Saul Canelo Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KOs) captured his 4th division world title in an outstanding fashion in knocking out WBO Light Heavyweight Champion Sergey ‘Krusher’ Kovalev (34-4-1, 29 KOs) in the 11th round on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In a fight that looked to be even going into the 11th, Canelo caught Kovalev with a big left hook that badly hurt him. Canelo then followed up with a hard right hand that flattened him. The referee Russell Mora immediately stopped the contest. The official time of the stoppage was at 2:15 of round 11.

At the time of the stoppage, Canelo was ahead on the scorecards by the following scores: 96-94, 96-94, and 95-95. Boxing News 24 had it even at 95-95. Canelo was largely getting out-boxed by Kovalev, and eating a lot of jabs. Although Canelo started landing a handful of power shots in the second half of the fight, he was still getting hit a lot more by Kovalev’s jabs.

Unbeaten lightweight Ryan Garcia (19-0, 16 KOs) made quick work of #4 WBO Romero Duno (21-2, 16 KOs) in destroying him by a 1st round knockout in the co-feature bout for Duno’s WVBO NABO Belt.

Garcia, 21, caught Duno with a left hook that dropped him hard. Referee Tony Weeks then quickly stopped the fight after seeing how badly hurt Duno was. The official time of the stoppage was at 1:38 of round one. Duno was not going to be able to make it back to his feet to to continue fighting given how hurt he was.

Early on in the round, Garcia measured the shorter 5’7″ Duno by holding out his left hand and putting holding it on his head for two or three seconds. Referee Tony Weeks didn’t warn Garcia about this illegal move, as fighters aren’t supposed to be able to do that. Garcia was able to land a couple of hard right hands using this tactic.

More on https://www.boxingnews24.com/2019/11/canelo-alvarez-vs-sergey-kovalev-live-results/

Saul Canelo Alvarez (52-1-2, 35 KOs) and Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (34-3-1, 29 KOs) made their grand arrivals today at the MGM Grand Resort and Casino in Las Vegas ahead of their 12-round fight for Kovalev’s WBO Light Heavyweight World Title. The event will take place on Saturday, Nov 2, 2019 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Below is what the fighters had to say at today’s grand arrivals:

Canelo Alvarez, WBC Franchise, WBA, Lineal, Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion and WBA Super Middleweight World Champion:

“As always, I’m very grateful that everybody is here, I’m very honored and I’m ready. This is very important for myself, for my career, for my history, for my family, for my team. To be a world champion in four different weight classes would be another chapter of my story.”

“Everything has been different, the weight, the training, and I can’t wait to see how it goes on Nov 2. I’ll do my best.”

Does the fan support ever get old? “No, it’s very motivating. This motivates me and I’m ready for triumph.”

Sergey Kovalev, WBO Light Heavyweight World Champion:
“I feel great. I’m here for my glory. For my story. For my history. A couple fights ago, when I started to work with my new team Buddy McGirt and Teddy Cruz, they gave me back my belief in myself. With this team I can do more. You can see, with my last fights, a little bit of change to my technique and style. I’m ready to fight 12 rounds.”

“It’s not the goal to knock someone out, I just need to follow my instructions from the corner, from my coach, and everything will be fine.”

Is Canelo going from 160 to 175 a mistake? “You know, I respect his steps and his risks. This is boxing, but in boxing, only real men try to prove themselves, that they’re a real fighter, and Canelo is that. But this is my division, I have been in this division since my first fight, and I want to make my history, my story. He’s just trying. Right now, 175 has a lot of good fights right now, a lot of good fighters right now, even Canelo has come to 175.”

On all the boos from Canelo fans: “I want to disappoint a lot of people on Saturday. In England, everybody was going against me, but after the fight, everyone was asking for my autograph. Your boo is good!”

Canelo Alvarez (52-1-2, 35 KOs) of Guadalajara, Mexico and Russian warrior Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (34-3-1, 29 KOs) hosted a press conference at Union Station in Los Angeles, Calif. to formally announce their 12-round fight for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title. The event will take place on Saturday, Nov. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live on DAZN.

Below is what today’s participants had to say at the presser.

CANELO ALVAREZ:

“I’m very grateful to all the fans as always. I’m very motivated here, it’s an honor for me to share the ring with a fighter like Kovalev who I met in 2012. Now we’re about to make history. I know it’s going to be the most difficult fight of my professional career. I will give the best I have in the ring and that day we can yell “Viva Mexico.”

SERGEY KOVALEV, Current WBO Light Heavyweight World Champion and Three-Time Light Heavyweight World Champion:

“I’m very happy to be here back in Los Angeles. Thanks to God and thanks to Canelo and his team for making this opportunity to get this fight. I think this is a big test for me in my boxing career because this is one of the best fighters in the world in boxing right now. I’m happy and I am excited. Thank you very much for the support.

Canelo Alvarez (51-1-2, 34 KOs), the face of boxing and the king of the middleweight division, will take on a new challenge as he moves into the 175-pound weight class in a 12-round bout against champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (34-3-1, 28 KOs) for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title. The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 2 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will be streamed exclusively live on DAZN in all of its nine markets, including the United States, Canada, Brazil, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Japan.

Tickets for Canelo vs. Kovalev are priced at $1,754, $1,254, $854, $654, $404 and $204, not including applicable service charges and taxes. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.axs.com.

“We promised to make this fight happen, and now we are delivering it,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “Historic fights have been a hallmark of this company, and we are pleased to once again live up to the high expectations we’ve set for our fans. The best pound-for-pound fighter is also boxing’s biggest star. Few fighters in boxing’s history can claim to be both like Canelo Alvarez. Now, he’ll look to become a four-division world champion against one of the most dangerous fighters of recent years, and I’m certain that he will stop him. There’s no better home for this than on the DAZN platform or live at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.”

Canelo, the 29-year-old native of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, became the face of boxing by taking on some of the biggest names in the sport. At 154 pounds, Canelo captured several world titles and defeated the likes of A ustin “No Doubt” Trout, Sugar Shane Mosley, Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo, Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara and Liam “Beefy” Smith.

At 160 pounds, Canelo defeated Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and Daniel “Miracle Man” Jacobs to establish himself as the king of the middleweight division. And, shortly after signing a groundbreaking partnership with global sports streaming giant DAZN, Canelo moved into the 168-pound division by stopping Rocky Fielding in three rounds to become the WBA Super Middleweight World Champion.

