By Ryan Burton
A recent article on BoxingScene.com revealed that a deal between former super middleweight and Super Six tournament winner Andre Ward and undefeated Cuban Sullivan Barrera was close to being reached for March 26th. If finalized the fight would take place at the Oracle Arena in Oakland and headline a HBO World Championship Boxing card.
While a deal still hasn't been reached, both sides appear close to coming to an agreement.
The 33-year-old Barrera last fought in December when he stopped former title challenger Karo Murat in 5 rounds. The normally durable Murat was stopped for only the second time in his career and earlier in his career had went 12 rounds with Bernard Hopkins.
Barrera's coach Abel Sanchez feels the Murat fight was very important for his student if a fight against Ward comes to fruition.
"I think it was important for Sullivan mentally," said Sanchez to BoxingScene.com. "Physically and technically he has a lot of skills. Physically we get him in tremendous shape in Big Bear. Technically he had a great amateur background but he has to understand that at the level that he is fighting at it takes more than just skills. It takes the ability to finish things and close the show. For the fights that he has been with me - I believe it has been six or seven - he has had a knockout in every fight so he understands what my philosophy is and hopefully he takes that into the fight with Andre."
A win over the unbeaten Ward would obviously be a big boost to Barrera's career. Sanchez believes that a victory would put the Cuban in the same stratosphere as WBA/WBO/IBF light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev.
"I think it would be a tremendous win. Whoever beats Andre, whether he has been active or inactive - the fact of the matter is he is a very talented fighter and the fact of the matter is he has a great coach and they always have a great game plan. By beating him, for Sullivan I think it elevates him to the level of a Kovalev and all the great fights at 175 and 168. It is a tough fight. It is not and easy fight but (if the fight is finalized) we are looking forward to preparing to thwart anything that Virgil and Andre comes up with. It is a difficult fight."
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