Andre Ward-Sergey Kovalev Rematch Has Ramped Up Intensity

By Steve Kim

It's evident by the comments being made on both sides that their is real tension and animosity between the camps of Andre Ward (31-0, 15 KOs) and Sergey Kovalev (30-1, 26 KOs), who engage in their rematch on June 17th at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Back on November 19th at Las Vegas's T-Mobile Arena, Ward won a controversial unanimous decision over Kovalev to win the WBA, IBF and WBO light heavyweight titles.

Bottom line, they didn't like each other coming into the first encounter and they like each other less afterwords.

Kathy Duva, the head of Main Events(which promotes Kovalev) agrees with this and explained:

"Both of them lost something in the last fight. Ward may have gotten the belts, I don't think he got a lot of respect. Most people are out there saying he lost. He's craved respect for so long and he didn't get it and so he has a chip on his shoulder.

"Meanwhile Sergey, he had his belts taken from him and he knows it wasn't right. There was something unfair about it. So he has a chip on his shoulder. It's coming across between the fighters."

It's no secret that there isn't much love lost between Main Events and Roc Nation Sports, who are co-promoting this event.

"I think the animosity between the promoters is more out in the open this time than it was last time but interestingly we're working to get this done. I don't know if that part is that contentious as it was last time," said Duva, who was in Los Angeles on Wednesday for the final leg of this three-city press tour.

Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com.