Las Vegas, Nevada: On November 19, Curtis “Cerebral Assassin” Stevens (28-5, 21 KOs) will attempt to defend his WBA Continental Americas Middleweight Title against James “The King” De La Rosa (23-4, 13 KOs) in a 10-round bout which kicks off the Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” HBO Pay-Per-View telecast live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Below is the scouting report for this exciting match-up:

Category
Curtis “The Cerebral Assassin” Stevens
“King” James De La Rosa
Age
31
28
Record
28-5 (21 KOs)
23-4 (13 KOs)
Strength
Curtis is a power-puncher that can end the fight with any punch he throws. He has plenty of experience and has fought better opposition than his opponent.
James has quick hands and is fast on his feet. He is a brave fighter who has never turned down a fight. He also has faced a number of current and former ranked opposition in his young career.
Weakness
Stevens has been somewhat inactive, his recent victory in May of this year was his first time in a boxing ring since 2014. He also has a tendency to not let his hands go, which could be costly when fighting De La Rosa who is in a must-win situation.
Similar to his opponent, James has been somewhat inactive with only one fight since 2014. He also has a suspect chin; he’s been stopped once in his career. He will have to tighten up his defense when facing a heavy-handed puncher in Curtis Stevens.
Experience
He is a young, but seasoned veteran. Curtis has been on the biggest stage of them all when he came up short in a title bout against GGG and he also holds a TKO come-from-behind win over current top-rated contender Tureano Johnson.
Other than his recent inactivity, James was an active fighter for the majority of his career. He earned a clear-cut decision win over former title-contender Alfredo Angulo in his most recent win.
Power
Curtis has knockout power in both hands; if he connects clean with any punch it can be a game-changer at any time.
King James is more of a technical boxer who relies more on his speed than power.
Speed
Curtis turns it up a notch when he smells blood. He shows off his quick hands and savage-like combinations.
James is naturally lighter in weight and will be sure to use his quick feet and fast hands to attempt to take Stevens out of his rhythm.
Endurance
Stevens is a young veteran who has proven his endurance; he has gone 10 rounds on four separate occasions and 12 rounds twice.
De La Rosa has proven that he can go the distance without an issue. He has gone a full 10 rounds on six different occasions.
Accuracy
If Curtis can work his way to the inside, then he may be able to utilize some accurate bodywork.
King is an accurate fighter with a sharp jab and solid left hook. If he can keep his composure and put his punches together, his accuracy can become a problem for anyone.
Defense
Curtis’s best defense has been his offense. He often finds himself in situations in which his opponents are running from him rather than running towards him.
James is quick on his feet and moves around well. He will need to double-up on his jab, as he has done in the past, in order to keep his opponent from breaking through his guard.
Chin
Although Curtis has been stopped in his career, he has a solid chin. He has been knocked down from some big shots by big punchers and has gotten back to his feet.
His chin has been an issue throughout the past couple of years. He has been stopped once in his career and has been knocked down multiple times.
Style
Curtis is a no-nonsense, in-your-face power-puncher who is always looking to end the night early rather than to drag it out.
King James is a slick boxer who gets very busy with his jab. Although he is not a heavy puncher, he is a brave fighter who likes to engage.
Intangibles
Curtis is a fighter who, at one time, was written-off by critics of the sport. However, he continues to rise to the occasion and beat the odds. After a lengthy layoff, Curtis returned with a bang this past May when he defeated previously undefeated prospect Patrick Teixeira with a brutal second round TKO. He is willing to take on any top-rated middleweight but none are willing to accept his challenge. So he decided he would rather be in the ring than on the sideline waiting for someone to step up.
At one point in time King James was a highly regarded prospect. He experienced some minor bumps in the road but is eager to get his name back in the mix. After two consecutive losses to highly regarded prospect Hugo Centeno Jr and Jason Quigley, James would not even consider a tune-up fight. He believes in his abilities and has chosen an opponent who many other top middleweights are avoiding. He understands the challenge of facing a seasoned veteran and big puncher like Stevens, but he is focused on the possibilities that lie ahead if he wins.
Crowd Support
Curtis is a fan-friendly fighter and does his best to provide fans with the knockouts they love to see.
De La Rosa has fought in Las Vegas on four separate occasions, including his recent bout.
The Match-up
1. Will Curtis look past this fight and look to bigger fights on the horizon?
2. Will James be able to pull the upset like he did with Angulo?
3. Will Curtis be able to cut off the ring and not fall into fighting Delarosa’s fight?
4. Will Delarosa be able to handle Curtis’ power?

According to Main Events’ matchmaker and 2015 NABF Matchmaker of the Year Jolene Mizzone, “Curtis Stevens could be looking ahead at the bigger fights with the likes of Canelo Alvarez, David Lemieux, Billy Joe Sanders, to name a few and de la Rosa is looking to come in and put a stop to those big plans. When a fighter like de la Rosa doesn’t hesitate to accept a fight I wonder, ‘What does he know that I don’t know?!’ Curtis needs to make sure he doesn’t fall into the trap of looking past de la Rosa.”

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Monster Products, JetLux and Zappos. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.
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Las Vegas, NV (November 15, 2016) – NABO Junior Welterweight Champion Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker (21-0-2, 16 KOs) and Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Claressa “T-Rex” Shields participated in a media workout in Las Vegas, NV on Monday, Nov. 14, ahead of their undercard appearances on Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” taking place Saturday, Nov. 19 at T-Mobile Arena.

Shields, who will be making her professional debut against American rival Franchon Crews, will be featured on the freeview telecast beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT on the Pay-Per-View events channel prior to the official telecast, and through livestreaming on HBO Boxing’s YouTube channel.

Hooker, who will be defending his NABO title against veteran Darleys Perez (33-2-1, 21 KOs), will be featured during the televised undercard leading up to the main event on HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Both fighters put on a display of mitt work, heavy bag, speed bag and shadow boxing for the media in attendance. Below is what the rising stars had to say during the media workout:

Maurice Hooker, NABO Junior Welterweight Champion:

“Kovalev-Ward is a special event. I’m going to do what I do best and hopefully, steal the crowd. The crowd is going to love me…they love knockouts, and that is what I am ready to give them.

“Aaron Pryor is one of the best. He brought a lot of knockouts. He was a great fighter whom a lot of people dodged. Like him, I’m coming into this fight with people dodging me. They are afraid because they don’t know what I can do. This fight means a lot…an opportunity to show them who I am. I am going to bring the knockout just like ‘The Hawk’ would.”

“I want to stay busy. I want to fight Ricky Burns and Eduard Troyanovsky and win ‘em belts. Shout out to my big bro Terrance Crawford. He’s doing his thing. Hopefully, he gets a fight with Pacquiao, move up and let me take over.

“My prediction for Saturday is a knockout. I love knockouts. I am always going for the knockout. With every punch that I throw, even the jab, I am going to try to take Darleys Perez’s head off.”

Claressa Shields, Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist:
“I’ll have been in camp for seven weeks. I’m excited. I’m ready to take on this new task of being a professional fighter and ultimately, winning a belt.

“When deciding to go pro, I thought about my legacy—I didn’t want to disappear for four years, and win another gold medal but have people not know my name or what I look like or how I box.

“Expect to see a really good fight, a very skilled fight from me, this Saturday. The world is going to see a level of boxing that no woman boxer has ever showed before. I’m a smart fighter. I’m an entertaining fighter. I throw everything well and have great combinations.

“Franchon Crews and I have sparred and boxed before in huge tournaments. She’s coming into this fight fully prepared and I’ve been training for a KO. In the amateurs, my overall record was 77-1 but I’ve never KO’d anyone. Now, we have smaller gloves, no headgear and I’m way stronger than I’ve ever been. This is a different kind of pro debut. This should actually be a World Championship fight between me and Franchon Crews but somehow, she took it for a pro debut.

“I love boxing. That’s why I commit my time and body. I look forward to fighting in front of all the fight fans. I have friends, family, fans from all over flying into Vegas just to see me fight, so hopefully I can pack the house before the main event.”

Follow Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker on Twitter @mightymohooker, Instagram @mauricemightymohooker and Facebook: www.facebook.com/mauricemightymohooker/.

Follow Claressa Shields on Twitter @ClaressaShields, Instagram @ClaressaShields, and Facebook: www.facebook.com/claressa.shields.7.

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Zappos and JetLux. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

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Pensacola, Florida: As Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba (24-4-2, 10 KOs) prepares to attempt to reclaim the NABF Light Heavyweight Title from Oleksandr “The Nail” Gvozdyk (11-0, 9 KOs) live on the Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” HBO Pay-Per-View undercard from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada he will have former four-division world champion Roy Jones Jr. in his corner for the first time. Below Jones assesses the match-up and his observations of the young Malawi native:

Question: Does Chilemba’s performance against Kovalev give him more confidence going into this fight?

Roy Jones Jr: “Oh yes, most definitely. Kovalev had been crushing everybody and he didn’t get crushed so it has to give him confidence.”

Q: Chilemba has almost three times as many fights as Gvozdyk. How big of an advantage is this?

RJ: “It’s not a big advantage because Gvozdyk probably has three times more fights than Chilemba does in amateurs. These Eastern European guys have so many more amateur fights than we do. They fight from when they’re small and they go through schools and everything. These guys are very, very high-tech when it comes to being skilled in the ring in the sport of boxing so he probably has a little bit more experience if you add up the fights over the years.”

Q: What must Chilemba do in this fight in order to win?

RJ: “He’s got to disrupt Gvozdyk. He can’t let Gvozdyk fight at his own pace. He can’t let Gvozdyk constantly push him backwards so he’s gotta make Gvozdyk change, make Gvozdyk do things he does not like to do.”

Q: What must Chilemba prevent Gvozdyk from doing or take away from him in order to win?

RJ: “Chilemba must prevent Gvozdyk’s control of the power of the jab and setting up the big right hand.”

Q: Do you think, now that you are working with Chilemba, if he defeats Gvozdyk he should be entitled to a rematch with Sergey?

RJ: “Of course, of course he should. Chilemba deserves a rematch with Sergey.”

Q: What are Chilemba’s biggest strengths and weaknesses. How are you working to correct them?

RJ: “His feet are his biggest strength. His feet are very good, he can be very elusive. And his biggest tool is his straight right hand. His weakness is that he had a lack of punching power because he wasn’t turning his shoulder, turning his body with his punches. We are fixing that, working on it right now.”

Q: As a former light heavyweight world champion, what are your observations on the Kovalev-Ward fight?

RJ: “Very good fight. Best fight of boxing today. I look forward to seeing it. To me it’s one of the best fights we had in boxing in years as far as guys being in their prime, being the two best in the division. That is just a great fight. A great fight for boxing.”

Q: How would you break down this match-up?

RJ: “No I don’t have a prediction. Andre Ward hasn’t been beaten in a long time, and if there was a guy that could beat him, there is the guy, so…”

Q: Which fighter, Kovalev or Ward, would have given you the best fight when you were 175-pound world champion?

RJ: “Both of them would be really good fights, very hard fights to fight. Very different fights to fight. My hand speed maybe would be better against both of them but they’d be tough guys to fight. Kovalev because of the power and Ward because of his mentality, he’s a very smart guy in the ring. Very hard fights, but speed factor is probably what I would use to get both of them beat.”

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Zappos, JetLux and Monster Products. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

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Toledo, Ohio (November 14, 2016) – Undefeated fighters super lightweight Sonny “Pretty Boi” Fredrickson (14-0, 9 KO’s) and featherweight Tyler “Golden Child” McCreary (11-0, 6 KO’s) will see action on November 19, as part of the highly-anticipated Light Heavyweight Unification showdown between Sergey Kovalev and Andre Ward at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Fredrickson and McCreary, both natives of Toledo, Ohio, will both perform on their biggest stage to date. The two will be featured on the Kovalev-Ward freeview telecast which begins at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT on the Pay-Per-View events channel prior to the official telecast, and to be announced cable, satellite, and telco channels. The freeview will also be available through livestreaming on HBO Boxing’s YouTube channel.

Fredrickson will fight Gabriel Duluc (11-1, 2 KO’s) while McCreary will battle Vincent Jennings (5-2-1, 4 KO’s).

“I’m thrilled that my fight will be offered to fans as part of the freeview telecast,” said Frederickson. “I have been on previous Andre Ward cards, but this one will be especially meaningful since it’s also my first fight in Las Vegas.”

Fredrickson, who is looking to make a big statement in front of a large crowd and packed media contingent, also added, “I have fought in front of a lot of people before and hopefully, this leads television fights and big opportunities. I want to thank my promoter Roc Nation Sports for allowing me the opportunity to shine on this incredible stage, my team at Victory Sports & Entertainment and also to Andre Ward for all his help and guidance. This is a big steppingstone for me and in 2017, I expect to move up in the rankings and take my career to the next level.”

McCreary, who is also eager about the opportunity, stated, “This is a big opportunity for me and I wanted to thank my team and my promoter Roc Nation Sports. I have been training hard and am excited to showcase my skills on this big stage. I am ready to show everyone that I can to rise to the occasion. It’s also exciting for me to fight on Andre Ward’s undercard. He and I have become friends since we met last year at the Cotto-Canelo fight, and he has become a mentor to me, so I am very thankful to be on this fight card.”

