It’s my first boxing live blog in what feels like an eternity and it’s going to be a good one. Sergey Kovalev (30-0-1) puts all three of his light heavyweight belts on the line against Andre Ward (30-0) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
As always, scroll on down for the live blog. Keep reading for the final quotes from the Kovalev – Ward press conference.
Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev – WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion
“It’s a big moment in my career. I want to thank all of the people who are involved with this fight, my promoter Kathy Duva, Roc Nation and HBO Pay-Per-View. Thank you to all of my fans. It will be a fight to remember; one for the history books. I just want to give the fans a really great fight in Vegas and on HBO Pay-Per-View.”
Andre “S.O.G.” Ward – two-time super middleweight world champion
“I’m grateful to be here today. I want to thank everyone who is associated with this event-the good, the bad, the press, all of it. Obviously HBO, Peter Nelson, Roc Nation, Main Events, everyone who’s associated with it. It’s hard to thank everybody. It’s a lot of people that you guys know of that worked on this fight to get it done. There’s a lot of different nuances that go into getting a fight like this done, but it’s done. That’s what we should all focus on.”
“I thank God for this opportunity. I thank God for my career and being able to compete at a high level through the peaks and valleys. Sometimes that gets overlooked, a veteran in the game. I’ve paid my dues and I continue to pay my dues. This is just another opportunity. I’ve been in this position before and so has my opponent. It doesn’t matter what the other side says, how they feel, what they say. He’s got to get it done and I’ve got to get it done. When those bright lights come on who it’s all about who executes and who gets it done. I don’t have to throw chairs. I don’t have to cuss. I don’t have to act crazy. I said let’s fight, lets fight. You’re selling yourself. I know that what I possess and what I have is in me, and not on me.”
Kathy Duva – CEO, Main Events
“Finally. There was a time when fighters didn’t consider preserving their undefeated records to be paramount to engaging in actual competition. There was a time when undefeated fighters who were heading to the Hall of Fame actually sought out greater and greater challenges as their careers progressed. There was a time when fighters were courageous athletes and not simply cynical businessmen.
The two men who are here with us today-both in their athletic primes, both unbeaten, and, in my opinion, both heading to the Hall of Fame someday-chose to put their 0’s on the line and face each other to find out just which one of them is the very best. That is why they deserve to earn your pay-per-view dollars, this is what pay per view is supposed to be. That is why we should move heaven and earth in order to come to the beautiful T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas where this fight will take place. That is why the winner will earn the title of best pound-for-pound fighter in the ring.
The fight is on HBO PPV at 10 p.m. My coverage will start around 10:30 p.m. We might get an undercard, but they’re probably burning those off early. Watch it with me.
