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SERGEY KOVALEV VS. ANDRE WARD OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN VIDEO, QUOTES & PHOTOS

 

 

 

KOVALEV-WARD “POUND FOR POUND”

SET FOR SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19

AT T-MOBILE ARENA IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

PRESENTED LIVE BY HBO PAY-PER-VIEW®

 

 

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Photo Credit: Main Events/David Spagnolo

 

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Photo Credit: Roc Nation Sports/Tom Hogan – Hoganphotos

 

Sergey Kovalev vs. Andre Ward Official Weigh-In (Click to Watch)

 

LAS VEGAS, NV (November 19, 2016) – In front of a packed crowd at MGM Grand Garden Arena, WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs) and Two-Time World Champion Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) faced off at the official weigh-in ahead of their ultimate showdown on Saturday, Nov. 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Joining them at the public event were all of the undercard fighters.

 

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Monster Products, JetLux, Zappos, Jordan Brand and Shoe Palace. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEO, QUOTES & PHOTOS   KOVALEV-WARD “POUND FOR POUND” SET FOR SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19 AT T-MOBILE ARENA IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA PRESENTED LIVE BY HBO PAY-PER-VIEW®

  

Click HERE for Photos

Photo Credit: Main Events/David Spagnolo

 

Click HERE for Photos

Photo Credit: Roc Nation Sports/Tom Hogan – Hoganphotos

 

Sergey Kovalev vs. Andre Ward Final Press Conference (Click to Watch)

 

LAS VEGAS, NV (November 18, 2016) – On Thursday, Nov. 17, WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs) and Two-Time World Champion Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) participated in the final press conference for their Nov. 19 “Pound For Pound” showdown at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The final press conference was hosted by renowned ring announcer Michael Buffer. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

 

Below is what the fighters, promoters and other dais guests had to say at the final press conference:

 

Sergey Kovalev, WBO, WBA & IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion:

 

“Hi everybody, I am very glad to be here. It is very nice. Maybe like two, three years ago, I can never imagine that I can get this level and fight Andre Ward, undefeated boxer and Olympic Gold Medalist. I have very big respect for him, for his success in the pro and amateur career. It is really great success but now we are facing each other and I should prove that I am better. Thanks a lot to HBO and personally to Peter Nelson, my promoter Kathy Duva and Main Events promotions, Egis Klimas and to my sponsor Hublot. I really hope that our fight will be very clear and honest. I am very excited for this fight and a little nervous because I never was on this level. HBO Pay-Per-View is the highest level in pro boxing and I am very happy to be here. Welcome to the TV screens on Nov. 19 and T-Mobile Arena where you will see very great fight. Thank you very much.”

 

Andre Ward, Two-Time World Champion:

 

“I want to thank everyone who is here today – the media, all my sponsors, MGM Grand, the great team that put this fight together and HBO. I was off to the side trying to mind my own business when Kathy Duva woke me up. She started talking, I don’t know why she keeps doing that, but it’s interesting that the ones that are not getting in that ring are the ones that are doing the most talking. They’re not feeling those punches, so she can keep doing what she’s doing. I love it, that’s what a big promotion is all about, what a big fight is all about; we’re not supposed to like each other. His side has been doing a lot of talking, and that’s fine, we love it. It’s not our first rodeo, we’ve been down this road before. We don’t always respond right away. Sometimes our silence is misinterpreted as us not getting it. We watch, we take notes, but in the meantime we keep working and we produce come fight night. That’s what we specialize in. So all the talking is great, I love it, but know one thing – I’m not taking no mess come Saturday night. Ima be there. Thank you very much”.