“We are very excited to have both Sonny Frederickson and Tyler McCreary fight on, arguably, the biggest card of the year,” said Rick Torres, President of Victory Sports & Entertainment. “We know that the Kovalev-Ward fight will produce a great battle and look forward to two of our young guns getting the fireworks started earlier in the evening. Both have been training very hard for this and are looking forward to putting on great fights as they take the next steps in their careers. Fans at home, especially those in Toledo, who tune in early can see both on the freeview telecast. All of this couldn’t be possible without Roc Nation Sports and we’re very appreciative of the commitment and confidence they have shown in Sonny Frederickson and Tyler McCreary.”

ABOUT VICTORY SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Founded in 2013 by President Rick Torres and Chief Operating Officer Michael Leanardi, Victory Sports & Entertainment is an athlete management company with offices in New York and Las Vegas.

By Bart Barry–

Here’s what’s going to happen Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on HBO pay-per-view: American Andre “SOG” Ward will fight Russian Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev for the light-heavyweight championship of the world. Ward will verb, Kovalev will verb, and adjective noun will fight adverb until Noun has won a bloody, brutal noun.

In our new postfactual world what matters indeed more than everything else is what one witnesses with his own senses and experiences with her own emotions, and that courts the most attractive element of this fight: Aficionados do not, for once in years and years, have any certainty who will win a pay-per-view main event and have a chance to experience catharsis. Let us rejoice in that before we project a myriad of unrelated grievances on this combat spectacle. It’s OK to rejoice for once, really it is, without fixating on what is known or insisted by others.

Here, I’ll go first: I didn’t see Andre Ward grow up in a biracial home, and therefore don’t much care that it happened; I did not experience the Nagasakis-worth of radiation dumped in Lake Karachay, 100 km northwest of Sergey Kovalev’s hometown, and therefore don’t care much that it happened; I care deeply about what each man will do to the other with his fists and very little about why.

Is that a loss of empathy? No it is not. Empathy is a connection with another creature one experiences genuinely and spontaneously in the presence of that other creature; one does not successfully plan empathy; whatever sadness one feels for a stranger on social media is sympathy, not empathy, and thus open to entire industries committed to its manufacture and monetization. Such pitches are all a way of gaming others’ emotions, and one of the many admirable things about both these men is how little they’ve sold autobiography and identity in lieu of violence. Recently we’ve got more identity from them than before but that is attributable to a couple things: 1. Dreadful competition – since a tremendous stoppage of Chad Dawson four years ago Ward’s resume is, in a word, embarrassing; since making a signature win of a 50-year-old in 2014 Kovalev mostly has marked time and cashed checks – and 2. Floyd Mayweather taught HBO and the rest of the boxing industry this is how fights are sold (some department at Time Warner, we can be sure, has metrics and models, polling in effect, that prove this – and we now know how much more trustworthy big data is than intuition, don’t we?).

No aficionado is going to buy Saturday’s match because of post-Soviet food shortages or drug addiction in Oakland but, one theory goes, if we can get enough sentimentality in the eyes of casual sportsfans perhaps we can flush from his burrow that millionth pay-per-viewer who went underground the morning of May 3, 2015, and anyway aficionados aren’t going anywhere – which is true so long as you don’t keep count or, better yet, don’t publish the count (expect those Pacquiao-Vargas numbers right about the time we get the Cotto-Malignaggi tally).

The best Ward beats the best Kovalev every time they fight from now till their 50th birthdays, but will the best Ward be there to swap hands with Kovalev or will Ward’s weightgain and aforementioned competition send somebody less in the ring? Not if Ward has any say about it, one assumes, and Ward does but perhaps not so much as he and his trainer believe. Ward fetishizes control the way Mayweather did, for much the same reasons, though Ward’s control appears more self-directed than Mayweather’s, which often manifested itself in the way he handicapped and selected opponents – there’s no way in this life or the next Mayweather, in Ward’s position, would have acquiesced to a prime Kovalev.

So long as Ward is in control of himself in the ring Saturday Kovalev has very little chance of doing enough to win this fight. And there just isn’t enough unpredictable in Kovalev to believe otherwise will happen; he outworked old Bernard in every round, sure, but he didn’t hurt him and didn’t surprise him and that’s a problem because while there is no reason to believe Hopkins is a better prizefighter than Ward – greater, yes, but not better – there’s plenty of reason to believe Ward is 19 years younger than Hopkins. That matter of age is important because it speaks to activity, and relentlessness is the reason most intelligently given by those intelligent folks who believe Kovalev may beat Ward.

There’s an argument to be made for Kovalev’s power, too, perhaps, but reports of Kovalev hitting proportionally harder at 175 pounds than Mikkel Kessler or Carl Froch or Allan Green or Arthur Abraham hit at 168 do not feel credible, and Ward took shots from each of those guys and didn’t buckle a bit, so this old adage will favor SOG: Fighters gain weight on their chins more than their fists. Kovalev is sound and mean but not particularly imaginative and he’ll need to show imagination when Ward gets on his chest and wrestles him and fouls him and puts him in an honest-to-goodness fight.

Does Kovalev have the means, the will and fortitude and energy, to react courageously and violently to Ward’s provocation? Yes, and then some. That reaction will be part of Ward’s plan, though, and what happens next is what makes this the most compelling fight of 2016.

I think Ward pieces him up, KO-12.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Oxnard, California: As WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev prepares to face Andre “S.O.G.” Ward live on HBO Pay-Per-View from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada he will once again have former two-time world champion John David Jackson in his corner. Kovalev and Jackson have worked together for several years and all of Kovalev’s big-time fights. Below Jackson breaks down Kovalev’s keys to victory:

Question: What is the one thing Kovalev has to accomplish in the ring in order to beat Ward?

John David Jackson: “In order to beat Ward, Sergey has to be able to cut the ring off. He has to make Ward engage and if Ward engages he will make himself vulnerable and leave himself open to the counter-punches. Sergey also has to beat his body down and make Ward, as the rounds go by, depleted of his energy. Then he will get him late with a knockout.”

Q: What is the one thing that Kovalev has to prevent Ward from doing in order to beat Ward?

JDJ: “What Sergey has to prevent Ward from doing is getting into a trap of falling behind in rounds. He can’t let Ward get two, three, four, five, six rounds ahead where he is behind the eight ball trying to play catch-up. Sergey has to come out of the gate and establish his power, his strength and his boxing abilities. If he does not win the first three rounds, he at least has to keep him even, so down the stretch as he begins to deplete Ward of his power, he will get him with either a late-round knockout or dominate the later rounds and win by decision. He cannot let Ward get ahead early and have to try to play catch-up.”

Q: You have said that non-American fighters are hungrier than American fighters. Do you still adhere to that, and, if so, does it apply to the Kovalev-Ward fight?

JDJ: “I still stand by that. To a degree, most American fighters today aren’t really that hungry. The European fighters that come from Russia or Germany they are hungry because their lifestyle and their way of living is a little bit harsher. Either you are rich or you are poor in Russia. There is no middle ground. There are no subsidies from the government to help you out. You are either rich or you are poor and that is what makes these fighters hungry. I still believe in that. A lot of these guys who come from European countries, they are hungry. They don’t have the advantages that we have in America. I still believe that they are hungry and they are more dedicated at least in the beginning of their careers when they first get here.”

Q: What is Kovalev’s biggest advantage in this fight?

JDJ: “Kovalev’s biggest visible advantage is his punching power. Power like his is God-given. You either have it or you don’t and he has it. He may not look like he is strong but he has tremendous punching power. That is definitely his biggest advantage. His second biggest advantage is he is a better boxer than most people give him credit for.”

Q: Does Ward have an advantage in any area in this fight?

JDJ: “Ward has an advantage in ring generalship. Ward is a very intelligent, smart fighter. He has had to win most of his battles with ring smarts. He has had to be able to be evasive and able to avoid the big shots. He does that very well along with his grabbing tactics. He suffocates his opponents so they can’t punch. Those are Ward’s biggest advantages. He is able to deflect a lot of your strengths while exposing a lot of your weaknesses. His advantage is that he is a very smart, tactical ring fighter. He uses ring generalship to his advantage. Up to this point in his career it has worked for him but I think with Sergey’s power and ring generalship it is going to be a different night for Ward. I think he is going to taste defeat for the first time since he was 12 years old.”

Q: You have said that Ward has several disadvantages-suspect chin, lack of power and three major mistakes he makes and hasn’t and can’t correct. Is this still your opinion?

JDJ: “Ward has three major mistakes but I cannot reveal them until fight night. On November 19 we will see if he has corrected them. Ward still made mistakes in his last two fights. He is past his prime. He is on the downward decline. Some have said that so is Sergey but Sergey is a puncher. His decline will not be as visible as Ward’s will be. We will find out on fight night if Ward has corrected any of the mistakes I have seen him make in prior fights. That will be the tell-tale sign. As far as his suspect chin, if Sergey hits him flush that question will be answered right away because Ward will go down like a ton of bricks. As for lack of power, if Ward tries to prove that he has power now, that would work to our advantage because it means he will have to stand there and try to engage with Sergey. That is really what Ward doesn’t want to do.”

Q: You have said that Kovalev will win within the 12-round distance. Is this still your prediction, Kovalev by KO or TKO?

JDJ: “Let’s just say that I predict that Kovalev will win, by knockout or by decision. Hopefully, for the fans, the win will come by knockout but I believe Sergey can also win by decision. Sergey is a very good boxer. He is a very good technician. He knows how to box. Sergey is also very well-schooled from his amateur days and now as a pro. He has better boxing skills than people realize. Can he win by decision? Yes, he can. Will he win by decision? I hope not. I hope he knocks this kid out and cements his pound-for-pound number one rating.”

Q: If or when Kovalev wins, can there be any doubt that he is, unquestionably, the best fighter in the world pound-for-pound?

JDJ: No doubt. If Sergey wins, he is the best fighter pound-for-pound.

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Zappos, JetLux and Monster Products. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

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Las Vegas, Nevada – NABO Junior Welterweight Champion Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker (21-0-2, 16 KOs) of Dallas, Texas, took “training camp” on the road in prep of a ten-round title defense against former world titlist Darleys Perez (33-2-1, 21 KOs). Hooker-Perez is set as the lead-up undercard fight to the main event on HBO Pay-Per-View’s Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” on Saturday, Nov. 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Beginning with pre-training camp at his home gym, Maple Avenue Boxing Gym in Dallas, TX, Mighty Mo’s stops on the road included Maple Avenue’s West San Diego facility, the Institute for Human Kinetics in Southern California, as well as the Salas Boxing Academy and Johnny Tocco’s Ringside Gym in Las Vegas. In addition to training at some of boxing’s most renowned gyms, the Roc Nation Sports boxing sparkplug has also sparred with rising talents Devin Haney, Thomas Hill, Nick Frese, Marco Hall and WBO/WBC Super Lightweight Champion Terence Crawford.

Before heading into fight week, Hooker will co-host a media workout with Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Claressa Shields, who will be making her professional debut on the Kovalev-Ward fight card. The media workout will take place at 12:00 p.m. PT at Never Quit Boxing Gym – 2975 South Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV.

“It’s been a privilege to train at some of the best facilities and with some of boxing’s brightest and upcoming talents,” said Hooker. “I’m always about improving myself so that fans get the best from me when I show up in the ring. I’m fighting in Vegas and HBO Pay-Per-View for the first time and carrying a lot of pride for Dallas and the whole state of Texas.”

“Maurice Hooker is very excited to be making his Las Vegas debut on the Kovalev-Ward fight card and is particularly looking forward to representing Dallas, Texas as the first of its native boxers to be featured on a HBO Pay-Per-View show,” said trainer Vince Parra. “There is a group of very talented fighters where Mo is from and he is about to elevate them on the map. He’s dynamic, he’s exciting and he’s someone to watch.”

Follow Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker on Twitter @mightymohooker, Instagram @mauricemightymohooker and Facebook: www.facebook.com/mauricemightymohooker/.

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Monster Products, JetLux and Zappos. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

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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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Oxnard, California: As knockout artist Curtis “The Cerebral Assassin” Stevens (28-5, 21 KOs) prepares to face James “The King” De La Rosa (23-4, 13 KOs) on the live HBO Pay-Per-View undercard of Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” he once again has teamed up with world-renowned trainer, John David Jackson.

Stevens, 31 of Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York is known for his one-punch knockout power. For years he climbed through the ranks of the middleweight division with ease. Then after a couple of setbacks he reassessed his entire strategy. For his most recent bout against Patrick Teixeira on the Canelo-Khan HBO Pay-Per-View undercard he worked with former two-division world champion John David Jackson. Stevens stopped Teixeira in the second round to secure the upset victory and the WBC Continental Americas Middleweight Title. The victory over Teixeira catapulted Curtis back into the rankings of all four major sanctioning bodies. On Nov. 19 Stevens and Jackson will team up again this time to face 28-year old Mexico native James “The King” De La Rosa on the Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” HBO Pay-Per-View undercard.

Making fights for Stevens has not come easy for Main Events’ matchmaker and 2015 NABF Matchmaker of the Year Jolene Mizzone who said, “Curtis is always mentioned with the top-ten fighters in the middleweight division but when it comes to actually making a fight with him, no one will ever sign on the dotted line! A lot of fighters talk a big game when it comes to a fight with Stevens but De La Rosa was the only one who stepped up and took the fight. Kudos to De La Rosa for accepting.”

