The negotiations appeared to drag on for months, before the two sides were able to finalize the rematch between IBF, WBA, WBO light heavyweight champion Andre Ward and challenger Sergey Kovalev.

Last November at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Ward won a close and some felt controversial twelve round unanimous over Kovalev to capture the light heavyweight belts.

There was an immediate rematch clause, which Kovalev exercised a few days after the fight.

The rematch was not set in stone, as Ward took his time with signing the contract. There was even a period of time where Ward was threatening the possibility of retiring instead of facing Kovalv for a second time. Duva was even having trouble getting Ward's promoter, Roc Nation Sports, to respond to her inquiries.

“They just wouldn’t talk to us for three months,” said Duva to Las Vegas Review Journal. “Once they finally talked to us, it took about a week and a half, and we already had a deal in place, they just wanted to modify it before giving it to Andre."

“We had the rematch clause from the first contract. He promised us a rematch. He was going to get sued if he didn’t go through with it. He was also going to get sued if he decided to retire. Andre wouldn’t sign the contract for three weeks.”

Duva does not believe Ward was scared of the fight. She believes the Olympic gold medal winner was trying to get more money from his promoter.

“To be fair to Andre Ward, I think he wants to fight,” Duva said. “I really don’t think that he doesn’t. I don’t understand why he does things the way he does. I think he wanted more and more money, and whatever else he was trying to get out of his promoters. I think it was more between him and his promoters.”

The rematch takes place on June 17th from the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.