 

Kathy Duva, CEO, Main Events:

 

“Welcome everyone to the best, most significant and most anticipated fight of the year. Main Events’ journey with Sergey Kovalev began just four years ago. In the Fall of 2012, he made his first appearance in a U.S. televised co-feature on NBCSN. It was the first time he was ever on television in the United States. At the time, he told me he had three goals: 1. win title, 2. unify title, 3. become Pay-Per-View fighter. He made it very clear that this is what he wanted and that he would win fights. He made his first appearance on HBO less than a year later when he won the WBO title. His first appearance on HBO happened less than a year later, and he’s fought on HBO nine times in three years and now his first Pay-Per-View is finally here. I’m bringing this up now because there’s a storyline out there about what a shame it is that this fight isn’t as big as Mayweather-Pacquiao. As I tend to do when I try and solve problems, I did some research to try and gain some perspective. Floyd Mayweather fought on HBO nine times just like Sergey, and of course the four-year period where he headlined his first HBO PPV versus Arturo Gatti in June of 2005, Gatti was the big draw of that fight. Manny Pacquiao fought on HBO for two years before headlining his first HBO gig in January of 2005 with Eric Morales. Those events sold in hundreds of thousands of buys, it wasn’t until Floyd and Manny got the opportunity to defeat the already well-established superstar Oscar De La Hoya that they reached that million buy benchmark. They fought on parallel paths for 10 years on PPV to get to the place where they arrived last year, and that of course is where every fighter wants to be and that is where Kovalev and Ward want to go. And so they have to start somewhere. The fact that Manny’s first PPV opponent Morales had been on PPV before and had already attained legendary status with his trilogy with Mickey Ward and was well known to casual sports fans.

 

“Very few fighters ever get the chance to fight consistently in the rarified world of Pay-Per-View, and those are typically the same fighters who get to earn pound for pound status in the ring. In the past few months, I have watched Sergey work so far to promote this spectacular event. Sergey has shown me he has the chops to be the kind of star that has that rare ability to connect with each and every one of his fans, make new ones every time he’s out, and works very hard to convince them he’s worth paying to see. His boxing ability, his concussive punching power, his electrifying presence in the ring.

 

“Among Sergey’s goals, one that I added in was to be a big fighter in Las Vegas, so this is big. This is huge, we are so happy. I want to thank Bob Bennett of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, it’s such a pleasure to work with such professional people and you make our job a whole lot easier. I want to thank all of our sponsors. Finally, want to thank all of you for being here, and I just can’t wait until the bell rings.

 

“Our co-featured fight is NABF light heavyweight champion Alexander “The Nail” Roddick, who’s undefeated and making a lot of noise in the light heavyweight division, he’s from Ukraine. He’s going to be fighting Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba, who’s originally from Malawi and fighting out of Johannesburg, South Africa. They’re going to take part in a ten-round light heavyweight fight. A true crossroad-fight where I honestly have no idea who’s going to win. Obviously, Main Events is with Isaac, who put up a tremendous fight against Sergey a few months ago, I think he simply never gets the credit he deserves. He is quite possibly the second-best light heavyweight in the world, and I know Isaac has his eyes on coming back strong and impressing everyone Saturday night.

 

“Also opening the televised undercard, WBA continental middleweight champion, Curtis “The Cerebral Assassin” Stephens of Brownsville, Brooklyn. One of the most fun fighters in the whole business. Curtis, you brighten up our day, every day. He’s going to be facing James “The King” De La Rosa, 23-4 of San Benito, Texas in a ten-round middleweight bout. This has all the earmarks of a train wreck, but Curtis has his sight set on bigger and better things and I know he and James are going to be working very hard to impress because the middleweight division is hot, and there’s a lot of opportunity there.

 

“I don’t think I have to tell anybody in this room why this is a great fight or why you should be interested in it or why you should want to see it. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t already know that but we do need you to go out and carry the word out to the rest of the world. This is the fight that you bring your friend over, the one who likes boxing a little bit but isn’t sure. This is the fight that you tell your friend, the one who says MMA is better than boxing. Get them to come over your house to see this one because Kovalev-Ward is going to make big fans out of a lot of people, Saturday night, and I’m looking forward to that and seeing all of you there.”