Canelo will now look to make history once again by becoming the second Mexican boxer to hold a world title in the light heavyweight division, a feat only done by Julio Cesar Gonzalez in 2003. The pound-for-pound king will at the same time join an elite group of four-division world champions from Mexico.

“The second phase of my career is continuing just as we had planned, and that’s why we are continuing to make great fights to enter into the history books of boxing,” said Canelo Alvarez. “That’s also why I’ve decided to jump two weight classes against one of the most feared champions of recent years. Kovalev is a dangerous puncher, and he’s naturally the bigger man, but that’s the kind of challenges and risks that I like to face.”

On November 2nd, Kovalev, 36, will participate in his 17th consecutive world title bout and the most lucrative fight of his career against the biggest star in boxing. A Russian knockout artist and three-time light heavyweight world champion, “Krusher” is no stranger to fighting in hostile territory. He captured the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title in 2013 when he traveled to Wales and scored a stunning knockout of Nathan Cleverly. Kovalev traveled to Atlantic City to meet future Hall of Famer Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins near his Philadelphia home to unify the WBO, WBA and IBF titles with a lopsided unanimous decision victory in 2014. As unified champion, “Krusher” successfully defended his titles twice against current WBA Interim Light Heavyweight titleholder Jean Pascal in Pascal’s hometown of Montreal, scoring a stoppage victory both times.

Kovalev suffered two controversial losses to former Olympic Gold medalist Andre Ward (in 2016 and 2017) and a surprise upset to Eleider Alvarez last year, but quickly regained his WBO Light Heavyweight Title each time. In August, the road warrior finally got the chance to fight in his own hometown of Chelyabinsk, Russia, stopping undefeated mandatory challenger Anthony Yarde in a sold-out arena.

When asked about this fight, Kovalev said, “In order to be the best you have to beat the best. I have always tried to fight the toughest opponents in my division, but many have ducked me throughout my career. Canelo wanted to fight me; to step up to higher weight and challenge for my belt. I will be ready on November 2nd. Thank you, Main Events, Kathy Duva, Egis Klimas, DAZN and Canelo for making this fight happen.”

“Canelo is to be praised for asking to challenge Sergey Kovalev,” added Main Events’ CEO Kathy Duva. “Win or lose, he will make history and Sergey is extremely pleased to get the chance to test his mettle against another future Hall of Famer.” She continued, “Anyone who cares at all about the Sweet Science should circle November 2nd on their calendar. I have a feeling that this will be one for the ages.”

“Canelo vs. Kovalev is a fascinating matchup between champions that will highlight our entire season of premium fights on DAZN over the next several months,” said DAZN Group Executive Chairman John Skipper. “Simply stated, this is the best schedule in boxing history.”

Richard Sturm, President of Las Vegas Live Entertainment and Sports, said, “We look forward to hosting this tremendous matchup between Canelo and Kovalev at MGM Grand in November. These two great fighters always put on a fantastic show and we are confident they will, once again, provide boxing fans worldwide a thrilling fight when they return to Las Vegas.”

Canelo vs. Kovalev is a 12-round fight for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title presented by Golden Boy, Main Events and Krusher Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING,” Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and Brand-New Grapefruit Crush, Knockout Flavor. The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.MainEvents.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @KrusherKovalev and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing,
www.facebook.com/SaulCaneloAlvarez, www.facebook.com/thekrusher/, www.facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing and www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @SergeyKrusherKovalev, and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKovalev.

WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev (34-3-1, 29 KOs) survived a rough eighth round to come back to stop mandatory challenger Anthony Yarde (18-1, 17 KOs) in the 11th round on Saturday night at the Traktor Sport Palace, in Chelyabinsk, Russia. Referee Luis Pabon stopped the fight officially at 2:04 of round 11.

Yarde came close to pulling off a major upset in the eighth round in this drama-filled bout. After being out-boxed in the first seven rounds, Yarde hurt Kovalev and had him on the brink of defeat. It wasn’t to be though. Yarde depleted his gas tank after eight rounds, and Kovalev took over the fight in the ninth and cruised to victory.

In the 11th, Kovalev nailed Yarde with a hard jab to knock him out. By this time in the fight, Yarde was exhausted and hurt from the punishment he’d absorbed in the 10th round. The 28-year-old Yarde had nothing left after round eight. That was the round in which he had hurt Kovalev.

By Barry Holbrook / boxingnews24.com
https://www.boxingnews24.com/2019/08/boxing-results-kovalev-vs-yarde-undercard/

Photo Mikey Williams / Top Rank

ANTHONY YARDE WILL challenge long-standing world champion Sergey Kovalev for his WBO World Light Heavyweight championship in Chelyabinsk, Russia on August 24. The fight will be broadcast live and exclusive in the UK on BT Sport.

Yarde, 18-0 with 17 Kos, has again accepted the delayed mission of heading into the home nation of the world champion known as Krusher in order to fulfill the first part of his dream of holding multiple world title belts and ruling the division for years to come.

The 27-year-old now gets the opportunity to take on the most experienced and formidable of the current world champions, with the 36-year-old having clocked up 28 Kos from his 33 wins. Kovalev has operated in world title competition since parting Nathan Cleverly from his WBO belt in August 2013 in Cardiff.

“This is my time now and I am going to show the world what I am all about,” said the challenger, the self-styled Beast from the East of London. “Waiting for my time to come around could have been a frustration but we turned it into a positive and I am even more ready to seize the moment.

“Everything has fallen perfectly into place for me, this will be my coronation as world champion and I am going to realize my dream by beating the most decorated of the current world title holders.

“I am more than happy to achieve my goal in Russia and I think it is only right that a great world champion such as Kovalev is given the opportunity to defend in his home country. He has earned that right.

“What I know is that on August 24 another world title belt will be under British ownership and I will have done it the hard way, one that nobody will be able to question.

“My promoter and my manager have made all the right moves to get me into this position and I thank Frank Warren and Tunde Ajayi for creating this opportunity for me. They have done their part and it is now up to me to deliver.”

Frank Warren said the self-belief of his light heavyweight star was the key to accepting a mandatory challenge on away territory.