When asked what makes fighters so scared to face him, Stevens said, “I think people are afraid that I am with John now. I believe they don’t want to get hit. They know I hit hard and they know now I am more focused than ever. Me and John are like peanut butter and jelly. John tells me to be more relaxed and that the knockout will come. I take every fight seriously. There are no easy fights. I just have to go in there and do what I do. Once again I can showcase my talent. I just need to go in there and do what I do – check in and check out.

In his first fight with Jackson, Stevens demonstrated great power in both hands. Jackson explained, “Most people when they look at Curtis all they see is a tremendous left hook but he has a tremendous right hand also. I wanted him to start using that right and in his last fight he knocked the kid out with his right hand. He showed the fans that night that he has power in both hands. He is a two-handed fighter with a two-handed attack. Most people look at him as a left-hook artist but they need to realize he has a right hand and he can use both of them. I was happy with what he did against Teixeira. He was working on it every day in camp and come fight night he let his hands go. Curtis is a very intelligent fighter.”

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Monster Products, JetLux and Zappos. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

Fans can catch the freeview telecast beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT on the Pay-Per-View events channel prior to the official telecast, and to be announced cable, satellite, and telco channels. The freeview will also be available through live streaming on HBO Boxing’s YouTube channel.
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Las Vegas, NV (November 10, 2016) – In the lead up to Sergey Kovalev vs. Andre Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title on November 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the undercard will round out a 10-bout card filled with some of the best young boxing prospects.

Opening the card will be middleweight Meiirim “Sultan”Nursultanov of Merki, Kazakhstan, making his pro debut. Nursultanov, now residing in Oxnard, CA, is managed by Egis Klimas, and recently signed by Main Events. He will be taking on Henry Beckford (4-5, 1 KO) of Hempstead, NY, in a six-round bout.

Bakhram Murtazaliev (6-0, 4 KO’s) of Grozny, Russia and close friend of Kovalev is coming off a second round knockout over Magomedkamil Musaev. He will be featured in an eight-round middleweight bout against Botirsher Obidov (6-0-1, 2 KO’s) of Anijan, Uzbekistan. This will be his first fight outside of his homeland of Russia.

Opening up the freeview telecast, beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT on the Pay-Per-View events channel prior to the official telecast, will be an eight-round junior welterweight bout featuring the undefeated Sonny “Pretty Boi” Fredrickson (14-0, 9KO’s) of Toledo, OH, who is coming off of an a slugfest with Puerto Rican veteran Ramesis Gil. Fredrickson will take on Gabriel Deluc (11-1, 2 KO’s) of Boston, MA, in an eight-round showdown.

The freeview will also be available through live streaming on HBO Boxing’s YouTube channel.

Another Toledo native, Tyler “Golden Child” McCreary (11-0, 6 KO’s), who is coming off a unanimous decision win, will go toe-to-toe with Vincent “Pooh Bear” Jennings (5-2-1, 4 KO’s), of Grand Rapids, MI, in an eight-round featherweight bout. Jennings is determined to get his record back on track, but he will face his toughest test to date in McCreary.

In the spotlight fight on the freeview telecast, Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist (2012, 2016) Claressa “T-Rex” Shields of Flint, MI, will make her pro debut. Shields is set to face decorated fellow American Franchon “The Heavy Hitting Diva” Crews in a four-round middleweight bout, with each round timed at two-minutes. This will not be the first time the two have faced off. In their first matchup, Shields upset Crews, the top-ranked American women middleweight, during the 2012 Olympic Trials, the first U.S. team trials for women’s boxing. Crews will also be making her pro debut.

Just before going live on HBO Pay-Per-View, there will be a four-round heavyweight bout featuring undefeated prospect Darmani “Rock Solid” Rock (5-0, 4 KO’s) of the fighting city of Philadelphia. Rock recently scored a technical knockout victory in the third round on Oct. 22 and is wasting no time getting back into the ring. Facing off with Rock will be Brice Ritani-Coe (4-4-1, 3 KO’s). The Vegas resident, originally of San Pedro, CA, will be on the hunt for his fourth knockout.

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Monster Products, JetLux and Zappos. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

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Kathy Duva: “Hello everyone, welcome. We are now, I can’t believe it, just a week and a half away from the most exciting, the most compelling and the most competitive fight of 2016, and probably the last two or three years while we’re at it. We are just beside ourselves here. We are exhausted because everyone has been working so hard, but it’s a great feeling. I can’t compliment the fighters enough for stepping up and making boxing what it’s supposed to be and what it used to be, a sport that involved people competing in fights where we didn’t know the outcome. This is a 50-50 fight and we’re starting to feel the buzz and excitement. I want to thank all of you for participating today and I hope to see you all in Las Vegas very soon.”
Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev: “Hello everybody, I’m glad to be here.”
Egis Klimas: “I just want to say hello to everybody. I want to thank Sergey Kovalev for making this appearance for this fight and bringing us to this level. He’s the man and he’s the one who brought us here and he’s the reason we are all here on the line. I just want to thank Sergey and welcome everybody to this phone call. Thank you very much.”
John David Jackson: “I just want to thank everybody for being here and I want all of the fans to come out and watch this fight, it’s a great fight between two very good fighters. It’s definitely a fight for the fans to see, so thanks everybody for participating.”
Q: Do you consider Andre Ward to be the best fighter you’ve ever faced?
Sergey Kovalev: “We’ll find out on November 19. I don’t know, but I think so, yes.”
Q: Sometimes Andre Ward brawls, sometimes he boxes. What do you expect him to do in this fight and how are you prepared for his different strategy?
Sergey Kovalev: “I don’t have any different strategy, my strategy is just the one, any cost to get the victory over him. He’s right now in my way to my goals and to my dreams and I should to do my job and fight for my goals and for my dreams. I want to destroy him.”
Q: Have you done anything differently in training to prepare for Andre?
Sergey Kovalev: “Why should I do something different if what I did before gave me success? I followed my same training camp as usual and it should get me in great shape for November 19.”
Q: “Do you think this fight will get you first place in the pound for pound rankings?”
Sergey Kovalev: “I don’t think about what will be after the fight. I have focused my whole attention on this fight and Ward and what I should do inside the ring. We’ll see about this after the fight.”
Q: Do you expect this to be a wrestling fight or a war?
Sergey Kovalev: “Of course this fight is an opportunity for both of us to show the boxing world who is the best pound for pound. I’m sure he will be there to do everything he can to get the victory over me and it’s the same for me. It’s going to be a war between us. Who is the best boxer and who is the best athlete?”
Q: What do you think makes you the more mentally tough boxer in this fight?
Sergey Kovalev: “I think this is most important thing. For me this is a mental fight. It’s not who is stronger, but who is smarter and brings best skills into the ring and who is mentally stronger. If I happen to knock him out, it will be a bonus for boxing fans and for me myself.”
Kathy Duva: “I’ve seen Sergey demonstrate his mental toughness time and time again. 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 of just wanting to prove that 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 kind of the look on his face. I think that’s part of what makes it so much fun to watch him.”
John David Jackson: “I agree with what Kathy Duva. It’s his upbringing. Growing up in Russia, the hard time that he’s been through I think that’s what makes him the more mentally tougher fighter. That and his desire to be champion and stay champion. He loves the lime light and the adulation that he gets, but I think he’s the mentally tougher fighter and the mentally stronger fighter.”
Q: Does that make it tougher or easier for you to work with him sometimes?
John David Jackson: “A little bit of both. Sergey knows what he wants to do and his plan is already set. I just work off what he wants to do. In the ring he knows what he wants to do as all fighters should know what they want to do. For me it could be hard sometimes when his mindset is set on one thing. But I make it a little bit easier because I allow him to do what he wants and work off what he wants to do and that makes him a better fighter.”
Q: Kovalev has been with you for four and a half years. Can you describe your thoughts from when you first saw him and nobody wanted to sign him to where you are now?
Kathy Duva: “From the moment I saw him in Bethlehem I immediately imagined him being the best fighter in the division. I thought it at that second. I remember Russell Peltz coming up to me saying who wouldn’t you put this guy in with and I couldn’t think of anyone. To be where we are now, in a position to become number one in the world, this is the dream. Main Events has worked with some tremendous fighters and we’ve had some really good runs, but for the most part those were guys that came with Olympic medals and nobody was really surprised when they succeeded. To take Sergey from the point where nobody in Russia knew who he was, where he has never been given a leg up by anybody, where nobody wanted to even look at him to take him where he is today, I have to say, and we at Main Events couldn’t do that with anybody, but when a person came along with the skill and the desire to do it, it was the perfect marriage for us. Sergey gets to show his abilities and talents and Main Events to have the ability to know exactly how to move him perfectly. This is kind of the opportunity that I have been waiting for for a very long time, to prove myself, to prove my staff, to prove my company that we were still there and we could do this and I think we gave Sergey the opportunity to prove what he can do. It was a beautiful thing and meant to be.”
Q: “Ward was expected to be here, he was a gold medalist from the United States, he had a big signing bonus. We hear Andre talk about the sacrifice of boxing whereas with Kovalev this is a great opportunity to box. Andre was expected to be here from day one, maybe Sergey expected it from himself, but it’s a surprise to everybody else, do you think there’s something to that?”
Kathy Duva: “I think there is and I think you make a good point. Even when it comes to the job of making this event work and promoting it, Sergey has taken the attitude from the start that this is my job, this is my opportunity and I’m not going to have any regrets when it’s over so I’m going to do everything I have to do. I think we worked really hard to manage that load for him so it doesn’t interfere with his training. In the brief time I’ve worked with Ward the attitude is different, it’s not hey I’m really happy you’re all paying attention to me, it’s ok we’ll make a list of what we’ll do. I think when it’s always come to you and there have been people standing around you with lights and cameras from the start there’s a natural tendency to kind recoil from it a little bit. Sergey is running towards the light here and I know sometimes it isn’t exciting or fun for him to do that and I know how hard he has worked and I appreciate it more than anything in the world, how hard he has worked to become that fan friendly star that people want to see and know and it shows. He has a very different attitude, for him this is not a chore, this is an opportunity.”
Q: When you were coming up at Don Turner’s camp in North Carolina coming up and Egis was bringing you around from fight to fight to different places and you had no idea if you ever be able to show your talents to a wider audience to the point where you are now. What were your own expectations? How did it go for you in your mind to go from where you were at with Don Turner and Egis pounding it around the country to this fight? Are you surprised at all that you’re here?
Sergey Kovalev: “I’m very surprised myself. When I was in the amateurs I never thought that someday I would turn pro at all. For me professional boxing was very crazy, I thought pro boxing was just beating the whole brain out of your head. It’s very dangerous. In amateurs it was enough with injuries and some hard fights. I felt like I would never be able to do twelve rounds. My wife pushed me to turn pro and one man Anatoliy, Egis’s friend, found me in Russia and he met with me in Moscow and we started to talk about professional boxing. I started to think about it, but it was a maybe. Finally, I made my decision after the 2008 Russian Championships when I won the final fight and the victory was given to my opponent. When I turned pro and came to North Carolina, I was disappointed really. I thought if I turned pro I would get to this level where I am right now. For three years we fought without any promoter, I fought with the support of Egis. Throughout everything he was my father, my brother, my guide, for me he was everything…”
Egis Klimas: (cuts in) “But not the girlfriend!”
Sergey Kovalev: “Not the girlfriend, of course. I can get help from Egis anytime and when I fought 15 or 16 fights, I thought I should go back to Russia and do something to get money another way. After 15 or 16 fights, I had no money, no promoter and not really any future in boxing. When I fought in Russia in 2011, I stayed in Russia for two, three months and I almost decided not to go to America because we didn’t have any plans. We didn’t have a promoter or any plans for the future. I would be back in Big Bear for a workout and I thought, why? Egis called me in Russia and said to me that one promoter, Main Events, Kathy Duva wants to give me opportunity to prove myself and I believed once again that maybe this is the chance, so I should try again. We fought Darnell Boone for the second time and after that I signed with Main Events and Kathy Duva.”
Q: Egis, you’re the one who had the vision, what was it that you saw in him at that time and is the end result right now beyond what you expected?
Egis Klimas: “I was inexperienced. I was the new kid on the block and Don Turner was my tutor, but I didn’t know much about what’s going on. Bringing Sergey to this point, we were in Kazakhstan and he did shadow boxing and Don Turner said Egis, where did you get this guy from? After that we went on a very long run. I used to call every single promoter, I used to try to put him on every single show. I used to try to show him to everybody who was around.”
Sergey Kovalev: “We were like kittens in this business. Like a kid being thrown into the water to learn to swim, we were just trying to get somewhere, to get to the shore. Kathy was the one who gave a hand to Sergey and said come here, come this way, swim this way.”
Egis Klimas: “If anybody is trying to bring me today manager of the year or to manage other fighters, it’s Sergey who brought me to that stage.”
Sergey Kovalev: “We brought each other, the three of us have helped each other and right now we all have success.”
Egis Klimas: “Exactly, he makes a very good point. Nobody knew who Egis Klimas is, nobody knew who Sergey Kovalev is, everybody knew Main Events but at that point Main Events didn’t exist, but now we have one big team and we are winners. And after November 19 we are going be winners, no question about it.”
Q: Andre Ward is known for his high boxing IQ; you’ve been saying you’re going to be the smarter fighter. Can you speak on how confident you are that you will be the smarter fighter when you guys meet?
Sergey Kovalev: “You will see on November 19. I am making a great training camp to kick his ass, this is my goal. A lot of people around the world will watch this fight and I understand this, and I’m going to prove who I am.”
Q: John David Jackson, can you speak on how Sergey is going to be the smarter fighter when he faces Ward?
John David Jackson: “A lot of so called experts and people in boxing say that Ward is a smarter fight. Listen, Ward is smart at what he does, but a lot of what he does is not fighting, it’s surviving and making his opponent frustrated with the tactics that he uses. Sergey on the other hand is a pure all around fighter. He can fight you if it comes down to it, but on the flip side to that Sergey is a very intelligent boxer and he knows how to fight. He doesn’t come into the ring trying to be a one punch knockout artists. If you watch Sergey’s fight, in his brilliance he looks to break down his opponents systematically. He does want a knockout, but he’s learned how to build up to the knockdown. He knows how to cut the ring off and break guys down to the body and if you want to fight with him and you’re looking for a shootout, you’re not going to win because his clip is fully loaded. Andre may be smart and very intelligent, but he’s fighting with half a clip. It’s like LL Cool J once said, you can’t fight an army with a handgun. Ward has a handgun and he’s a fighting against a tank, and the tank is smart, he knows how to fight and how to systematically beat him. For those that don’t know and realize how smart Sergey is in the ring, on November 19 they’re going to find out.”
Q: Have you guys been stressing having more patience in this fight because it is Ward and he’s a patient and crafty guy?
John David Jackson: “I think Sergey has figured that out by himself and we work off that. Ward is crafty and patient, but you can’t be that patient and crafty when you got a guy who has bombs in both hands. Sergey is going to break him down the way he has to. You don’t have time to dictate the pace of the fight and jab here and hold there. When you have a guy coming at you with power in both hands, he’s not going to have the time to be able to do all of the things that he wants to do. This fight here, he has to fight and if he’s not willing to fight he’s in trouble.”
Q: Who do you think has the physical advantage in this fight?
John David Jackson: “As an amateur Andre fought at 178 and he turned pro at 168, so he’s always been the bigger guy after he hydrated. But he can’t be the bully for this fight because he’s not the bigger fighter. Sergey is going to be the bigger fighter. As far as the advantage, it depends on how much he had to lose for this fight himself because he walks around pretty big himself. The seven-pound difference wasn’t a big deal to him because he was killing himself to make 168. I still say the advantage goes to Sergey, he’s the stronger fighter and in the ring it’s going to show. He’s more physical. How much more? We’ll find out that night, but I still give the advantage to Sergey.”
Q: You have a great right hand, are you expecting Andre to be turning southpaw the night of the fight? Do you think he’ll be doing that a lot?
Sergey Kovalev: “Yes, I think he will be changing his positions during the whole fight because in some moments he will be feeling uncomfortable after my punches.”
Q: It seems like he switches southpaw when he has his opponents frustrated. What do you think about that?
Sergey Kovalev: “I know one thing; I will be ready for anything he has to offer in the ring. I understand this and my goal right now is to be ready for everything that he will offer.”
John David Jackson: “Ward may turn southpaw, but when he does get hit by Sergey I think he’ll go to southpaw less and less and get back to his comfort zone which is the right handed stance. If you look at Sergey’s career, he does very well against southpaws so Ward can turn southpaw if he wants to.”
Q: Kathy what fight would you compare this one to from a historical perspective?
Kathy Duva: “I guess the easiest comparison would be to the first time two undefeated fighters fought for pound for pound supremacy and that was Meldrick Taylor versus Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. Main Events promoted Meldrick Taylor so we have been here before. We have also been involved in major fights with people like Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Arturo Gatti and Pernell Whitaker and on and on and on. But I have to say this is the first time we’ve taken a guy that didn’t come out with an Olympic medal or the heralded amateur career, because Sergey did indeed have an amateur career where he clearly learned a lot, it’s the first time we’ve taken someone who nobody expected to this level of achievement and for that one we’re really proud and really happy. It’s a different kind of excitement for us, it’s a lot more fun when nobody expects you to do it.”
Sergey Kovalev: “Everybody in the world wants to see somebody who kicks my ass, but it’s not happening.”
Q: That depends on who you ask; a lot of people want to see you kick his ass.
Sergey Kovalev: “Believe me, there’s a lot of haters. It’s new motivation for me, I really like to disappoint these people.”
Q: John, what was the game plan for the Bernard Hopkins fight and why did it work?
John David Jackson: “First of all, Bernard is an old fighter. Even though he says he’s an Alien and the Executioner and all that, the bottom line is he’s an old fighter, so you have to treat him like an old fighter. You have to do things that take him out of his comfort zone. You have to make him work. Sergey was able to use his jab to offset Bernard’s trickery, Bernard is very well-schooled and he’s a student of the game. He was just older and unable to do what he once did.”
Q: If Sergey beats Ward do you think he will get full credit for the victory?
Kathy Duva: “As Sergey points out, haters gonna hate. If you look at the picks the reporters are making and the betting line is favoring Ward a little bit, which is awesome because it’s always better when you’re the underdog and, as we’ve been saying on this call, not having it be expected. But Ward, the position he’s in for better or worse, he’s expected to win, that’s who he is. That’s the guy he’s always been, he’s the guy who hasn’t lost a fight since he was a child. You put that out there, then you’ve got to defend that and we don’t think he can. When it’s over I hope Sergey gets the credit he deserves and it should be a whole lot because this is a tough fight.”
Q: As a promoter does it frustrate you that Sergey is the B side here?
Kathy Duva: “To me he’s not the B-side. His name is first on the poster, he does have the world titles. I think that designation of A- and B-side is an unfortunate thing in many cases, but when you have two guys who could argue all night over who’s going to win then there’s no A-side and no B-side. 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’s little different points in the legacy aspects of their careers, but nevertheless this is the fight that we wanted. We wanted it sooner, but we had to wait and so we did. Ward has had his fights that he needed and there’s no excuses. There are certain fights that defy that A-side/B-side description and I think this is one of them.”
Q: Do you think Sergey’s last three opponents, Bernard Hopkins, Isaac Chilemba and Jean Pascal, have built him up for this fight before it was even signed?
John David Jackson: “To a degree maybe. What people don’t realize is that Sergey can fight against any style. He’s very intelligent in the ring, he knows how to solve the fighters’ defensive mechanisms. Those three fights have helped him prepare for this fight, but I think Sergey would have been able to solve the Andre Ward problem regardless. Ward is crafty and he’s not going to be a big problem offensively. If he does, then he’s rolling the dice and he’s going to leave himself open for wide open shots and I don’t think he’s going to do that, especially after he gets hit by Sergey. I think he’s going to be evasive and try to avoid Sergey’s power shots, and if he’s really evasive, how can you win a fight being an evasive fighter? He’s going to have to stand and fight eventually.”
Closing Remarks:
Sergey Kovalev: “Pay attention to November 19 everybody. It’s going to be a huge fight with Andre Ward. He’s never lost before, but it’s my job. So let me be the one to do it.”
Egis Klimas: “We’re looking forward for somebody to lose and that would be Andre Ward. I’m sorry about it, but that’s the only thing I think I can say. Tune into HBO PPV on November 19.”
Kathy Duva: “You’re going to see the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world on November 19. Make sure all of your readers and viewers know about it because this is the fight Mayweather-Pacquiao should have been.”
Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Zappos, JetLux and Monster Products. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.
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Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Zappos, JetLux and Monster Products. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

