when he gets in the ring, he looks like he’s about to have a steak. That’s the kind of look on his face. I think that’s part of what makes it so much fun to watch him.”
The counter is Ward’s life experience, told for the first time in a poignant HBO documentary. Ward lost his dad.
“This is the first time that I really, really opened up,’’ he said. “From my standpoint, I’m a private person, Number One. Number Two, I’ve always wanted to respect my mom and dad. My dad was a dying addict. My mother is doing well right now and I’ve always seen the rags to riches, the kids that come from the ghetto, and I didn’t want to come into the game with that type of story preceding me.
“I wanted it to be about who I was as a person, about my talent, my ability. Then I felt like at the right time I’ll start to open up about it. It took twelve years. I’ve been a professional for almost twelve years now and it kind of got me going, where I just started to feel content with myself. I feel like my supporters and my fans know me and know part of my story. But I felt it was important to open up and pull back the curtain and let them know it hasn’t always been easy.’’
No, it hasn’t. Not for either fighter. Both have been tested and tempered by different kinds of adversity that has brought them to a time and place that might be defining.
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