 

Michael Yormark, Roc Nation President & Chief of Branding and Strategy:

 

“Honesty is the best policy. So I’m going to start this off with a giant dose of honesty. For the next 48 hours, you’re probably going to hear a lot of respect and admiration between these two undefeated fighters. The simple fact is, we are just two days away from the biggest fight of the year, and I don’t expect them to admire one another. But who can blame them? The only thing standing between an undefeated record and boxing immortality is each other. That adds a layer of distaste and a very sharp edge to a fight that is already set to be an absolute classic. My perspective on this fight is pretty simple. Saturday night is going to be a tough night for Sergey, when he is systematically picked apart by the world’s best pound for pound boxer, Andre Ward.

 

“I’ve known Andre for quite a few years, and I’ve never seen him more focused, more determined, more motivated and more prepared for the biggest fight in his career. These moments are the ones that generational athletes live for and they dream about. This is an opportunity to make history, to write the latest chapter in Andre’s legend, and frankly, close the book on Sergey’s. Make no mistake about it, Team Ward has come to Vegas to win, and to walk out of Sin City with three—I repeat, three—new championship belts. Boxing needs a fight like this, two undefeated fighters in their prime. Edges sharpened by natural competitiveness, as well as an utter dislike. Fighting on the world’s biggest stage at T-Mobile Arena, and on HBO Pay-Per-View. It doesn’t get any better or bigger. Epic is the only word to describe it, and as a life-long boxing fan, I am thrilled to be a first-hand witness.

 

“I’d like to recognize the official fight partners we have secured for this event. Our presenting partner Corona as well as Monster Products, JetLux, Zappos, Jordan Brand and Shoe Palace. I’d also like to thank Andre’s fighting partners, including ProSupps and Lyft, Monster Products, BODYARMOUR and JetLux, as well as his long-standing partners Jordan Brand, POWERHANDZ and Shoe Palace. This support and the support from fans and media is a stark recognition of Andre as a true once-in-a-generation-athlete. His skill is matched only by his commitment to family and community. His competitiveness equal only by his charisma. At Roc Nation, we are honored to represent this man, an Olympic gold medalist, undefeated since he was 13 years old, the pride of Oakland, and of course, the next light heavyweight champion of the world.

 

“While our main event looks to be a fight for the ages, it is a deep and talented undercard that will make Saturday’s event a truly special one. Roc Nation is proud to work with a number of talented fighters on the card, starting with Dallas-native Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker, who is putting his undefeated record and NABO Junior Welterweight title on the line against Darleys Perez on HBO Pay-Per-View. We will also feature rising heavyweight superstar Darmani “Rock Solid” Rock of Philadelphia, as he looks to improve to 6-0 against Brice Ritani-Coe during his Las Vegas debut. Opening up the freeview telecast on the Pay-Per-View events channel prior to the official telecast, will be an eight-round junior welterweight bout featuring undefeated rising prospect Sonny “Pretty Boi” Frederickson of Toledo, Ohio. The freeview will also be available through live streaming on HBO Boxing’s YouTube channel. Frederickson will take on Gabriel Deluc of Boston, Massachusetts. Another Toledo, Ohio native, with an unblemished record, Tyler “Golden Child” McCreary will go toe-to-toe with Vincent “Pooh Bear” Jennings of Grand Rapids, Michigan in an eight-round featherweight bout. Fans will be able to catch the matchup on the freeview portion of Kovalev-Ward as well. Meanwhile, National hero and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Claressa Shields will make her much anticipated professional debut on the freeview broadcast. She will be taking on longtime rival Franchon Crews who will also be making her pro debut in a four-round middleweight bout. Simply put, boxing fans are in for a treat on Saturday evening and we are ecstatic to be a part of it.