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Michael Yormark: Its election day in the United States and if you think the race for the White House has fireworks, just wait until Nov. 19 in Las Vegas. We are now only 11 days away and the stakes could not be higher. In a few minutes, you’ll hear from Andre Ward, the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. After weeks of intense training, Andre will be fighting for something he has spent his entire life pursuing – the title of world’s best boxer. For a true competitor like Andre, there could not be a loftier goal. To walk in to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for the undisputed fight of the year, in front of a capacity crowd supporting him and even more watching live on HBO Pay Per View, and to know that Andre has the chance to walk out of that ring as the undisputed face of boxing. In doing so, another chapter will be written in one of the world’s most storied rivalries – not just in boxing, but in virtually every competitive arena there is. It is a battle of world super powers, a matchup of styles as well as beliefs, a collision of two fighters, two cultures, two fan bases.

On Nov. 19, I have no doubt that Andre will win a decisive victory over a worthy challenger in Sergey Kovalev, and the title of pound-for-pound king. But before we hear from the fighter and his team, I want to take the opportunity to thank some of the people that made this global event a reality. Our chairman JAY Z and President of Roc Nation Sports Juan Perez. The entire team at Roc Nation Sports boxing including Dino Duva, Josh Roy, Eric Bottjer, Caitlin Wickwire and Sarah Flynn. Kathy Duva and her team at Main Events. Peter Nelson and HBO for bringing this fight to a global audience. Richard Sturm and MGM for hosting this event at the new T-Mobile Arena in Vegas. Our fight partners Corona Extra, Monster Products, JetLux and Zappos for supporting the fight and helping to promote and market the event over the past few months. And Andre Ward’s partners for Nov. 19 including ProSupps, Lyft, Monster Products, Body Armor and JetLux and his longstanding partners Jordan Brand, PowerHandz and Shoe Palace.

Now it’s time to hear from the hardest working and best trained boxer in the world today. A man whose commitment to excellence and being the best are surpassed only by his commitment to his family and his community. A man whose passion, work-ethic, and pure determination are representative of the Bay Area community from which he hails. It is my pleasure to introduce the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, the face of the light heavyweight division and an athlete Roc Nation Sports is proud to represent…with a record of 30-0 with 15 KO’s, a man who hasn’t lost a fight since the age of 12, from Oakland, California, Andre Ward…

Andre Ward: Thank you Michael. I don’t have much to say, I just want to thank everybody who worked on putting this together, everybody who’s been working to keep this fight moving as it should in terms of the promotion. Everybody on my team has been working tirelessly to get me ready and I am ready. I’m excited that this fight is less than two weeks away and I’m ready to answer any questions.

Q: How does this fight compare to some of your other big fights in terms of how you’re mentally approaching it?

Andre Ward: Mentally it’s honestly the same to me. 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.

Q: Can you compare Kovalev to other fighters that you have neutralized in the past?

Andre Ward: At the end of the day, personally we don’t approach the fight being enamored with anything a guy does well. We acknowledge it and we respect it and we understand what we’re up against, but I been in the ring with big punchers, good boxers, you name it. At the end of the day, to be a champion you have to be able to beat whatever’s in front of you and Kovalev is not just a big puncher. He’s a boxer. He’s a thinker. He understands range, positioning and different things like that. There’s a lot more to him than just being a big puncher, but at the end of the day many people make the same mistake with me. They call me a great boxer or a great neutralizer, but there’s so much more going on with me than that. If I was just about defense and neutralizing then a lot of these big punchers would just try to walk through me and there’s a reason they’re not. But that’s what fight night is all about, it’s not about talking about it to try to prove your case, it’s about the opportunity to be great on November 19 and it’s less than two weeks away.

Q: In your last two fights you appear to be fighting more stationary than usual. Was that strategic on your part? Was it because of the layoff? Can we expect to see that on the 19th?

Andre Ward: I think it’s always about what’s in front of you. It’s about what type of opponent I have and what needs to be done. As you get older, it’s about becoming more efficient. I’ve heard some people say that I’m not the same fighter that I was when I was in my 20’s and I hope I’m not. I should be getting better and more efficient, that’s what it’s about. It’s not about making unnecessary moves. It’s about making the necessary moves when you need to make them. The last two opponents I had, that was what was necessary. You’re going to see a little bit of everything in this fight and that’s what it’s all about. It’s about rising to the occasion and being in the moment. We specialize in that and I look forward to doing the same thing on November 19.

Q: Do you think Kovalev is going to be a little craftier than he has been in the past and does that play to your advantages more?

Andre Ward: He’s not a brawler who doesn’t think, he thinks in there. But the fight has already started between our two sides and our two camps. I don’t put too much stock in that. There’s a lot said. It’s chess moves being played. We don’t get caught up in my camp with the things people say. We don’t pay attention to that stuff, but we’re ready for whatever he wants to bring and that’s the key. However he wants to bring it, we’ve got our game plan and it’s about making constant adjustments, the ebbs and flows and who wants it the most is what it’s going to boil down to.

Q: How do you expect Kovalev to come out? Do you think he’ll be aggressive or more patient than he has been in the past?

Andre Ward: I can’t say. I don’t know what’s going on in their camp, but like I said, I don’t put too much stock into what they say. I’m just ready man and I’m ready for whatever and I truly mean that. When you’re at that point, you welcome it all. I’m not concerned about what he’s going to do. At the end of the day, you got to find ways to make adjustments to get the job done in these big moments. That’s what’s going to separate the guy who gets his hand raised from the guy who doesn’t. We’ve been working on everything. Mentally I’m prepared for everything he brings and I’m sure he’s prepared too.

Q: Who are the top couple of punchers you’ve fought so far?

Andre Ward: You guys should be able to answer that question for me because you guys are the ones that tout these guys’ punches. I think all of the guys I’ve fought have had a good punch and should be respected as punchers. Some guys get more credit than other guys, but I can’t really single anybody out. Froch is a good puncher…there’s been several.

Q: How much do you think your experience against high level of opposition will be an advantage in this fight?