“It is a fantastic opportunity for Anthony and he has earned his shot by working his way to the No.1 spot in the rankings,” said the promoter. “He has showed what he is all about by being prepared to go into Kovalev’s back yard and it demonstrates the confidence he has in his own ability.

“Everybody knows Kovalev is a tremendous puncher and a fearsome presence in the ring. It is something we first saw over here when he fought Nathan Cleverly and he has continued to operate at the very highest level.

“Anthony possesses tremendous self-belief and we back him to come away with the spoils but, whatever does happen in the fight, it is one that he will take a lot of valuable experience from.”

Yarde’s trainer-manager Tunde Ajayi added: “We’re here now! It’s been stage by stage, it’s been calculated and everything is timing, which I have said from the start.

“The time is now and we are about to shock the world. I cannot remember a fighter with so little experience going over to another man’s back yard to take on a great champion, so I don’t want to hear any excuses when Anthony knocks him out.

“I know that is going to happen.”

Just days after requesting an expedited process in their negotiation period, Sergey Kovalev and Main Events have landed right back on their original deadline.

An ordered title fight between the World Boxing Organization (WBO) light heavyweight beltholder and mandatory challenger Anthony Yarde appears to still head to a purse bid hearing, but have been granted another week to extend talks.

A new date of April 15—which was the original date—has been assigned for the bout, one week past the April 8 date originally requested by Main Events CEO Kathy Duva.

“As per Kathy Duva’s request, the purse was transferred to (the following) Monday, April 15,” Francisco ‘Paco’ Valcárcel informed BoxingScene.com.

Photo Mikey Williams Top Rank

PURSE BID – WBO LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE   Sergey Kovalev vs. Anthony Yarde

Gentlemen:

As per Section 11 through 14 of the enclosed copy of the WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests (www.wboboxing.com), please be advised that a Purse Bid will be held at 11:00 a.m. EST on Monday, April 8th, 2019 at the World Boxing Organization headquarters:

1056 Muñoz Rivera Avenue
San Juan, PR 00927

Pursuant to our WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests on Purse Bid procedures, kindly note:

The Minimum acceptable bid for the WBO Light Heavyweight Division  is $300,000.00 (Three-Hundred Thousand Dollars).

WBO President Francisco Valcárcel, Esq. will preside purse bid proceedings.

Kindly note the following provisions:

  1. If the Champion is injured and depending on the type of injury and the needed recovery time, the WBO Championship Committee, in accordance to the WBO Regulations, will decide if the title is vacated or an interim championship is ordered.
  2. If the Challenger is injured or refuses to fight, he loses his position in the rankings and the WBO World Championship Committee can determine the next available contender, or it can order an Elimination bout with the two best available contenders, and the Champion can be permitted a Voluntary bout.
  3. Signed contracts shall be filed to the WBO Offices within five (5) days upon the adjudication of the Purse Bid.

Section 13 (a) subsections (1) (A) and (B) of the WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests provides:

  1. The Purse for Championship Contests held and completed pursuant to Purse Bids shall be distributed as follows:

(1) CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH AN EXISTING CHAMPION

(a) In fights for the Title between the Champion and the Mandatory Challenger held in the country of origin, residence or nationality of the Champion, the Champion shall receive 75% of the purse and the Challenger shall receive the remaining 25%.

(b) In fight for the Title held in any other country, the Champion shall receive 80% of the purse and the Challenger shall receive the remaining 20%.

Please be advised that the parties must comply fully with the WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests regarding Purse Bid procedures.

Yours Truly,

Luis Batista Salas, Esq. 
Chairman WBO Championship Committee  

Sergey Kovalev gained a measure of revenge, and in the process, regained his title. Kovalev bested Eleider Alvarez (24-1, 12 KOs) via unanimous decision to win the WBO light heavyweight world title, becoming a three-time world champion.

The scores were 116-112 (2X) and 120-108.

Alvarez knocked out Kovalev (33-3-1, 28 KOs) in seven rounds last August. This time, Kovalev controlled the action with his jab, and in the 12th round, he stunned Alvarez with an assortment of blows.

“We worked a lot on my jab,” Kovalev said. “Right now, I am working with {trainer} Buddy {McGirt} the way I was when I was an amateur

“After this, I want unification fights.”

Said Alvarez: “I don’t see myself as a loser tonight, but I do give him credit, especially in that 12th round. I think that he went out and proved that he wanted to win.” 

In the end, the judges were in agreement, and Kovalev is a champion once again. south african satellite manufacturer

WBO light heavyweight world titleholder Eleider Alvarez of Colombia will face Russia’s Sergey Kovalev in a rematch of their August bout on Saturday. The fight will air live on ESPN+ in the United States at midnight ET from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.

Alvarez (24-0, 12 KOs) won the title with a knockout victory in Round 7 over Kovalev six months ago. Kovalev (32-3-1, 28 KOs) seemed to be invincible in the division until losing in consecutive fights to Andre Ward in 2016 and 2017. He recovered by winning two fights in a row by TKO before losing to Alvarez in their first bout.

Where can I watch the Alvarez-Kovalev II fight card?

The Alvarez-Kovalev title fight broadcast on ESPN+ will begin at midnight ET on Saturday. The main card also includes ESPN’s prospect of the year, Teofimo Lopez, facing former title contender Diego Magdaleno in a 10-round lightweight bout.

The undercard begins at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN and then moves to ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET for the two exciting world title bouts.W

The undercard on ESPN at 10 p.m. ET includes:

  • Oscar Valdez vs. Carmine Tommasone, 12 rounds, for Valdez’s WBO featherweight title
  • Richard Commey vs. Isa Chaniev, 12 rounds, for the vacant IBF lightweight title

The undercard on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET includes:

  • Patrick Day vs. Ismail Iliev, 10 rounds, junior middleweights
  • Bakhram Murtazaliev vs. Elvin Ayala, 10 rounds, junior middleweights
  • Enriko Gogokhia vs. Vitor Jones Freitas, eight rounds, junior welterweights
  • Jason Sanchez vs. Daniel Olea, eight rounds, featherweights
  • Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Steven Martinez, eight rounds, middleweights

Via http://www.espn.com.au/boxing/story/_/id/25841596/eleider-alvarez-versus-sergey-kovalev-espn+-how-watch

By Luke Furman –

WBO light heavyweight champion Eleider Alvarez is planning to map out a pure beating in the upcoming rematch with Sergey Kovalev.

