Andre Ward has extra motivation to become the first man to defeat feared light-heavyweight puncher Sergey Kovalev: he does not like bullies. And, in speaking with Sky Sports (who will televise the fight, on Nov. 19, live in the UK) the former super-middleweight king says there is absolutely no way Kovalev will bully him when they meet in Las Vegas.
Ward, who is, in the opinion of many, taking the biggest risk of his picture-perfect career by moving up in weight to take on the Russian destroyer, says Kovalev will get a big shock come fight night.
“I don’t like bullies, I don’t advocate bullying and I’ve never been bullied, and that’s not going to change in this fight,” Ward, 30-0(15) said. “They [Team-Kovalev] are going to realize it’s not what they thought it was going to be. He’s going to be taken to places he’s never been before. He tires in fights, he gets frustrated when he can’t get guys out of there. Endurance and conditioning are my strengths.”
Ward added how he will continue to work hard so as to be “in the absolute best shape of my life,” and a good number of experts and fans do expect the brains, the sublime skills and the fantastic defensive qualities of Ward to prevail next month. But is Kovalev a mere bully, albeit one who can punch incredibly hard? Kovalev has shown signs of frustration in fights, yes (see his last outing, when the cute Isaac Chilemba did his best to outfox the 31-0-1(26) champion) but the WBA/IBF/WBO champ has also shown patience and skills (see his commanding Nov. 2014 points win over Bernard Hopkins).
What will Ward do if Kovalev boxes a controlled, patient fight – while at the same time keeping Ward honest with his lethal punching power, or at least the threat of it – and does not rely on his physical strength/bullying tactics? Could it be that Ward winds up being the one who gets a fight he did not ever think it was going to be?
Ward may find out that Kovalev is far more than just a bully with power. What price a Kovalev points win in Vegas? Remember, good judges such as Abel Sanchez feel Kovalev will emerge victorious in this, one of the most intriguing fights of 2016.