Andre Ward: I definitely think it helps. I don’t think it hurts for sure. In a fight like this you take everything you can. You take every tough fight, every experience not just in the ring, but in your life experiences and who you are into that ring. Looking back to the Super Six and Chad Dawson and the two fights I’ve had this year, all of them mean something. That’s why it’s so important to be moved and managed properly. I know there’s no cookie cutter way to do it, but to fight the right fights at the right time and then to be able to test yourself against the best. When you have showdowns like this you want to be able to say I’ve been in this this position before, I’ve been in with guys who have buzzed me or I’ve been in 50-50 fights before. I can point to all those things and know I’ve had those moments and have been fortunate enough to prevail, so obviously that has me going into this fight well prepared.

Q: Do you think the winner of this fight should be the number one pound for pound fighter in the world?

Andre Ward: It’s hard to say definitively, but I think it would be really, really hard to argue against it. I’m saying this based on both of our resumes and based on the fact that we are both willing to step up and face each other at this stage of our career. We’re both 30-0 and we both have a lot to gain and a lot to lose. I think that the winner of this fight should be pound for pound number one.

Q: What are your expectations of the Pay-Per-View for this fight?

Michael Yormark: We haven’t put a number out there, but we’re obviously excited about this match up and we think it’s going to do very well. Collectively, us and Main Events think this is going to be the best Pay-Per-View event of the year. We’re very optimistic about the Pay-Per-View numbers. We’ve got two great fighters in a 50-50 fight, it’s the best fight of the year and arguably on paper the biggest fight of the last decade. We would be very disappointed if it wasn’t the biggest Pay-Per-View of 2016.

Q: You seem to put a lot of pressure on your opponent whether you’re fighting on the inside or the outside and you seem to be ahead of them mentally. Would you say that’s accurate?

Andre Ward: I would say that’s a very accurate assessment. I know they want blood, they want me knocked down and staggered. I’ve studied this sport for many years and if you look at old footage of Roy Jones, Bernard Hopkins and old interviews and footage of Floyd Mayweather, it’s the same kind of things that were said about them and those three guys are legends and hall of famers. You can’t be worried about that because you understand that some people get it and some people won’t, but you have to do what you have to do. Some people won’t like it, but some people will. I could not have described it any better than you did, so it’s good to know that some people get it and appreciate it.

Q: When you’re displaying that in the ring is that something that comes to you in the moment or is it something you worked on training specifically for an opponent?

Andre Ward: I think it’s a little bit of both. A lot of who you are is who you are. It’s who you’ve been all these years, but what I think separates fighters a lot of times is who can make the adjustments and those adjustments start in the gym. One of the things I love about my coach is that he’s not too enamored with what I do well. He acknowledges it. He starts where he feels I could be beat or I’m susceptible to get hit, or something could happen and that’s where he starts to train me, from that point. He’s not enamored with what we’ve done, he’s always tweaking and encouraging me to get better and add a new wrinkle. As long as I’ve been fighting, I come to the gym and sometimes I feel like I’m just starting out because there’s always something he’s working on for me to get better at. And if you put the time in these things show up when you need them.
Q: What should we know about your style and what should we be looking for that’s overlooked in some of the more simplistic explanations of it?

Andre Ward: That’s a tough one. Some things are taught and not taught. I can’t explain what my style is. I don’t really have a set style. If you see it and you understand it and you know what’s going on in there then you kind of do, but you kind of don’t. I don’t know if there’s anything I can say to anyone that would make them understand. It’s tough to describe. It’s something that’s indescribable.

Q: What would you like people to understand better about angles, in fighting and the stuff that gets overlooked for people who expect wild brawls?

Andre Ward: I just think, taking me out of the equation just as a whole, boxing has never been about one thing. In this day and age, the public is sold that if it isn’t a knockdown drag out fight and one guy’s ear isn’t hanging off then it wasn’t worth your time or money and I don’t think that’s fair to the fighters or fair to the fans. Hardcore fans know who they like and know what kind of style they like and they’re going to tune in and buy tickets. But I feel that turns the casual fan off when they’re not being educated on what they’re looking at or they’re reading things that are always ripping one type of style and one type of fighter. It’s one thing if a guy doesn’t throw or look like he wants to be in the ring, but if a guy has a particular style where he has nuances and sometimes he fights, sometimes he boxes, whatever the case may be I feel the general public should be educated on what they’re looking at.

Q: Do you have a prediction?

Andre Ward: I’m not leaving Las Vegas without those belts and however I got to get it we’re going to get it that way. I don’t have a prediction. I’ve never been a prediction guy. I just know I’m ready, I’m excited and I can’t wait to fight.

Q: Do you think you have won your detractors over after the terrific documentary that just aired on HBO?

Andre Ward: It was a real vulnerable moment. I hadn’t really talked about that all for a lot of reasons. If anybody heard about my story and became a supporter, or previously was a detractor and became a fan I welcome that and I’m appreciative of that. I’ve done that myself where I’ve generally knew about a guy, but then heard a story and became a big fan. Dak Prescott is a perfect example. I’m not a Dallas Cowboys’ fan by any means, but I admire his talent on the field. And then I heard his story and I became a supporter who appreciates where he comes from. By no means am I trying to win somebody over. Detractors are always going to be there and it’s ok. Everybody doesn’t have to like you or appreciate you, but I am appreciative if my story touched somebody, that’s a good thing.

Q: Back in 2012 when Floyd was retired and you beat Chad Dawson a lot of the pundits were looking at you as the top fighter pound for pound. Do you think it’s a little strange that this is the first time you’re fighting in Vegas?

Andre Ward: I’ve definitely tried to make it happen. Being close to Vegas, in theory I feel it should it have happened. I always wanted to fight in New York City at Madison Square Garden or at the Barclays Center but it just didn’t happen for one reason or another. I’m just glad that it’s happening right now and what better time than at this stage of my career? You just got to trust the guy with the plan. It’s not always going to be what you want it to be or would like it to be, but I can’t argue with the way the table is set right now. I’m just excited about seizing this moment.

Q: Why did it take so long for your story to come out? How could we do a better job as boxing journalists to get these kind of stories out there and serve the fighters better?

Andre Ward: This is the first time that I really, really opened up about it. 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. And 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. Hopefully somebody could just relate to what I’ve gone through and it serve as an inspiration to them in some kind of way. I’m so much more than just a fighter. I’m more than what the public sees in the ring. I’ve overcome a lot in life and that speaks to my faith. All these things people wondered about sometimes, I felt like the missing component was me just opening up and talking about it. My father is deceased, but I talked to my mom and asked if it was okay and she told me to speak about it. I just want people to know that they could trust who they’re talking to, there’s not going to be anything added or taken away, or sensationalized or whatever the case may be. I think trust is a major thing and I think sometimes people don’t realize that it goes a long way. For me, if I can trust you I’ll give you the world.

Q: Anything else you think boxing journalists could do better?

Andre Ward: At the end of the day, it’s about integrity and it’s about trust. You guys individually and collectively are great at what you do which is why you do it. I just think humanizing the athletes and looking at them as more than just commodities is important. I think a lot of athletes get the rap as being meatheads or unintelligent, especially with fighters. It doesn’t matter what a person’s level of education is, they know when you’re being real with them. They can sense and feel if you’re trustworthy and have their best interest at heart. Just be truthful. I feel like fighters and athletes would open up a lot more if they felt they could trust you.

Q: Michael, are you a long-time boxing fan?

Michael Yormark: I’ve been a boxing fan for many, many years. I remember watching Muhammad Ali-Leon Spinks with my mother, brother and sister. When I got out of graduate school, I did an internship for Madison Square Garden Boxing and worked for Bobby Goodman who as you know worked for Don King for many, many years. Boxing has been a passion of mine for many years. When I joined Roc Nation three years ago, there was a great opportunity for me to be involved in a sport that I watched closely for many years and fortunately we’ve got some great fighters, namely Andre and Miguel Cotto and it’s just been an incredible thrill for us.

Q: Did you help push Roc Nation Sports getting into boxing?

Michael Yormark: JAY Z and Juan Perez the head of our sports division have been boxing fans for many, many years and made the decision to get into the sport. I joined Roc Nation right at the moment that we stepped into this space. Obviously, I’ve helped push it along and we’ve come a long way in a very short period of time. To have the opportunity to work with Andre and to be part of this event on November 19 is something we couldn’t have imagined two years ago. It’s a great moment for us, a great moment for Andre and his family and we’re just looking forward to it.

Q: Do you think your success has increased in the interest of boxing in Oakland?

Andre Ward: That’s a great question. I hope I’ve had some part to play in it. Boxing in Oakland used to be much bigger. There was Pittman’s, King’s Gym, which is still there, and it was just a more competitive town for the sport. You had top contenders and a lot of bad guys fighting in the same city. They sparred together, they fought against each other and I heard a lot of these stories and I started boxing at the tail end of all of that. Just to be able to make my mark starting here and then going worldwide is just unbelievable. When I see young kids who say they box because I box and they want to win a gold medal like I won a gold medal, it’s just amazing to me. I’m blown away. I never get used to that and I’m so thankful for that opportunity to just play my part. I’m not a guy who recruits kids to fight because I know that it’s a different kind of sport and it could be very dangerous, but I totally support it if a kid wants to do it on his own and he’s dedicated and he wants to give it his all then I’m behind it 100%.

Q: What’s it going to be like when you’re able to look at your mural on the verge of becoming pound for pound undisputed?

Andre Ward: It’s surreal. Because I had a coach growing up and was fighting as a young kid we’ve never really got too caught up with ourselves. And I’m talking about me, Virgil and my father, when he was alive. We’ve always had a blue collar mentality and I get a little scared sometimes to look back on what we’ve accomplished and kind of relish on it because the clock is still ticking. I’m still active. My career is still going, but I’ve got to continue to show up and show my worth and continue to be the champion that I am. It’s just hard to stop and look back at what you’ve accomplished and the road that you’ve traveled on. Personally it’s good to do it sometimes, but when I do peek back just for a split second it’s overwhelming. I can’t believe God has taken us this far. I can’t believe that a young kid at nine years old who just wanted to do what his dad did got this far. I’m sure if my dad was alive he wouldn’t be able to believe it either.

Q: How many people from the Bay Area do you think will show up?

Andre Ward: I think the Bay Area is going to show up and show out like they always do. They support their own. Everybody I run into is very excited about it, as they should be. It’s funny because some casual fans don’t think you’ve made it unless you go to Vegas, so I think the Bay Area has been waiting on the Vegas moment and it’s here now.

Closing Remarks

Andre Ward: I’m ready. I’m excited. Tune in to watch this fight on November 19, it’s worth every dollar. It’s worth every dollar if you pay to come see it, you won’t be disappointed.

Michael Yormark: I’m going to go back to my old hockey days and quote the late Herb Brooks. Back in 1980, when the United States beat Russia for the gold medal in the Olympics, Herb said “great moments are born from great opportunities”. When I think about November 19 this is just a tremendous opportunity for Andre to prove that he is the best of the best and one of the greatest fighters of all time. We at Roc Nation are so excited for him and his family. We know it’s going to be a sellout crowd and we’re expecting a huge audience on HBO Pay-Per-View. This is without question the fight of the year and maybe the biggest fight of the last decade. It has been 19 years since two fighters ranked in the top 5 pound for pound fighters in the world, were undefeated, in their prime ready to do battle in the ring. On November 19, you’re going to see that for the first time in 19 years. As Andre said he’s ready, and I’m ready to embrace him after he collects those three belts on November 19. We hope that everybody will tune in on HBO Pay-Per-View.

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Monster Product, JetLux and Zappos. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

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You out-boxed Bernard Hopkins in a terrific fight. Do you think you’ll need to outbox Andre Ward to win the fight or is your power going to be the difference?

Yes, my fight with Bernard Hopkins was one of the biggest fights in my career. Bernard is great fighter so I trained very hard for his fight, before this nobody knew I could box. I am training very hard to improve my boxing skills even more for this fight with Andre Ward. I believe I can knock anyone out, but I also believe I am good boxer. If I knock him out it would be great because boxing fans would be very happy, and me too, but I am training for 12 round fight with Andre Ward, because anything can happen in boxing. If I cannot knock him out then I must be prepared to go 12 rounds with him. He is very good defensive fighter, and difficult to hit. My last fight was against Chilemba, he was also very good boxer. He was difficult to hit sometimes but I was prepared to go distance and used my boxing skills to win fight. This fight with Andre Ward is definitely biggest, most important fight of my career and I will be prepared for him 100%.

Road to Kovalev/Ward, HBO Sports special leading up to their pay-per-view light heavyweight title showdown, debuts Saturday, November 12 at 12:30 a.m. ET/PT on HBO.

Kovalev vs. Ward takes place Saturday, November 19 at the T-Mobile Arena 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.

Andre Ward Blog Part 3: Monday, November 7

This is your third fight of 2016 after fighting only three times since 2011. How easy/difficult has it been for you to get back to rhythm? Is the time off good or bad for a fighter?

It varies for every fighter. For me, the rhythm rushes back the moment I step into the ring. My time off didn’t take a toll on me mentally or physically. I don’t poison my body, I don’t drink, smoke or party, so I never worked against myself. Even in my time off, I remained truly dedicated to the sport. I still spent hours upon hours in the gym, even when I didn’t know when I would fight again. That benefited me because when it was time to get back in the ring, there was no rust. I picked up right where I left off.