Last August in Atlantic City, Alvarez (24-0, 12 KOs) pulled off a shocker when he knocked out Kovalev in to capture the WBO crown.

The two will collide in a rematch on February 2nd, in Frisco, Texas.

Alvarez has been fired up for the rematch, because Kovalev and his handlers have been claiming that Alvarez got saved in the first outing – by way of a “lucky” punch.

“My first motivation is to keep my belt,” said Alvarez to The Montreal Journal.

“The second is to prove to Kovalev that the result of the first fight was not an accident as he’s claimed on social networks since August 4. I’m going to make sure there’s a second accident in our second fight.”

Alvarez is also not paying any attention to the recent headlines, where Kovalev is under legal fire for allegedly striking a woman several months ago.

“There are people who have made me aware of this case, but everything about Kovalev does not interest me. It belongs to him. I act as if I didn’t hear anything about it and I’m only focused on my fight,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez has trained even harder to make a bigger statement this time.

“It was harder than it was for the first fight against Kovalev,” Alvarez admitted.

“I trained even harder. Before I left for Colombia, I was able to make corrections that will be useful to me on Saturday. I feel better in my body. In terms of my physical preparation, I did not have to start from scratch. I still felt the positive effects of my first camp in Bogota.”

https://www.boxingscene.com/eleider-alvarez-plans-batter-sergey-kovalev-rematch–135794?print_friendly=1

(Sept. 14, 2018) — Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev and Eleider “Storm” Alvarez lit up the Atlantic City Boardwalk in a pitched battle last month. The two will renew acquaintances early next year live on a Top Rank on ESPN card as part of a co-promotion with Main Event and Krusher Promotions, in association with Groupe Yvon Michel.

Alvarez knocked down Kovalev three times in the seventh round and scored a TKO to capture the WBO light heavyweight title in a shocking upset. Kovalev led on all three judges’ scorecards at the time of the stoppage and hopes to pick up where the first six rounds left off.

“We are very happy to be joining forces with Top Rank and ESPN for what we expect will be another exciting and historic fight,” said Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events. “Sergey was clearly winning his first bout with Alvarez when he just got caught. It happens. Congratulations to Alvarez for his spectacular performance, but Sergey is a warrior. He let me know that he is anxious to avenge this loss as soon as possible. We are looking forward to the new year!”

“Bringing this marquee rematch to boxing fans on ESPN is a great way to start 2019,” said Top Rank President Todd duBoef. “The light heavyweight division is loaded, and both Kovalev and Alvarez have fan-friendly styles that will make for another gripping fight.”

Added Burke Magnus, ESPN Executive Vice President of Programming and Scheduling: “This has been an exciting year for boxing on ESPN, and the Kovalev-Alvarez rematch is another example of the world-class caliber of events we look forward to continue to showcase on Top Rank on ESPN in 2019.”

Kovalev (32-3-1, 28 KOs) established himself as one of this generation’s preeminent light heavyweight champions with nine title defenses across two title reigns. He first won the WBO title in August 2013, traveling to Wales and knocking out hometown champion Nathan Cleverly in the fourth round. He became the unified champion in November 2014 with a dominating 12-round decision against future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins and further enhanced his résumé with a pair of knockout wins against former lineal light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal. Kovalev lost the title via controversial decision loss to Andre Ward in November 2016. After dropping the rematch via eighth-round TKO, Kovalev recaptured the WBO title with a second-round TKO against Vyacheslav Shabranskyy in November of last year. He defended the title once before the first Alvarez bout.

Alvarez (24-0, 12 KOs), a former Colombian amateur standout who resides in Montreal, is a nine-year pro with a host of A-list names on his résumé, including: Kovalev, Pascal, and former super middleweight world champion Lucian Bute. The Kovalev triumph is the signature victory on his record. Come 2019, Alvarez hopes it’s repeat rather than revenge.

Use the hashtag #AlvarezKovalev to join the conversation on social media.

Two-time Light Heavyweight world champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (32-2-1, 28 KOs) puts his WBO Light Heavyweight World Title on the line against long-time WBC Light Heavyweight number one Contender Eleider “Storm” Alvarez (23-0, 11 KOs) at the Etess Arena in the brand new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on Saturday, August 4, 2018.

The event, promoted by Main Events and Krusher Promotions in association with Groupe Yvon Michel, will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. This will mark Kovalev’s 14th appearance on HBO® with Alvarez making his network debut.

Kovalev vs. Alvarez will be the first professional boxing event to take place at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, which opens on June 28. Kovalev, 35, of Chelyabinsk, Russia, will be fighting for the fourth time in Atlantic City, including his 2014 victory over future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins, which unified three of the four light heavyweight world titles. The only light heavyweight world title Kovalev has not had the chance to win belongs to WBC Light Heavyweight Champion Adonis “Superman” Stevenson. Kovalev and Stevenson have come close to getting in the ring several times, but “Superman” seems set on avoiding the hard-hitting Russian.

Undefeated Eleider Alvarez also knows a little something about being avoided by Stevenson. Alvarez defeated Isaac Chilemba in 2015 to secure the WBC mandatory position and the opportunity to face Adonis for his piece of the light heavyweight crown. Since then, Alvarez is 4-0 with notable wins over former world champions Jean Pascal and Lucian Bute. After more than two years since becoming the mandatory contender and almost one year since his last fight, Stevenson still has not agreed to fight Alvarez, so Eleider jumped at the opportunity to face Kovalev for the WBO World Title when the offer arrived.

Photo by Ed Keenan / Main Events

https://www.boxingscene.com/photos-kovalev-alvarez-bivol-chilemba-hit-atlantic-city–130490

WBO Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev of Russia hosted a media workout at The Boxing Laboratory in Oxnard, California on Thursday, July 26, in preparation for his title defense against undefeated light heavyweight contender Eleider “Storm” Alvarez of Colombia at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City on Saturday, August 4. The fight card will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:0 p.m. ET/PT.

Promoter Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events, Manager of the Year Egis Klimas, and trainer Abror Tursunpulatov also attended and spoke with boxing media.

Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, WBO and IBA Light Heavyweight World Champion:

About his opponent, Eleider Alvarez: “It’s a big test for me. He is very motivated. He’s hungry for this fight and for a victory. He’s undefeated. It’s not an easy fight and I must be ready for what he will bring.”

“He’s dangerous. I cannot say whether I can knock him out or get a victory by points. It’s a good fight for the boxing fans. I never said that I don’t want to fight this guy because he’s very strong. I’m ready for everybody. As a champion, as a boxer, I’m ready for anybody.”

About the importance of this fight: “It’s not the biggest fight in my life, but it’s a big for me because it’s the next chapter in my boxing career. Next time, it will be a harder opponent. He’s undefeated, he’s motivated, he’s hungry. I should be ready for whatever he can bring.”

About his desire to unify the division: “I’m building right now in my mind, my head, my personal championship in my division. In this division, it’s tough. We don’t have the opportunity to make a Super Series (tournament) like Oleksandr Usyk. My congratulations to him and to his team. He’s motivated me.

“We don’t have a tournament series in this division. But in my head, I have a schedule of my tournament, my championship. I am driven to win this championship. I have a picture in my head, I see my goals and my championship win.”

“It’s already started unofficially, between us. Because everybody wants to make unification fights I hope. Everyone who is a champion in the light heavyweight division wants to get all the belts together. We want to see who is first between us.”

About his preparation to face Eleider Alvarez: “I should prove I deserve to be champion. He is a good test for me. I saw a couple rounds in a couple of fights. I don’t spend a long time on this. I see enough to get the style he has. But he will be fighting different because right now, he is getting in shape to fight me. I have a plan, what to do in my head. I have completed my strategy, I will be ready for everything he can bring and inside the ring, after the first or second round, I will make adaptations because I’ll understand what I need to do.”

About his preparation for all his opponents: “If you come inside the ring, you should be ready for everything. For any situation, for any of his tactics. If you have only one plan for the fight, you will be losing, Be ready for an inside fight, outside fight, long distance, short distance, counter attack, anything.”

About his fifth camp training in Oxnard: “Here, there are a lot of guys who can help me with sparring sessions, It’s close to the ocean with a fresh breeze. It’s just your coach, your training. For me it is difficult to make training camp with family living at home. You always need to go somewhere, or my son wants me to play with him. Here it’s training, nap, training, rest. I train on time, lay down on time, nap on time, and keep working.”

About working with trainer Abror Tursunpulatov: “we’ve been working together, we understand each other. He gives me the same boxing study since I was 11 years old. It’s very comfortable. We speak I the same language, it’s easy. I follow his exact instructions. Before this, I did it with all of my amateur experience to the pros. Before, it was enough. But I spent all that amateur baggage. Right now, I need the help of a coach, and Abror helps me.”

About what he’s thinking during a fight: “In the ring, usually I don’t hear anybody. I am focused on the fight and the plans from what we’re doing right now in the gym with my coach. They are already inside of me. Sometimes, if you’re in trouble, you can hear something. Sometimes you even hear advice from the public, the fans! Really. Maybe only three or four times in my experience, not here in America, but in Russia when I was an amateur. I understand myself, whether it was a good round or a bad round.”

About his future opponents: “I am fighting everybody who is ready to fight me, who is available at this point. I never had a choice; do I want this fight or this other guy to fight. Egis (Klimas) or Kathy (Duva) inform me, ‘your next opponent is Eleider Alvarez.’ OK. It’s new, I keep my head and prepare for this guy, because I should be better than him.”

“I don’t think about this, who is next. Because I’m thinking right now about Alvarez. I don’t want to spend time looking behind at this (watching his past fights). He’s busy making plans for me.”

About opponents unwilling to face him: “It means they are not real champions. They are businessmen. Remember in the past, fighters like Mike Tyson or Evander Holyfield, Diego Corrales, I respect these guys. It’s sport. Guys, if you will fight like a real fighter, against everybody, everywhere, if you do your job, this is real boxing.”

About his desire to keep improving: “Some fights, I like myself. Some fights, I don’t like myself – I mean my fights. I didn’t like my last fight. I didn’t like my performance. Right now, I am trying to delete these mistakes and do better every fight. Every fight, something happens. I thought I knew a lot, but something always happens new. I get a new experience from each fight and each preparation.”

About who he would like to face next: “I don’t want speak about anybody except Alvarez. Right now, I have a fight with him and I respect this guy. I’m very happy God gave me this opportunity to get in with this guy to see who I am right now at this point. Who am I, me, myself. I don’t go back. I only look forward. Maybe the one step back and two steps forward. I already did the one step back (laughs), and now only step forward.”

About his life changing visit to the Greek monastery one year ago: “I should visit there every year, for recharging mentally. Every man and every woman should be alone with his Spirit, his God, for two or three days a year. I mean, you should be with God always. But I went there four nights. It recharged me. I cleaned up my mind and body. You follow the prayers. It is a saintly place. I already miss it. Maybe if I have the opportunity this year, I will go again.”

About what the sport means to him: “It’s not be my goal to be famous. I do this boxing not to be famous, not to be a star. I do this for myself. I love this, competing. I still live my life with interest. I travel a lot, I’m meeting people worldwide, I love it. I dreamed about this when I was young.”

Photo credit: Craig Bennett/Main Events

Date:  Saturday, June 17, 2017

WBO/WBA/IBF Lt. Heavyweight  Title Bout

Location: Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Promoter:   Main Events/Kathy Duva & Roc Nation/David Istkowitch

Supervisor:   Francisco Valcarcel, Esq.

Referee:  Tony Weeks

Judges:  Glenn Feldman (67-66),  Dave Moretti (67-66),  Steve Weisfeld (65-68)

Results:   The WBO Lt. Heavyweight Champion retained the WBO/WBA/IBF titles against Sergey Kovalev by TKO in the 8th. round.

TV:  USA HBO PPV

KovalevMediaDay2 Credit:  Photo by Craig Bennett/Main Events –

Yesterday at Boxing Laboratory in Oxnard, California, former WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion, Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-1-1, 26 KOs) opened his training session to the media in advance of his upcoming showdown with Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (31-0, 15 KOs). Below are quotes from this event. Ward vs. Kovalev 2: “The Rematch” takes place Saturday, June 17 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The championship event, presented by Corona Extra, will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View.

