Andre Ward: record, next fight and profile →
Heading into their rematch with IBF, WBA, WBO light heavyweight champion Andre Ward (31-0, 15 KOs), former belt-holder Sergey Kovalev (30-1, 26 KOs) - who bitterly disagrees with the verdict rendered back in November during their first fight - and his team may considered investing more downstairs to the body of Ward.
Las Vegas - Light heavyweight contender Sergey "Krusher" Kovalev (30-1-1, 26 KOs) is promising to deal out a lot of pain and punishment on Saturday night, when he faces IBF/WBA/WBO light heavyweight champion Andre Ward (31-0, 15 KOs) at the Mandalay Bay Event Center. The fight is a rematch of last November's encounter - which took place at T-Mobile Arena - and saw Ward win a razor-thin twelve round round unanimous decision to capture Kovalev's three world titles. All three of the judges scored it 114-113 for Ward.
LAS VEGAS, NV – Unified Light Heavyweight World Champion Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (31-0, 15 KOs) and former titleholder Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-1-1, 26 KOs) opened Fight Week Powered by Monster with their Grand Arrivals. The Grand Arrivals took place at Mizuya Lounge at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on Tuesday, June 13, ahead of their ultimate rematch on Saturday, June 17 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas - Fight week is officially underway. On Tuesday afternoon, IBF/WBA/WBO light heavyweight champion Andre Ward (31-0, 15 KOs) and challenger Sergey "Krusher" Kovalev (30-1-1, 26 KOs) arrived at the Mandalay Bay, where on Saturday night the two boxers will collide for a second time.
Unified Light Heavyweight World Champion Andre Ward (31-0, 15 KOs) is proud to announce Monster Products, Life10 Electrolyte, Zappos, Lyft and JetLux as official brand partners ahead of his highly-anticipated rematch against Sergey "Krusher" Kovalev (30-1-1, 26 KOs) on Saturday, June 17 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. 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.
Andre Ward and his trainer, Virgil Hunter, consider Ward’s ability to make adjustments one of his greatest advantages over Sergey Kovalev. They don’t think Kovalev will be able fight much differently Saturday night than the former champion did during their first fight November 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Ward, meanwhile, demonstrated during that 12-rounder that he could make tactical changes that minimized the effectiveness of Kovalev’s jab and right hand, particularly during the second half of the fight.
Sergey Kovalev could at least take solace after his controversial loss to Andre Ward in knowing that if Ward wanted to fight again, he had to face Kovalev in his next bout. There was an immediate rematch clause in the contracts they signed in the fall of 2015 for their light heavyweight championship showdown. Whether Ward or Kovalev lost their fight November 19, the loser could exercise his right to an immediate rematch.
Andre Ward hasn’t felt any signs of physical slippage during training camp for his rematch with Sergey Kovalev on Saturday night. Ward is 33 years old and almost 2½ decades removed from the beginning of his boxing career, but the IBF/WBA/WBO light heavyweight champion still feels fresh. The 2004 Olympic gold medalist isn’t sure how much longer he’ll box, yet Ward (31-0, 15 KOs) says he possesses the same strong desire that enabled him to clean out the super middleweight division and become the first professional fighter to defeat the 34-year-old Kovalev (30-1-1, 26 KOs).
With so many good fights in boxing recently, do you feel extra pressure to perform well for the fans? Do you think that if you win the rematch you will be the best P4P fighter in the world? What else is there for you to do in the light heavyweight division if you win again?
Oxnard, CA: Sergey "Krusher" Kovalev (30-1-1, 26 KOs) has an entirely new training philosophy as he prepares for his highly-anticipated rematch with Andre "S.O.G." Ward (31-0, 15 KOs) on June 17 live on HBO Pay Per View® at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. He has fired his strength and conditioning coach and has vowed not to make the same mistakes this time around. His new coach, Aleksandr Mikhailovich, has a new philosophy centered around his prior experience working with biathletes.