Look, I’ve been boxing for 20-plus years. That’s a grind. Breaks like that can really benefit a veteran fighter like me because it afforded me the chance to recharge both mentally and physically.

This is my third fight following my return, and I’m at my peak. On November 19, you’ll see an Andre Ward you’ve never seen before.

Road to Kovalev/Ward, HBO Sports special leading up to their pay-per-view light heavyweight title showdown, debuts Saturday, November 12 at 12:30 a.m. ET/PT on HBO.

Kovalev vs. Ward takes place Saturday, November 19 at the T-Mobile Arena 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.

Oxnard, California: Oleksandr “The Nail” Gvozdyk (11-0, 9 KOs) is prepping for his upcoming fight with Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba (24-4-2, 10 KOs) for the NABF Light Heavyweight Title on the Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” HBO Pay-Per-View televised undercard, live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Oleksandr Gvozdyk
Photo Credits: Craig Bennett/Main Events

Training for this upcoming bout with Chilemba, Gvozdyk has been in camp with Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev and had this to say about his preparation for this mega-fight:

“My training camp is going good. I am almost finished with my conditional part of preparation, where we are working on strength, speed and stamina. Next week I’ll be more focused on developing special skills and tactics. I’m satisfied with all results which I get during the preparation, and will keep following my game plan.”

A Ukrainian Olympic bronze medalist for Ukraine, Oleksandr hails from Kharkov, Ukraine, but moved to Oxnard with his wife and three children to pursue his professional career. “The Nail” misses his hometown and tries to visit as much as possible.

Question: What have you learned sparring with Kovalev this training camp?

Gvozdyk: It is very great experience for me. He is a great fighter. When you train with a strong fighter you getting stronger.

Q: Oddsmakers have this fight 50-50. What do you think about the match-up?

OG: This is fight between intelligence and power. But Sergey is smart as well. Both fighters is tough. Both fighters have proved that they are the best. Now we will figure out who is the best pound for pound.

Q: You have never gone past the sixth round in a professional fight. Chilemba just went the distance against the Krusher. What is your game plan if you can’t stop him early on and the fight has to go the distance?

OG: I always train for the fight to go the full distance. This fight if I can stop him earlier it is ok but if not I will be ready to go whole distance.

Q: After his fight with Kovalev, Sergey said Chilemba was frustrating him because he was difficult to hit. How will you alter your plan if you can’t land the big shots?

OG: I will try to finish him if I can. If I can’t, I will try to box him and get the decision.

Q: Kovalev-Ward is arguably the biggest fight of the year. Is there added pressure fighting on this big stage?

OG: Not really. My only fight is against Chilemba. I am not going to fight against audience; I am going to fight against Chilemba.

Q: You were knocked down in the first round by Karpency. What turned the tide and allowed you to come back and stop him?

OG: I was in the first round and I came in without a game plan. It was just my mistake. I learned from this experience. I hope I will not repeat the same mistakes.

Q: Have you changed anything about your training camp to prepare for Chilemba?

OG: I am not change a lot. I try to prepare for each fight the same but I also try to include something or add something new. This camp was no exception. I added some physical work and some rounds in sparring. Little things.

Q: Chilemba has nearly three times as many professional fights as you. Do you think his experience will give him an edge?

OG: Maybe he has some edge in pro fights but I also have 250 fights in amateurs. So I think it can be even. We will see in the ring.

###

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Zappos, JetLux and Monster Products. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

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Pensacola, Florida: Yesterday, Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba (24-4-2, 10 KOs) held an open workout for members of the media in advance of his upcoming fight on November 19 against Oleksandr “The Nail” Gvozdyk (11-0, 9 KOs) for the NABF Light Heavyweight Title on the Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” HBO Pay-Per-View televised undercard live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Chilemba and Jones
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Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba

Question: How did you become a boxer?

Chilemba: “I was born in Malawi. When I was 14 one day I was walking around and friend of mine asked me if I want to come to the boxing gym with him. I looked in the window and I was just drawn to it. When I saw boxing I thought, ‘Wow that’s me.’ I walked in and asked them how to start and they said I could start now. I took off my flip flops and that was the beginning.”

Q: Have you done anything new to prepare for this fight?

IC: “I have been a professional fighter for ten years. During that time, I have figured out what works for me. I have been sticking to that stuff but we keep adding new stuff too. Now that I am working with Roy Jones there is a lot of new stuff added to my routine. He has added things to improve my style. But as far as conditioning goes I stick to the same. Everything has been going well so far.”

Q: Did you know about Roy Jones as a child?

IC: “Growing up I looked up to Roy. When I started boxing the fighter I most wanted to be like was Roy Jones. As far as movements and putting combinations together, I would sit at home and play Roy Jones’ DVD and try to take his talent and make into mine. It is very overwhelming that I am actually here today.”

Q: Have you fought in front of an audience this large before?

IC: “I believe so. When I fought in London it was as big and when I fought in Russia it was as big too. Being on this card is huge to me. I am fighting in the spotlight. I have the opportunity to get back on TV. I am really looking forward to it.”

Q: What can you tell me about your opponent?

IC: “I don’t know much about him. He is tall. I love fighting tall fighters (laughs). I know he is a well-accomplished amateur. Even though he only has 11 pro fights I believe he has all of his experience from the amateurs. He is undefeated. However, that doesn’t bother me at all. All I want to know is he good enough to be on my level?”

Q: Why do you enjoy fighting tall fighters?

IC: “It is easier to hit higher than lower (laughs). Listen, it doesn’t make any difference whether you are tall or short, it comes down to how intelligent and how quick and how much you really want what you are doing. That will determine if he really belongs at this level. All I know is that I will come out of the fight victorious. I cannot say I will go in with Mike Tyson-like defense. I will go in with one plan, if that doesn’t work I will adapt. I love to have all the tools with me.”

Q: What is your strongest tool?

IC: “My will. My heart. I am determined to get somewhere. That is my strong-suit. My will is what keeps me going.”

Q: Are you planning to continue to train with Roy?

IC: “Yes, of course. I think this will be me until my body can take no more.”

Q: What is it like to be trained by Roy?

IC: “It is amazing. It is something I cannot express. I cannot believe I am here training with my idol.”

Q: What has he taught you?

IC: “As a fighter growing up I looked up to him. I copied everything he does and tried to make it into my style. Before now I did not understand why he does the things he does. I just copied what I could see on the TV and my computer. Now I am here and he has explained to me why he does what he does and how to take a step one after the other. It is amazing. It is mind-blowing.”

Q: Why do you think you are going to win?

IC: “I believe in myself. I believe in my abilities. I want to prove to the world that I still have everything and I will be the great fighter I have always wanted to be. Gvozdyk is just something in my way that I am going to destroy.”

Q: You seem like such a nice guy. How can you say you are going to destroy something?

IC: “I never thought of myself as nice. It is my nature to be nice to people who are good to me. But when it comes to boxing I have goals that I want to accomplish as a fighter and anyone that I am fighting is like a block in my way. There is no nice way to penetrate through that and in order to do that I have to destroy. When it comes to fighting I am no longer a nice guy. Outside the ring you can be nice but inside the ring you cannot. That is what I am trying to do.”

Roy Jones Jr.

Question: What can you tell me about Isaac and how did you two get connected?

Jones: “Isaac is very good. He is one of the top-ranked light heavyweights in the world today. He is a very good fighter. I first saw him fight about six or seven years ago and I thought he could be something special. I called him and told him I would like to work with him. The only thing was he was fighting Sergey Kovalev. So I told him that we would wait until after that fight and then he should come to train with me. This guy can fight. I know he can fight. We decided that after the Kovalev fight we would get together. He came here to see me after the Kovalev fight. We both thoroughly enjoyed it. I saw where he had been lacking. Now we are working to correct those things.”

Q: Why do you train fighters?

RJ: “Because I love it. I love giving back to the sport. I feel it would unfair if I didn’t give back to others what I have gained. I love the competition. I love the underdog. I love taking fighters to the next level. The reward for me is that I was able to effect somebody’s life. I was able to take what God gave me and pass it on to somebody else and make their life better as a result. The fact that I can use what God gave me and help make somebody else better that is what I get out of this.”

Q: Talk about working with Isaac.

RJ: “I love training Isaac. His whole career he wanted to be like me. So many people have told him that he can’t be like Roy Jones Jr. They told him to quit trying to fight like Roy Jones Jr. But what they really meant is that they don’t know to teach him to fight like me but instead they told him he just couldn’t do it. I understand how to teach him. He can do some of the things I do. He can’t be Roy Jones Jr. There is only one Roy Jones Jr. I can’t be him and he can’t be me. I wanted to be like Muhammad Ali, that is why I started boxing. I can’t be Muhammad Ali. We always draw a picture of what we want to be in our minds. Now he can learn a lot of reasons why I do the things I do and he can be a better student of the game.”

Q: How far has he come along since you started working together?

RJ: “Isaac has come a long way in a short period of time. I am not so surprised because he had a lot of my movements down already but he just didn’t know why he was doing them. The more we work together the better he is going to get. It is just a matter of time. I am really impressed with him. From what I can tell he wasn’t having a good time in camp in the past. That is what Roy Jones is all about, having a good time while training. You must enjoy your job. If you don’t enjoy your job, then why are you doing it? I enjoy training. I enjoy teaching him.”

Q: What is your prediction for the fight?

RJ: “I think it will be a good fight. I understand Gvozdyk is a very good fighter. Isaac has never been knocked out. Isaac is relentless. He loves what he does. He was in the ring with the toughest puncher in the world, Sergey Kovalev, and even Kovalev couldn’t knock him out.”

Q: What are Gvozdyk’s best attributes?

RJ: “He is a straight puncher. He has power in both hands. He is not a bad fighter at all. I like him. He is quick.”

###

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Zappos, JetLux and Monster Products. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

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With a 43-year history of televising the biggest fights in pro boxing, HBO Sports takes an in-depth look at 2016’s most-anticipated matchup of undefeated fighters as they prepare for their light heavyweight unification title fight in ROAD TO KOVALEV/WARD. The special debuts SATURDAY, NOV. 12 at 12:30 a.m. ET/PT, immediately following the “HBO Boxing After Dark” replay that begins at 11:00 p.m.

Other HBO playdates: Nov. 13 (11:45 a.m., 4:00 a.m.), 14 (8:45 a.m., 2:30 p.m.), 16 (5:00 p.m., 12:30 a.m.), 17 (3:15 a.m.), 18 (6:45 p.m.) and 19 (5:15 p.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Nov. 15 (3:40 p.m., 11:35 p.m.), 17 (9:00 p.m.), 18 (1:00 a.m.) and 19 (10:50 a.m.)

The special will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO and HBO On Demand, and at hbo.com/boxing, as well as other new media platforms.

Russian-born Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs), 33, has taken over the light heavyweight division in meteoric fashion with an aggressive style and overwhelming knockout power. He certified his status as an elite fighter two years ago by dominating ring legend Bernard Hopkins. Now, after locking up three title belts, Kovalev is looking to take his superb career to the next level.

Hailing from Oakland, Cal., 32-year-old Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) was a super middleweight champion before his recent move up to light heavyweight. Ward’s domination of the 168-pound division included wins over Chad Dawson, Carl Froch, Arthur Abraham, Allan Green and Mikkel Kessler. Undefeated since age 14, he is the last American male to win an Olympic gold medal (2004) in boxing. Ward boasts a wide assortment of skills that gives him an edge with many seasoned boxing observers.

The special visits the training camps of Kovalev and Ward as they prepare for their light heavyweight unification title showdown.

ROAD TO KOVALEV/WARD is narrated by Liev Schreiber.

“Kovalev vs. Ward” takes place Saturday, Nov. 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Los Vegas, NV and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. (ET)/6:00 p.m. (PT).

For more information, visit hbo.com/boxing; become a fan on Facebook at facebook.com/HBOBoxing; and follow on Twitter and Instagram at @HBOBoxing. Follow the conversation using #KovalevWard.

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Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Claressa Shields took to social media today to announce the opponent for her much anticipated pro debut on the lead-off freeview telecast of Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” on Saturday, Nov. 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Shields is set to face decorated fellow American Franchon Crews in a four-round middleweight bout, with each round timed at two-minutes. This will not be the first time the two have faced off. In their first matchup Shields, then a 16 year old, upset Crews, the top-ranked American women middleweight, during the 2012 Olympic Trials, the first U.S. team trials for women’s boxing. Crews will also be making her professional debut.

Fans can catch the freeview telecast which includes the live Shields vs. Crews bout, beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT on the Pay-Per-View events channel prior to the official telecast, and to be announced cable, satellite, and telco channels. The freeview will also be available through livestreaming on HBO Boxing’s YouTube channel. Tickets for Nov. 19 are available at AXS.com and the T-Mobile Arena Box Office.

Oxnard, California: Yesterday, WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs) held an open workout for members of the media in advance of his upcoming “Pound For Pound” showdown on November 19 against Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and distribute live by HBO Pay-Per-View. Also in attendance were Curtis “The Cerebral Assassin” Stevens (28-5, 21 KOs) who will take on James “The King” De La Rosa (23-4, 13 KOs) for the WBA Continental Americas Middleweight Title and Oleksandr “The Nail” Gvozdyk (11-0, 9 KOs) who will face Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba (24-4-2, 10 KOs) for the NABF Light Heavyweight Title on the Kovalev-Ward HBO Pay-Per-View telecast.
Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev
WBO, WBA, and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion
Kovalev: “I’m excited and everything is going good. I’m waiting for this day, November 19, and I am ready to fight.”