 

“We’ve heard a lot of honesty today. But clearly Saturday is going to be an epic night. Kovalev-Ward is without a doubt going to be the fight of the year in boxing, we all know that. Roc Nation is proud to be a part of it, it’s in our DNA to promote big global events, and we are honored after working on this fight for the better part of last year, we have finally arrived at the moment of truth. There are a lot of organizations and people that have helped this event, and I’d like to thank all of them. First and foremost, Team Ward, including James Prince, Josh Dubin and Virgil Hunter. Peter Nelson and Tony Walker from HBO for bringing this fight to a global audience. Richard Sturm and Sid Greenfeig from MGM, as well as T-Mobile Arena GM Dan Quinn for hosting this event at a world class facility. Kathy Duva and her team at Main Events, who have been our partners on this fight from the very beginning. Last but certainly not least, the city of Las Vegas, the spiritual home of the biggest events in boxing, and the rightful setting for a fight that will change the face of the sport for many years to come.”

 

John David Jackson, Trainer of Sergey Kovalev:

 

“Thank you to all the press for being here. I want to thank two different groups. First, I want to thank Main Events promotions. These women at Main Events plus my man, Joe Rotonda, are truly some of the greatest people in the world. If you want to find a promotional company that will treat you fairly to all fighters and across the board and give you what you deserve in boxing, then go see them. Number two, I would like to thank all the press that is out here at this event. It is truly wonderful to see some of the people who, with their words, can help boxing swim or sink. Your words help a lot. Sometimes you don’t help us as much as we would like to be helped but I am so grateful to see all of you out here because we need this to keep boxing striving. This is a wonderful, beautiful sport that sometimes can get funky but all in all it is a wonderful, beautiful fight. I thank all of you that came out to support and write your words down for this wonderful sport.

 

“One fight does not define a fighter’s career. That last fight for both fighters it is what it truly was: a tune-up. They did what they were supposed to do. They both won convincingly in order to make this fight happen here. I don’t remember what reporter asked that but that is the answer to your question. One fight does not define a fighter’s career.

 

“Some of the things I say are to get into someone’s head but what it boils down to is that I do respect these people; they are very good people. The whole team is very good. They are very professional. To answer [Virgil’s] question which was a two-part question. He said in the last fight I was there for a week. I would love to tell you that wherever you got your information from was bad information. I was there longer than two weeks or three weeks. Whoever said I was there for a week I am glad they said that. It makes it look like we are a bad team. I love that. To answer your questions about the cohesiveness of our team, whatever goes on in camp, whatever disagreements that we may have or people say we have, I want you to remember this, all the writers out here, come fight night we will leave the same way that we came in – undefeated. Sergey wins every fight. He wins the way he is supposed to win and he did everything that I asked of him. With that said, I look forward to Nov. 19 and I will see you all there. Thank you very much.”

 

Egis Klimas, Manager of Sergey Kovalev:

 

“Thank you everybody for being here. Media, without you nobody will know where we’re going or what we’re doing, so thank you very much. Wanted to thank our promoter Main Events, Kathy Duva did a very good job bringing us to this stage to this very big fight. MGM Grand, very good host, thank you very much. HBO Pay-Per-View has brought the whole audience in America. I hope I didn’t miss anyone else. Of course I’m very, very proud to represent one of the best fighters in the world and hopefully, we’re going to see that Saturday night, who’s the pound for pound boxer. I hate when trainers, managers, promoters start talking about how it’s going to beat each other because they aren’t the ones stepping the in the ring. None of the promoters, trainers or managers can understand what’s going to happen in the ring. It’s only two warriors who will be in the ring. We have two best light heavyweight fighters in the world who are going to show on Saturday night who is the best pound-for-pound fighter. I hope it’s the best show that we’ve seen in years. Thank you very much”.

 

Virgil Hunter, Trainer of Andre Ward:

 

“I’ve been here for many fights and to see the media room filled for this fight, it really makes me feel good. I would like to thank Peter Nelson, the team at HBO, my Rap-A-Lot family, Richard Sturm and MGM. I would also like to thank the press, no matter who you choose to win.