“I don’t like this guy [Ward] and I want to punish him because he puts his nose really up right now. He knows that he lost.”

“I don’t care if [Ward] shows respect to me or not. I know only one thing: I will kick his ass! I want to destroy him. I want to destroy this guy as a boxer, as a champion. For me he is not a champion, he’s a fake champion. He lives right now with this status; he’s a fake champion. He believes in his victory over me and right now he’s trying to get belief of people of this victory. It’s wrong, for me, it’s wrong.”

“It’s not the first fight where I’m angry, I’m always angry when I am fighting, but last two fights were very disappointing for me. Right now, at this point, I am feeling good and I feel not any problem to get back my belts.”

“I was ‘over-trained’ for my first fight against Andre Ward. I did three workouts a day. I tried to do everything faster and stronger. Instead of running five miles, I did eight miles. I did more than I usually do all the time. I over-trained.”

“My preparation right now is doing great, much better than last time because I took care of all the mistakes I did in my last two fights. In those two last fights, I was over-trained, for Chilemba and for Ward, and I fought similar, you saw already. But this training camp I am doing everything very good.”

“Nothing changed with John David Jackson. We are doing same as usual. I just got over-trained last time with physical conditioning, but with boxing we’re doing the same, boxing, sparring, mitts. I do same as I did last fight [with John]; I don’t think I need to change something. I just to get back what gave me success. My two last fights were really not good and I delete these mistakes and I delete this [physical conditioning] coach from my training camps, he’s not a coach that helps me right now.”

“I am happy what’s happening around me, I mean in training camp, my family, my life and my boxing. That I have no belts is for me new motivation to kick more ass because he does not deserve these belts. This is gift for him from the judges for Christmas and Christmas already finished and belts should be back with me.”

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How hard does Ward hit?

“One day in my hometown Chelyabinsk one day a girl, 25-years old, slapped me on my shoulder then Andre Ward punched me in the fight it was same. I didn’t feel any hard punches from him. I didn’t feel his uppercut and so I didn’t block his uppercut. I didn’t feel this punch but judges counted this punch. It is touches it is not punches. Punches is punches his was like a tap. Judges counted any tapping as punches.”

Did you watch a tape of the fight?

“I tried but I saw only six rounds. I don’t have patience to watch it. For me it’s much easier to fight than to watch it.”

“I think I should knock him out and I must to knock him out to get my belts back because anything can happen but I believe in judges. I think first fight they made mistakes but right now there will be other judges, not the same. I think they’re gonna be fair and honest to count our fight.”

Why didn’t you finish him in the second round when you knocked him down?

“I thought that if knock down can happen [once], it can happen again. I tried not to rush. But I didn’t know that my energy will finish in the fifth round. In the fifth round, I lost the speed, I lost the energy and I was empty, 100% empty. My body fought because my heart doesn’t say stop. I’ll be like fighting until I die. Andre Ward got like four rounds of victory with empty Kovalev, we’ll see what happens on June 17. I think will be everything on my side.”

What does this fight mean for your legacy?

“Everything. I want to live from this point of the boxing. It’s the highest level in the boxing. HBO Pay-Per-View was my dream someday be on this level. Everything this fight means to me.”

How do you stay focused at this point?

“It’s my job. I’m boxing since I am 11 years old and nothing can break me. Nothing, only kill me. If somebody will kill me, yes I will stop boxing. If I am still alive, you know I will do my job. God bless me and I have to fight and I’m ready for June 17, to get my belts back.”

“I want to prove that he didn’t deserve these belts and I want to get my belts back. It’s my goal. I want to punish Andre Ward too because he doesn’t deserve this money, these belts, this status and to be champion. He’s not champion. In my eyes, he’s not champion.”

“I have more motivation right now than first fight because I have a goal. Last fight I just had a test. Can I fight Andre Ward or no? But right now, I understand that yes, I can fight Andre Ward and I can beat him. Right now, I have a goal: to get belts back. It’s more to motivate me than any test.”

“My goal was, and still is, to collect all four belts. I got three and left to get just one. Right now, Andre Ward’s in my way to this goal and I should move him from my way to my goal. First of all, I must get back my belts. We’ll see what will happen after this.”

KovalevMediaDay3

John David Jackson – Sergey Kovalev’s Trainer

What are your impressions of Ward from the first fight?

“He’s an intelligent fighter. We knew that going in. I’m not too impressed with much more than that. The fact that he didn’t get hit with a flush punch from Sergey, if it was a solid shot, he might not have gotten up. So, if I had to be impressed with anything I’d say it was the fact that he went the distance. He got up in the second half of the fight, he made the fight closer than it should have been, not close to where he should have got a decision, but I was impressed that he did get up and survive.”

There’s been a lot of talk in the aftermath of the last fight. Has that been a distraction to Sergey in training camp?

“I doubt that there’s been any distractions for Sergey from the last fight. He realizes that he lost the fight, not outright, but the judges didn’t give him the decision so you must accept that; it’s part of boxing and he must move on. I think that he’s accepted it and now he just wants to get his belts back.”

What adjustments do you expect Ward to make?

“In the first fight, he did just enough to survive and somehow the judges gave him the decision; he has to be Superman in the second fight. He has to be more aggressive, with less movement and he has to be willing to trade with Sergey. Can he do that? Maybe he can, but will he do it? I doubt that. That’s not his style. Most people have said now that Ward has survived the first fight, he solved the riddle of Sergey Kovalev. I highly doubt that because this wasn’t the best of Sergey Kovalev that you could have seen, not the second half of the fight. I think Andre has to do more than Sergey does to be even more successful in this second go round. Can he do that? We’ll find out on June 17.”

Sergey said he was over-trained in his physical training. You were in Big Bear, did you notice a difference?

“I noticed that this time around his conditioning coach was a bit different. He has him resting more. The other coach had him doing a lot of things that to me were unnecessary. I don’t get in the way of the conditioning coach’s job and I’m not doing that with this guy, but he seemed more interested in keeping Sergey a little more relaxed and not over-training. If we can just do that, he’s on course. For the next two weeks, if we do the same thing, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

www.fightnews.com/Boxing/kovalev-dont-like-ward-want-punish-405855#more-405855

WBO Autographed Belt auction

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By Igor Lazorin, tass

According to Egis Klimas, the manager of Sergey Kovalev, the negotiations are finally underway for a rematch with World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Organization (WBO) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) light heavyweight world champion Andre Ward.