SK: “I don’t have anything personal about him (Ward). I should to win this fight, I only have to prove (to) myself who I am. I am fighting for me first of all, and after this really for boxing fans. This is my boxing career since 11 years old and right now Andre Ward (is) in my way. And he wants to get my titles but I’m still alive.”

SK: “I don’t have any plans for each fight, just get into the ring and do my job. I must be ready for everything what he (Ward) will bring.”

SK: “I got some experience from my fight against Bernard Hopkins. He showed that never give up. That you should to fight all 12 rounds and hope for your win.”

Question: Do you expect Andre Ward will hold you and use his head?
SK: “Yes I think he will use it and I am ready for this too. It will be wrestling and not fight [laughs].”

SK: “I think he (Ward) will look much better in my fight November 19 because he long time didn’t fight, couple years he had a rest and Sullivan Barrera was first fight when he returned. And with Alexander Brand he was better than against Sullivan Barrera. I accept that he’s going to look much better November 19. In best shape.”

SK: “John (David Jackson) just gives me freedom to do what I want, what I would like to do. You know, just like adjust some things and advice between rounds about technique. Working a lot with mitts. I like work with him and feel comfortable.”

SK: “I don’t think that Andre Ward (will) let me use a lot of body shots because he has great legs and a lot of movements. You know he’s very smart. And I think first part of this fight is going to be a lot mentally, but I should prove that I’m Krusher and that I’m going to do my job. He’s going to do his job, me to do my job.”

SK: “I think my last fight against Chilemba, it was like a similar fight you know, because Chilemba’s a little bit style as Andre Ward. But Andre Ward is Andre Ward, a little bit different and stronger, smarter, undefeated and more motivated than Chilemba. I’m interested what he will bring November 19 to the ring.”

SK: “We agreed two fights before our fight. I was ready last year to fight, but Andre wasn’t ready to fight without two fights at light heavyweight. We sign agreement that two more fights and then let’s fight in 2016.”

SK: “I work out morning time. After this some massage therapy, some treatments, after this some rest, little bit nap, cook the food, take a rest and go again to work out. Today two work outs, this was just the first. My plan was a little broke today because usually my first workout is morning time, but right now already almost 3pm. My interview is a workout [laughs].

Curtis “The Cerebral Assassin” Stevens
WBA Continental Americas Middleweight Champion
Question: Do you want David Lemieux and the rematches?
Stevens: “We all know I want David Lemieux. The question is, is he willing to fight me? Who else? Tureano Johnson, he was winning the fight, but the fight wasn’t over until the final bell rung, and he got knocked out. Some people say it was a premature stoppage, but me, the ref say, you know… I want to be world champion. That was one of my goals, to become a world champion and become a unified world champion.”

Q: How do you feel about being part of this big card?
CS: “It feels great. Second big card of the year. The first one was Canelo–Khan and now Kovalev–Ward. Opened up the first one and now I’ll open up the second one. It’s a great feeling, great. I’m very honored. It’s a pleasure.”

Q: What are your thoughts on De La Rosa?
CS: “A fight is a fight. You can call it a stay busy fight, you can call it a real, well it’s a real fight in general, but you can call it what you want to call it. A fight is a fight at the end of the day.”

CS: “I’m a different type of breed. I come from Brownsville. I’m just a different type of guy. What people fail to realize is that some people wasn’t raised how I was raised. You know? I’m from an era where you sign up in the US Championships, the National Golden Gloves, you couldn’t pick who you wanted to fight. This isn’t a show fight; this is a tournament. First day you got your Andre Ward, you got Gennady Golovkin, you got your David Lemieux’s. I mean the first day! No finals, no nothing. I fought Ward three times, he gave me my first loss ever. Then the second time I fought him, it was a US Championship semi-finals, then the third one was the US Championship semi-finals again. You don’t know where you’re going to meet these guys at.”

CS: “I will always be the chin checkers, that’s what I do, I check in and I check out, I will always be that. I got rid of Showtime. Showtime’s a thing of the past, that’s when I was with my old team. I’m with JDJ now, I’m the Cerebral Assassin, I got to run this tight ship wisely, instead of recklessly. Wisely, get it?”

CS: “John (David Jackson) makes me more relaxed, you know? Let my hands go a little more. Tells me l’m powerful in both hands, so don’t just look to go in there and knock them out.”
Oleksandr “The Nail” Gvozdyk
NABF Light Heavyweight Champion
Gvozdyk: When I first started boxing it was for getting stronger. Then I liked it and it became a hobby. Now boxing is everything. It is my life. It is my job. It is my hobby.
Question: A lot of people don’t know you yet. What would you like them to know about yourself?

OG: I would like to become popular in the ring. I do my best and they supposed to watch it. I hope they’re going to like me.

OG: My nickname is “The Nail” and that is just a translation of my last name. I have had this nickname since I was ten years old so I am used to that. When I came here everyone started to call me that.

Q: Talk to us about your opponent.
OG: Chilemba is a very strong fighter. Very smart. He is skilled. He has good defense. It is not going to be easy. I am happy with my preparation so far and I am expecting a good fight.

Q: Talk about the transition you made from amateur to pro.
OG: Whether it is amateur or pro boxing, it is still boxing. You just have to get used to some different timing. You have to learn to distribute your power for ten or more rounds. You have to get more power in the pros but basically it is the same.

Q: Talk about your preparation for the fight and the dedication it takes in the gym every day to prepare to one day get to the level of Sergey Kovalev and Andre Ward.
OG: I think that if you want to be champion you have to train hard. You are supposed to do your best and train as hard as possible. If you want to be the best, you have to fight the best and you have to train with the best. That is what I try to do. Now Sergey and Ward have both proved that they are the best fighters and now they get to find out who is Pound For Pound #1. I watch them and I try to do the same steps to be like them.

Q: Who do you think wins Kovalev-Ward?
OG: I think Kovalev wins. I know it is like 50-50 fight and it is a very interesting fight for me. It is a fight between intelligence and power.

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Zappos, JetLux and Monster Products. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

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OAKLAND, CA (November 1, 2016) – On Monday, October 31, 2016, Two-Time World Champion Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) participated in a media workout in Hayward, California ahead of his pound-for-pound showdown against WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs). Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” takes place Saturday, Nov. 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Ward put on a full workout session for the media in attendance, consisting of a series of shadow boxing, heavy bag, double end bag, speed bag and then stretching. Also on hand were youths from Camp Sweeney, Alameda County Probation Department’s residential facility in San Leandro, whom Ward spent time speaking with following the workout.

Below is what Ward had to say during the media workout:

ANDRE WARD, Two-Time World Champion:

“I feel that this fight with Kovalev is 50-50. That’s how I approach all of my big fights. I don’t go into the fight thinking, ‘I’ve got a clear-cut advantage here’ or ‘I’ve got to run through this guy.’ Personally, for me, I can’t roll like that. I’ve got to keep myself honest, stay on my grind, keep my head down and force myself to keep working. I truly believe Kovalev is everything they say he is, and I’m everything that I’ve shown over the years.

“There are always different game plans, nuances, different things you’re working on but I respect every fight that I fight. I don’t get caught up in the whole puncher thing, anybody can get you out of there if you get hit right. I don’t think I’d be sitting here in this position right now if I hadn’t had these highs and lows. We’ve got to find a way to get it done, and we’re going to find a way to get it done. I don’t care what he’s got in his gloves, who he’s knocked out or what he’s done. My job is to get my hand raised, and that’s what we’re focused on.

“I have days where I do some type of cardio in the morning – sprints, distant running – then go back to training camp to get some rest and eat. Then we come to the gym and spar and hit the heavy bag. It’s a monotonous process when you’re in training camp, and that’s pretty much every day. Of course we take days off to rest the body and be smart, but it’s really the same thing every day. As you get closer, you start to pull back a little bit so you don’t over train. That’s normally the week of the fight, so up until the Saturday before the fight, you’re full steam ahead. 100 miles an hour.

“Typically, Virgil and I will go through our process together. He watches a lot more film than I do. He’s up until 3:00 a.m. or 4:00 a.m. watching film. As I’ve gotten older, I watch less film. I don’t need to see 10 fights to see tendencies and certain things. I know what I need to see. I may go back and watch a round here and there, but I try and leave room for my instincts. I’m very instinctual. You’ve got to be able to think on the fly thinking on the highest level. I leave room for that. It’s not a checklist you go down. You can’t get into a ring thinking like that. I just believe that who I am and what I have is enough, and that’s what I’m standing on.

“Having young guys like Shakur Stevenson around, it starts to make me feel old because I used to be that guy at Roy Jones’s camp, Floyd Mayweather’s camp, hanging around Bernard Hopkins. You see yourself in them. It’s a little weird, because you’re like, ‘man, now I’m the OG.’ But it’s also a beautiful thing because we need more of that. We need champions and top contenders and just fighters in general to open up the door and allow the young guys on the way to be shown how it’s done.

“I’m honored for Claressa Shields to say that I am her idol. I admire her story, what she’s come from, and think that she’s amazing in the ring. She’s the real deal. I watch her, I pick up things from her. For her to have two Gold medals is amazing. For her to make her pro debut on this fight card is a beautiful, beautiful thing. I think it’s a perfect situation.

“It’s a beautiful thing to be fighting in Vegas. I’m excited. What better time than now in this stage in my career. I’m just excited to continue to prepare so I can do my part to give the fans their money’s worth, those that pay to be there and those paying to watch it. That’s what I’m focused on, and I’m extremely happy to be a part of it. T-Mobile is a new arena, and a new chapter, and to be a part of it is a beautiful thing.”

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Zappos and JetLux. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

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Does headlining a PPV event change the way you approach a fight? How much more responsibilities you have? Does that affect your training?

Sure HBO pay-per-view is very important to me; this is big deal. This is my first pay-per-view fight. I think all fighters goal is to be pay-per-view fighter, but it takes hard work and not everybody can do this. For this fight I did more interviews than before because we want to get more fans, but this is part of my job. I am still learning English, I try to learn more all the time. I am more used to this now, so it becomes little more easy speaking English for interviews. I know it’s important because I want fans to come to T-Mobile Arena and to buy pay per view to watch my fight against Andre Ward. Media is only difference this time because this is such big fight. I do every training camp in same way. First I go to physical training in Big Bear, I run, ride bike, lift weights, I exercise, and stretch to get in shape. After physical training I go to boxing training camp. I spar and I work with my coach John David Jackson in boxing ring. My sparring partners change, but most of the time my training is same. I work very hard; I must give 100% in each camp. This is my job; this is what I should do.

Road to Kovalev/Ward, HBO Sports special leading up to their pay-per-view light heavyweight title showdown, debuts Saturday, November 12 at 12:15 a.m. ET/PT on HBO.

Kovalev vs. Ward takes place Saturday, November 19 at the T-Mobile Arena 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.

Andre Ward Blog Part 2: Monday, October 31

Sergey Kovalev could be the most difficult opponent of your career since probably the Super Six tournament. Is he just a power puncher or do you think he’s a legitimate P4P fighter?

Regardless of who I’m fighting—Barrera, Brand, Kovalev, whoever—there’s always different game plans and nuances when it comes to preparation and training. The reality of it is, every fight is a must-win for me. I prepare for each fight as if I’m facing the most difficult opponent of my career. That’s always been my approach, and I think you’re playing with fire if you don’t adopt that mentality in this sport.

I know this is a big fight, the biggest of my career. But my mindset and my focus have been consistent no matter the opponent, and that’s an invaluable asset. We have to look at Kovalev for who he is—a talented fighter that I respect. He’s my next challenge, and nothing reinforces my determination like a challenge.

Road to Kovalev/Ward, HBO Sports special leading up to their pay-per-view light heavyweight title showdown, debuts Saturday, November 12 at 12:15 a.m. ET/PT on HBO.

Kovalev vs. Ward takes place Saturday, November 19 at the T-Mobile Arena 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.

Las Vegas, NV: The Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound for Pound” HBO Pay-Per-View telecast on November 19 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. will now include the 10-round middleweight showdown between Curtis “The Cerebral Assassin” Stevens (28-5, 21 KOs) and James “The King” De La Rosa (23-4, 13 KOs).
Stevens fought earlier this year on the Canelo-Khan HBO Pay-Per-View telecast and scored a spectacular second-round upset knockout of then-undefeated Brazilian Patrick Teixeira. When asked about the upgrade to the televised card Curtis replied, “I know it is Kovalev-Ward but now it is Kovalev-Ward-Stevens. Time to show out!”

De La Rosa was in a similar situation when he defeated former title contender Alfredo Angulo on the undercard of Mayweather-Maidana. He said, “Déjà vu all over again. The same thing happened when I fought Angulo. I am happy to fight on the PPV telecast. I need this win so I’ll leave it all in the ring come November 19.”

Main Events’ CEO Kathy Duva added, “After we announced Curtis would be fighting on the untelevised portion of the Kovalev-Ward PPV card, we heard from a lot of fans asking that the fight be moved to TV so they could see Curtis. What the fans want, the fans get!”

