Jackson: Kovalev Has Rare Power; Andre Ward is Gonna Go Down

By Keith Idec

NEW YORK – John David Jackson remembers Kenny Kost and Darnell Boone hurting Andre Ward within the first year of the Olympic gold medalist’s professional career.

The undefeated Ward withstood the power of much better fighters since those days, but Sergey Kovalev’s trainer thinks Ward will have more difficulty dealing with his fighter’s heavy hands Saturday night in Las Vegas.

The 32-year-old Ward (30-0, 15 KOs), of Hayward, California, and Kovalev (30-0, 15 KOs), a 33-year-old Russian, will meet in a 12-round fight for Kovalev’s IBF, WBA and WBO light heavyweight titles at T-Mobile Arena (HBO Pay-Per-View; $64.95-$69.95 in HD).

“He got hit,” Jackson said regarding the trouble Ward survived against Kost in February 2005 and Boone in November 2005. “I wouldn’t say it was weight-related. He got hit by smaller guys. Here’s what I always say about that – if you hit a guy with the right shot, you can hurt him. That was at [lower weights].

“When Sergey hits him with a solid shot, will he be able to take it or will he go down? I’m saying myself he’s gonna go down. But listen, if he can evade the shots that Sergey’s gonna hit him with, or try and hit him with, then it makes for a very interesting fight. Boxer versus puncher. And he’s the boxer, so we’ll see.”

One thing Jackson knows for sure is that Kovalev’s power is unusual. The former WBA middleweight champion and ex-WBO junior middleweight title-holder feels it every time he does pad work with the unbeaten knockout artist.

“It’s rare,” Jackson said. “I’ve had a few guys who’ve had it. Randall Bailey had one-punch knockout power. Sergey has that. It’s a rare commodity to have for a fighter. He’s blessed with that power. If you look at him, he doesn’t look like a big, muscular guy. But when he hits you, you say, ‘Man, this guy can punch.’ ”

Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, N.J., and BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.