The two boxers collided last November at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Ward got off the floor in the second round to win a twelve round unanimous decision. All three judges had it scored for the Olympic gold medal winner with identical tallies of 114-113.

There was a rematch clause in the bout agreement, which Kovalev quickly exercised to secure an immediate return bout.

As of last week, Kovalev’s promoter Kathy Duva of Main Events was having a very difficult time with getting Roc Nation Sports, who promote Ward, to start negotiating the rematch.

“The negotiations have begun, but there is no concrete agreement,” Klimas said.

There were some issues with getting Ward to come back to the table, as he was threatening the possibility of retiring unless the scenario with the rematch made sense.

Duva had previously informed BoxingScene.com that HBO prefers a date of June 17 for the rematch.

Roc Nation has now placed the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on hold for June 17, but they have not revealed if the date is for the Ward-Kovalev rematch or Miguel Cotto’s rescheduled return. Cotto was set to return on HBO Pay-Per-View last Saturday, but his event got canceled after opponent James Kirkland withdrew with a fractured nose. Cotto is looking to rescheduled his return for a date in April or June.

Kovalev has a record of 30 wins (26 by knockout), one loss and one draw. And Ward has a perfect record of 31 victories (15 by knockout) and no defeats.

www.boxingscene.com/ward-vs-kovalev-rematch-talks-finally-underway-june-17–114031?print_friendly=1

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By David Robinett and Miguel Maravilla at ringside
Photos: Emily Harney –

In a terrific fight, former super middleweight champion Andre Ward (31-0, 15 KOs) came back from a second round knockdown to edge unified world champion Sergey Kovalev (30-1-1, 26 KOs) by scores 114-113 on all three scorecards to capture the Russian’s WBA, WBO, and IBF light heavyweight belts on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Ward, (31-0, 15 KOs) was in all kinds of trouble early, wobbled by a hard Kovalev jab in round one, and sent down by a quick right hook in round two. Kovalev’s short right hand seemed to hurt Ward every time it landed. Ward held often in the early rounds, trying to blunt Kovalev’s power and reach advantages and buy some time to recover. By round five though, Kovalev drifted away from using his right hand and Ward began to outland the Russian as the rounds progressed. Ward rocked Kovalev with a straight left hand in round seven and outboxed Kovalev with confidence in most of the later rounds. The two fighters both displayed their quality in the championship rounds, each landing big punches but Ward was just a little faster and landed with a little more authority to shade the fight on the final scorecards. Ultimately, a defining win for Ward, Kovalev certainly did not diminish his stock in defeat, and a win for boxing that its latest big fight delivered on the hype.

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www.fightnews.com/Boxing/ward-dropped-wins-114-113-decision-cards-360357/nggallery/page/2

Date:   Saturday, November 19, 2016

WBO/IBF/WBA LT. HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE BOUT

Location:   T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Promoter:  Main Events / Kathy Duva – Roc Nation / David Itskowitch

Supervisor:  Genaro Rodriguez

Referee:  Robert Byrd

Judges:  John McKaie; Burt Clements; Glenn Trowbridge

Results:   Andre Ward is the new WBA, IBF and WBO light heavyweight champion after winning by unanimous decision over Sergey Kovalev.

TV:  USA HBO PPV, Panama RPC Channel 4, Mexico Televisa, Australia Main Event, Hungary Sport 1

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Photos: Craig Bennett/Main Events

Yesterday, WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs) held an open workout for members of the media in advance of his upcoming “Pound For Pound” showdown on November 19 against Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View. Also in attendance were Curtis “The Cerebral Assassin” Stevens (28-5, 21 KOs) who will take on James “The King” De La Rosa (23-4, 13 KOs) for the WBA Continental Americas Middleweight Title and Oleksandr “The Nail” Gvozdyk (11-0, 9 KOs) who will face Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba (24-4-2, 10 KOs) for the NABF Light Heavyweight Title on the Kovalev-Ward HBO Pay-Per-View telecast.

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Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev:
 “I’m excited and everything is going good. I’m waiting for this day, November 19, and I am ready to fight.”

“I don’t have anything personal about him (Ward). I should to win this fight, I only have to prove (to) myself who I am. I am fighting for me first of all, and after this really for boxing fans. This is my boxing career since 11 years old and right now Andre Ward (is) in my way. And he wants to get my titles but I’m still alive.” 

“I don’t have any plans for each fight, just get into the ring and do my job. I must be ready for everything what he (Ward) will bring.”

“I got some experience from my fight against Bernard Hopkins. He showed that never give up. That you should to fight all 12 rounds and hope for your win.”

Question: Do you expect Andre Ward will hold you and use his head?

“Yes I think he will use it and I am ready for this too. It will be wrestling and not fight [laughs].”

“I think he (Ward) will look much better in my fight November 19 because he long time didn’t fight, couple years he had a rest and Sullivan Barrera was first fight when he returned. And with Alexander Brand he was better than against Sullivan Barrera. I accept that he’s going to look much better November 19. In best shape.”

“John (David Jackson) just gives me freedom to do what I want, what I would like to do. You know, just like adjust some things and advice between rounds about technique. Working a lot with mitts. I like work with him and feel comfortable.”

“I don’t think that Andre Ward (will) let me use a lot of body shots because he has great legs and a lot of movements. You know he’s very smart. And I think first part of this fight is going to be a lot mentally, but I should prove that I’m Krusher and that I’m going to do my job. He’s going to do his job, me to do my job.”

“I think my last fight against Chilemba, it was like a similar fight you know, because Chilemba’s a little bit style as Andre Ward. But Andre Ward is Andre Ward, a little bit different and stronger, smarter, undefeated and more motivated than Chilemba. I’m interested what he will bring November 19 to the ring.”

“We agreed two fights before our fight. I was ready last year to fight, but Andre wasn’t ready to fight without two fights at light heavyweight. We sign agreement that two more fights and then let’s fight in 2016.”