Stevens, 31, of Brownsville, Brooklyn returned to the ring this past May 7 and stopped previously undefeated Brazilian prospect Patrick Teixeira in the second round on the HBO Pay-Per-View® undercard of Canelo-Khan. The victory over Teixeira catapulted Stevens back into the ranking of all four sanctioning bodies, including Top 10 ratings in both the IBF and WBC. He is hoping to continue that momentum and secure another shot at the middleweight title.

De La Rosa, 28, is originally from Mexico but now resides in San Benito, Texas. His most recent win was a unanimous decision upset over former title contender Alfredo Angulo on the undercard of Mayweather-Maidana. De La Rosa has suffered two back-to-back losses since his win over Angulo but both have come at the hands of two previously undefeated prospects in Hugo Centeno Jr. and Jason Quigley. Commonly, fighters in his position would prefer a tune-up to get back on a winning track but, in this case, De La Rosa opted out of that easy route and decided to test himself against another former title contender in Stevens.

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA Light Heavyweight World Titles, takes place Saturday, Nov. 19, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. “Pound for Pound” is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Rosneft and Corona Extra. Tickets are on sale now at AXS.com and the T-Mobile Arena Box Office.

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA (October 25, 2016) – Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist and the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Sportswoman of the Year Claressa Shields will be making her much anticipated professional debut during the lead-off freeview telecast of Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” on Saturday, Nov. 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Shields is set to face an opponent to be announced in a four-round middleweight bout, with each round timed at two-minutes. The pay-per-view telecast will be produced and distributed live on HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. The freeview telecast which includes the live Claressa Shields bout will begin at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT and will be available on cable, satellite, and telco channels.

As an amateur, Shields achieved unprecedented Olympic success as an American athlete. She is the only boxer in U.S. history, male or female, to successfully defend a title, winning back-to-back Gold medals at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio games. The 21-year-old Flint, Michigan native and four-time USA National Champion has merited accolades at every level of international competition, earning Gold medals in the Pan American Games, two World Championships and two-time AIBA Female Boxer of the Year honors. The pride of a nation, Shields looks to break boxing’s glass ceiling and engage a new generation of fight fans with her move into the professional ranks.

“After working hard for so many years and having the honor to represent my country at two Olympic games, I am thrilled to take the next big step in my career, fighting professionally and leading the rise of women’s boxing worldwide,” said Shields. “There is no better place to begin the journey than to join the biggest fight of the year, Kovalev vs Ward, and to fight alongside my idol and fellow U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist Andre Ward. I can’t wait to entertain the fans on Nov.19!”

“Claressa Shields is a uniquely talented and special young woman. At just 21 years old, she is a once-in-a-lifetime type athlete whose talent inside the ring and charisma outside of it gives her the potential to be a trailblazer for women’s boxing and for all of boxing for years to come,” said Mark Taffet and Jamie Fritz, co-managers of Claressa Shields. “We are proud to be part of Claressa Shields’s team and are thrilled she will be part of the year’s marquee event, Kovalev vs Ward, on Nov. 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.”

“Claressa Shields is about to take the boxing world by storm and we are honored to host her professional debut as part of an already loaded fight card on Nov. 19,” said Roc Nation President & Chief of Branding and Strategy Michael R. Yormark. “Claressa’s unique blend of talent, style and charisma make the two-time Olympian a rising force to be reckoned with in the boxing world and beyond.”

Claressa Shields is a talented 21-year-old boxer from Flint, Michigan. Inspired by former boxing star Laila Ali, Shields developed a passion for the sport and began boxing at the age of 11. It was soon after beginning her journey she realized her family was apprehensive towards the contact sports. After weeks of family discussions, Shields was granted her family’s permission to pursue her passion – a decision they will likely never regret.

Shields burst onto the boxing scene, developing a name for herself as one of the most talented female boxers in the country. Her reputation continued to build through her middle and high school years leading her to become the first ever U.S. women’s boxer to qualify for the 2012 London Games. To Shields, simply earning an invitation to the Olympics was not enough, she wanted to make a lasting impact for her country. After three exciting fights, Shields was rewarded her first Gold medal in the 165-pound weight class, and became the first American woman to win a Gold medal in boxing.

Shields was named the 2014 AIBA Female Boxer of the Year, 2014 USA Boxing National Champion, 2015 Pan American Games Gold Medalist in the light heavyweight division, and two-time World Champion in the women’s middleweight division. Chasing greatness, she became the first U.S. boxer to successfully defend an Olympic title as she earned a second Gold medal at the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro. Concluding an unparalleled amateur legacy, Shields announced that she would be making her professional debut on the freeview broadcast of the year’s biggest boxing matchup, Kovalev-Ward at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Nov. 19, 2016.

As a proud Flint, Michigan native, Shields is constantly looking for ways to shine a positive light on her hometown. She understands the importance of being a role model to youth in her community and has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support she has received since returning from Rio with another Gold medal. Following her first Gold medal summer, Shields became the first in her family to graduate from high school and is enrolled in online college classes to pursue her academic goals and competitive aspirations simultaneously.

Follow Claressa Shields on Twitter @ClaressaShields, Instagram @ClaressaShields, and Facebook: www.facebook.com/claressa.shields.7

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA Light Heavyweight World Titles, takes place Saturday, Nov. 19, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

“Pound for Pound” is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Rosneft and Corona Extra. Tickets are on sale now at AXS.com and the T-Mobile Arena Box Office.

Follow the conversation using #KovalevWard.

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MEDIA CREDENTIAL REQUESTS: http://www.magnamedia.com/credential_form.php?event_id=173&event_description=Kovalev%20vs.%20Ward

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Main Events: Ellen Haley, ehaley@mainevents.com, 973-903-6715
HBO: Patrick Bryne, patrick.byrne@hbo.com, 212-512-1361
Roc Nation Sports: Lauren Menache, lauren@berkcommunications.com, 212-889-0440
MGM Resorts International: Scott Ghertner, sghertner@mgmresorts.com, 702-692-6750/Katharine Sherrer, ksherrer@mgmresorts.com, 702-692-6724
Claressa Shields: Ed Keenan, keenan@emcevents.com, 609-432-7859

Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev Blog Part 1: Monday, October 24

Has becoming the best P4P fighter ever crossed your mind? Is that a career goal for you?

When I was growing up in Russia I did not hear these words pound for pound. Once I learned what this was I knew this was important. I am honored that people think I am the fighter that could get this title. It’s important for me, for my career. I am champion in my division now, but I want to get all the belts and also I would like to be best pound for pound boxer in the world. I respect Andre Ward, he is very good boxer and Olympic gold medal winner, but he is man not alien so I have chance to beat him. My fight against Andre Ward is very interesting for all boxing fans. We both have undefeated record and top rating. I will be prepared 100% to do all I have to do, box, fight, go 12 rounds, what it takes to win I will do. There is much intrigue, many people talk of this fight. They say it’s 50/50 who will win. We will see on Nov. 19 at T-Mobile Arena. I hope all my fans will watch pay per view. This is boxing, anything can happen during fight, but I try always to do my best to win. My goal is to get victory over Andre Ward. It’s big step for me in my boxing career and I must be ready.

My Fight: Kovalev/Ward, HBO Sports special leading up to their pay-per-view light heavyweight title showdown, debuts Saturday, October. 29 on HBO.

Kovalev vs. Ward takes place Saturday, November 19 at the T-Mobile Arena 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.

Andre “S.O.G.” Ward Blog Part 1: Monday, October 24

How difficult is to go from 168 pounds to 175 pounds and be competitive? What did you have to do to make the jump in terms of dieting, preparation, training?

My competitiveness never leaves me, regardless of weight class. I carry my competitive nature wherever I go. I felt my body was ready to move up, and I’m surrounded by a great team that helped ensure I made that transition the right way. We took a diligent approach—utilizing BMI measurements, blood work, nutritional insight—to ensure I was where I needed to be, and all signs were pointing up.

As a light heavyweight, you have to adjust your training accordingly. It’s unlike any other weight class. You need to place an emphasis on explosiveness and strength. That said, the skills I gained from other weight classes hasn’t left me. My agility and my endurance remain-add that to my new strength and explosiveness, and I’m feeling better than ever.

My Fight: Kovalev/Ward, HBO Sports special leading up to their pay-per-view light heavyweight title showdown, debuts Saturday, October. 29 on HBO.

Kovalev vs. Ward takes place Saturday, November 19 at the T-Mobile Arena 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.

Pensacola, Florida (October 20, 2016): As former light heavyweight title contender Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba (24-4-2, 10 KOs) gears up to face Ukrainian prospect Oleksandr Gvozdyk (11-0, 9 KOs) on the Kovalev-Ward HBO Pay-Per-View undercard, he will be training with former four-division world champion Roy Jones Jr.

Chilemba, 29, originally from Malawi, but now residing in South Africa, is coming off the toughest fight of his career. On July 11, this road-warrior travelled to WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev’s home country of Russia to face the champion in front of a sold-out crowd in his own backyard. Despite the unanimous decision loss, Chilemba’s performance against Kovalev raised a lot of eyebrows in the boxing community. Chilemba managed to go the distance against the “Krusher” a distinction held only by one other fighter, future Hall of Famer Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins.

For a number of years, Chilemba had worked with trainer James “Buddy” McGirt but when McGirt was unable to make the trip to South Africa to train Chilemba for Kovalev, he needed to find another trainer. For his stunning performance against Kovalev, Chilemba trained with his manager, Jodi Solomon. The Kovalev fight gained the attention of former four-division world champion and Chilemba’s childhood hero, Roy Jones Jr., who contacted cut man Russ Anber and suggested the two work together going forward. Roy invited Chilemba and Solomon to his gym in Pensacola, Florida to discuss the opportunity of training together.

When asked about that initial meeting Solomon replied, “It was a very big deal for Chilemba because Jones was his childhood hero. The trip to Florida was a huge eye-opener. It was awesome to be in Jones’ gym and for Chilemba to see why he does the things he does and to understand his thought process. Chilemba loved every minute of it. Jones is very passionate about boxing. They connected and got along very well.”

Chilemba grew up watching Jones fight on television in Malawi and has tried to mirror Jones’ style throughout his own career. Chilemba is excited to work with his hero one-on-one now. He said, “For years I have been watching him and trying to learn some of his moves to make them to my own. Now I am very happy that I get to work with him. Jones is my favorite fighter of all time. Working with him is like a dream come true. When I was a kid growing up in Malawi, I used to watch him and try to fight like him. Now working with him is amazing. It is even better than what I expected. Roy Jones Jr. is a master and now I get to work with him and understand why he does what he does. I have always watched him fight and tried to copy him from watching him on the screen. Now I get to work with him in person. It is amazing!”

Roy Jones Jr. added, “It wasn’t just that fight against Kovalev that made me want to work with him. I have been watching Chilemba for some time. After that fight I said I would love to work with him. I saw Chilemba the first time he came to the United States and I realized he was emulating my exact style but he has never had a person who could fully explain it to him. Now he is shocked and amazed that he is able to integrate the nuances of my style. His opponent, Gvozdyk is a very good fighter. It is never easy to beat a fighter like him because he is a very smart guy. He was such a great amateur fighter. We do have our hands full but I am looking forward to seeing how Isaac takes the things that I teach him and uses them to break him down.”

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA Light Heavyweight World Titles, takes place Saturday, Nov. 19, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

“Pound for Pound” is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Rosneft and Corona Extra. Tickets are on sale now at AXS.com and the T-Mobile Arena Box Office.

Follow the conversation using #KovalevWard. FOLLOW US:

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HBO Sports, widely acclaimed for its innovative boxing programming, takes an in-depth look at the most intriguing matchup of 2016, the highly anticipated Nov. 19 pay-per-view showdown between undefeated light heavyweight stars Sergey Kovalev and Andre Ward, when MY FIGHT: KOVALEV/WARD debuts SATURDAY, OCT. 29 (10:35-11:05 p.m. ET/PT).

Other HBO playdates: Oct. 30 (10:00 a.m.) and Nov. 1 (10:00 a.m.), 8 (12:20 a.m.), 11 (3:45 a.m.), 13 (11:05 a.m.), 17 (1:50 p.m.), 18 (6:15 p.m.) and 19 (4:45 p.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Oct. 31 (5:45 p.m.) and Nov. 4 (3:10 a.m.), 10 (12:25 a.m.), 12 (8:30 p.m.), 14 (noon), 18 (12:30 a.m.) and 19 (10:20 a.m.)

The special will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO and HBO On Demand, and at hbo.com/boxing, as well as other new media platforms.

Unified light heavyweight champ Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs), who resides and trains in southern California, puts his crown and undefeated record on the line against formidable challenger Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) of Oakland, Cal., a former Olympic gold medalist who cleaned out the 168-pound division and has set his sights on top prize in the 175-pound division.

MY FIGHT cameras travel with Kovalev to his hometown in Chelyabinsk, Russia and connect with Ward in the Bay Area to chronicle the long journey both men took to reach the elite level of professional boxing.

On Saturday, Nov. 19, Kovalev and Ward meet at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, in a telecast to be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. (ET)/ 6:00 p.m. (PT).

For more information, visit hbo.com/boxing; become a fan on Facebook at facebook.com/HBOBoxing; and follow on Twitter and Instagram at @HBOBoxing. Follow the conversation using #KovalevWard.

MY FIGHT: KOVALEV/WARD is narrated by Liev Schreiber.