Sullivan Barrera: My Mind is Focused on Knocking Andre Ward Out!

By Carlos Boogs

Unbeaten light heavyweight Sullivan Barrera (17-0) will enter the ring against former unified super middleweight champion Andre Ward (28-0) with a chip on his shoulder. The fight goes down on March 26th in Ward's hometown of Oakland, California at the Oracle Arena with HBO televising the bout live.

The 34-year-old Barrera feels that Ward, who won the Super Six super middleweight tournament, is a good fighter but doesn't believe he has faced anyone close to being on his level.

The former Cuban amateur standout said that there will be no respect and no mercy when he enters the ring on March 26th and that Ward better be ready for the biggest challenge of his career.

"The only thing I have to say is that Andre Ward has never faced a boxer like Sullivan Barrera in his career. I have the training, the experience and the heart to defeat him. All of his past opponents have respected him. When I step in the ring with him there will be no respect," Barrera told BoxingScene.com.

Barrera said that he knows it will be difficult to win by decision in Ward's backyard and that he is training to end the fight in less than 12 rounds.

"I don't have winning by decision in my mind. My mind is focused on knocking him out. I know that a knockout comes by itself and you can't force it but I know that it will be almost impossible to get a decision in his backyard. I need to knock him out and I will do it!" Said Barrera.