“I work out morning time. After this some massage therapy, some treatments, after this some rest, little bit nap, cook the food, take a rest and go again to work out. Today two work outs, this was just the first. My plan was a little broke today because usually my first workout is morning time, but right now already almost 3pm. My interview is a workout [laughs].

 

 

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After his most recent victory over Alexander Brand, Andre Ward broke down stylistically who he thinks he is as a boxer if he were to compare himself to pugilists of the past.

Pound for pound rated Ward has always been a technically superb fighter, dating back to his 2004 Olympic gold in Athens as an amateur, to a now stellar undefeated professional career as a pro (30-0-15KO).

Under the watchful eye and in-depth tutelage of renowned trainer Virgil Hunter, Ward has unquestionably established himself as one of the leading boxers in the world today.

When speaking to the media after his latest victory this past weekend over Alexander Brand, in his post-fight press conference Ward wanted to address who he thinks he is as a fighter technically, and gave a very interesting insight into the boxing methodologies he has looked at when forging and crafting his own unique style.

He said:

“I think I’m a combination of Roy Jones, Bernard Hopkins and Floyd Mayweather. That may sound arrogant but, I’m just saying those are the guys I’ve really studied. And obviously Andre Ward, it’s like Virgil’s (Hunter) style mixed in with all those guys.”

Ward added:

“I can fight inside, I can get rough, I can get flashy, I can do certain things when I need to. I can be very systematic like Floyd and break a guy down. So I think I’ve taken something from all three of those guys, but at the same time trying to say true to who I am and just be myself. I’m trying to be formless man like Bruce Lee said. I’m what I need to be when I need to be it.”

Ward is now scheduled to fight Sergey Kovalev in November 19th in a massive light-heavyweight showdown in the US.

www.boxingnewsandviews.com/2016/08/09/andre-ward-i-think/#prettyPhoto

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Andre Ward (right) hits Alexander Brand with a clubbing right

Undefeated Andre Ward used a steady left hook to outpoint Alexander Brand to take the WBO International light heavyweight championship in Oakland, California, on Saturday night.

Ward (30-0) was never seriously threatened by Brand (25-2), the 39-year-old Colombian who lost for the first time since 2012.

Ward stunned Brand early and opened a small cut over his right eye while winning every round in a dominant performance.

All three judges had the fight 120-112 for Ward.

Ward is in position for a long-anticipated bout with unified light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev. That fight has already been pencilled in for November 19 in Las Vegas.

That would be Ward’s third fight in eight months, overtime for a boxer who fought only three times from 2012 to 2015.

www.skysports.com/boxing/news/12183/10526523/andre-ward-outpoints-alexander-brand-in-california-stroll

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After successfully defending his world titles against Isaac Chilemba, WBO, WBA and IBF light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev spoke about the fight. “My promoter and manager chose a fighter that is similar to Andre Ward’s style, so that I will be prepared for the fight with Ward. When they told me that my opponent will be Chilemba because his style is similar to Andre Ward’s style, I was thinking to myself what’s so similar to his style? Their height is different, so at first I didn’t see much, but after the fight I realize that, in fact, he does have similar style to Andre Ward’s: waiting out and counter-attacks, he is not going in much, he waits in defense and waits for the right moment.”

On his preparation for the fight:

“There were obviously some moments during the training with regards to my health, because I got a cold and I didn’t say anything, so the information wouldn’t get to Chilemba, that it might work against me. So myself and my trainer worked hard to overcome this stage and prepared for the fight.”

On the knockdown in round seven:

“If it wasn’t the end of the round I would have pursued to actively attack him. But because the bell rang, we rested and he managed to pull himself together and I didn’t want to waste my energy. He is very experienced and had as many fights as myself and with boxers of highest level, therefore I was boxing and continue boxing and whatever happens, then it happens. There was no aim to knock him out, but the main aim was to gain experience from this fight for the next fight in November in Las Vegas.”

On fighting in front of his hometown crowd for the first time as a champion:

“When I box as a visitor, there are much less fans that support me, there is more support for the opponents and I love to disappoint my opponents’ fans, which is sort of a motivation.”

On whether he was injured during the fight:

“In general, there are no major injuries. I have a little bruise on my eye, I don’t know how. No major punches I didn’t feel, there was a head bump, that could possibly damage, but there are no other injuries, which is the most important thing. There were mistakes during the camp, you can’t do everything perfect. And when you meet these difficulties you gain experience. What doesn’t break us makes us stronger.”

On experience gained in the fight:

“I gained experience; there are things that I have to work with now. I have to work with opponents that sit in the defense and I have to work more with my left arm. And probably I also wanted to make a hard punch and that worked against me. My arms felt heavy and not everything that I wanted happened, and that is again because it’s Chilemba. He is actually a very experienced fighter and like many “couch-experts” said: what round? I never think about when knockout is going to be – it’s boxing, you need just one punch. We are all under God and how he judges, that’s how it’s going to be. I believe my mistake was that I was trying to put power in every punch. I had a heavy feeling in my hands. That’s why he was faster than me in some moments. ”

On how Ward and Chilemba compare:

“Andre Ward’s got different timing, he’s faster with his legs. He’s not only good in defense but also he can attack. He has some defensive tricks. If saying in an advanced way, his defense is more modernized. He can feel his competitor better, he’s got better reaction. He also has good experience. After all, he is an Olympic champion. The last American [male] champion at the Olympics. Moreover, he is undefeated. This adds a kind of psychological pressure. He is the best in all the categories. But talking of power he is not a crusher. We have 2 different styles. So that is the difference between them. They are counterpunchers.”

www.fightnews.com/Boxing/kovalev-chilemba-has-similar-style-to-andre-ward-the-main-aim-was-to-gain-experience-from-this-fight-345742

Date:   Monday, July 11, 2016

WBO/WBA/IBF LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE BOUT

Location:   DIVS, Ekateringburg, Russia

Promoter:   Main Events (Kathy Duva) / German Titov Box Promotions (German Titov)

Supervisor:   Istvan Kovacs

Referee:  Michael Griffin

Judges:   Chris Flores (116-111), Zoltan Enyedi (117-110), Gustavo Jarquin (118-109)

Results:    The WBO/WBA/IBF World Champion Sergey Kovalev retained the Jr. Heavyweight Title  against Isaac Chilemba by Unanimous Decision.

TV:  Russia Match TV / HBO USA