Kovalev on Andre Ward: 'I don't know if I can beat him

[Lester Tutor]

“I don’t know if I can beat him,” Kovalev said in a remarkable bit of honesty considering the bravado often found in boxing. “But I want to fight him. It’s a huge test for me.”

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While details of his next fight remain unsettled, the plan is for a late-June date, prompting Kovalev to return to the gym this week.

“I am back,” Kovalev said Saturday in an interview with The Times and Ring magazine.

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Kovalev (29-0-1, 26 knockouts) is seeking a summer interim bout in his native Russia, saying his promoter, Kathy Duva, and manager, Egis Klimas, are aiming for a fight date of June 18 or June 25, with negotiations ongoing at multiple sites, including arenas in Moscow and Sochi.

“It’s good for me, for Russian boxing fans and lots of fans in Europe who want to see my fights live and have found it hard to get to,” in the U.S. or Canada, Kovalev said.

Klimas said the talks need to be done “like yesterday,” adding that if the site and opponent aren’t finalized in two weeks, the fight date would move to July.

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Ward is also looking to stay sharp with a summer fight near his Oakland base.

good reporting as usual. don't spook people doe.

[Lester Tutor]

An over-confident Kovalev would play into Ward's hands. However, a serious and cautious Kovalev is going to be at his best. Compared to his other opponents, he's going to be going up 2 or 3 levels in competition when he fights Ward.

Most likely. We didn't see much of Pac's left against the last Bradley. As headlines made around that Atlas was expecting a Marquez outcome, well of course Pac wouldn't charge as normal... His right shoulder in Bradley 3 looked perfectly performed...

[Zaroku]

In slow motion pact@rds still don't know **** about boxing.
Ward is a God fearing east bay fighter who can whip Kovalev.

So now you hookers and Ho's know how I feel.

[Zaroku]

BTW, Jhonny hates most y'all phagoty spoons.
My lil niggy ****ing hates me. He loves my j girl but ****ing hates me.

Jhonny and I are cool, watching boxing, eating steak, talking ****, but he don't sleep with me, he hates men.

[Combat Talk Radio]

It's as close to a pickem fight as you can get. It's the best fight that can be made in the sport.

It really isn't.

By fight's end you will see one of two things - likely #1:

"All Ward did was run..."

"News, Ward has failed a drug test for clenbuterol after his dominant win over Kovalev. Fight changed to no contest"

[boxinggod101]

Cant wait!!! THATS the fight of the year. Its hard to say for sure who will win it.

[Superbee]

Kovalev is disarmed by the fact he can't throw fingers at Ward and won't be able to cope on the intelligible side of things all through the fight build ... He's lost it already .... Good for Ward if Kovalev is starting to doubt ..

[Luilun]

I'm actually suprised I think Kov is showing weakness and he doesnt seem to confident

Trust me he will go in there trying to kill Ward

[aldo5408]

I thought he's racist though? He's incredible respectful towards Ward and Hopkins.

Maybe he just insults chumps like Pascal and Stevenson who don't deserve respect?

Dang your right I forgot he was racist. Thanks for pointing it out

[12TRIBEsRiSe]

at this level against competition like ward or kov, either man can take a Loss, no shame in that cant wait