 

“I turned 63, last Wednesday, and it’s no secret that I’ve worked with youths, all of my professional career. It does have an emotional effect on me when it comes to young men. Watching HBO’s My Fight touched me deeply. My heart goes out to Sergey Kovalev and everybody now knows Andre Ward’s background.

 

“I believe it’s going to be a great fight. I believe that Kovalev is everything that they say he is. He is a dangerous opponent; he’s coming intended to win. We’ve seen him do things to opponents that when they step into the ring, they shiver. Now, it’s just up to us to dilute that situation. I’m looking forward to Nov.

19.

 

“I would encourage all promoters to treat your fighters fairly, don’t hoodwink them. Don’t keep them robots. Encourage them and teach them how to be businessmen. If you have a champion, he deserves a champion’s ration.”

 

James Prince, Manager of Andre Ward:

 

“I’d like to thank God for this opportunity. HBO, the commitment and sacrifices that they made to bring this fight to us. MGM Grand and Richard Sturm. We appreciate Roc Nation, our promoter – JAY Z, all those in the background supporting Michael Yormark, who has been on the line of duty doing a great job. Antonio Leonard is in the house, we appreciate you Tony and all that you do. The list goes on and on. I feel really grateful for this opportunity, and I speak on behalf of Team Ward. We’ve been looking forward to this day, it’s here, and I’m going to deal with the elephant in the room: this is Russia vs. the United States of America. In my opinion, the best of Russia can’t beat the best of the United States of America in anything. I just needed that to be said. We have a Russian fighter over here, Kovalev; we respect your fight game, you’re a great fighter. You remind me of Goliath. We have my man Andre Ward, whom I consider David. I don’t know if you all understand David and Goliath but that’s what we’re dealing with here. Come Saturday night, we’re going to have an opportunity to see the modern-day David, which is Andre Ward, defeat Goliath. I mentioned this at the last press conference in New York, and Ms. Duva said to me that Andre Ward doesn’t have a sword. But she missed the real substance of the story, she missed the learning on David. His obedience and all of these different spiritual realms where David was concerned. He’s fixing to fight the S.O.G, that’s the Son of God, if you all didn’t know, that’s Andre Ward. So, no, we don’t have a sword, and we can’t cut his head off and raise it up as David did, but Andre Ward is going to raise the belt up come Saturday night.”

 

Bob Bennett, Nevada State Athletic Commission:

 

“It’s unequivocally a pleasure and an honor for the Nevada State Athletic Commission to regulate this very sensational championship fight. This event should be second to none. You should know we take our job very seriously, and we’ve done our homework and we’re ready to go to work. At this time, we would like to thank Kathy Duva and Main Events, and Michael Yormark from Roc Nation for having this electric championship fight in the fight capital of the world. We’d also like to recognize Richard Sturm and the MGM for hosting this event at the T-Mobile and HBO for broadcasting the event, and for the shows leading up to the event, which have definitely been entertaining and interesting. Last but not least, we want to recognize and thank the warriors, all the fighters, because without them, none of us would be here.”

 

Richard Sturm, President of Entertainment and Sports, MGM Resorts International:

 

“We are thrilled to once again host an international championship at the T-Mobile Arena. This weekend, we close our company’s boxing calendar as Russian Sergey Kovalev battles American Andre Ward. We look forward to this matchup of these two undefeated fighters. Kovalev returns to Las Vegas following his 2015 knockout win over Nadjib Mohammedi while Andre Ward and his team make their Las Vegas debut. As we have seen over the last seven months, T-Mobile Arena has quickly changed the landscape of entertainment and sports in Las Vegas, and we look forward to continuing that tradition. We’d like to give a special thanks to Kathy Duva and Main Events Team, and Michael Yormark and the Roc Nation staff. Both fight camps, Tony Walker with HBO Pay-Per-View and Bob Bennett of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.”

 

 

Tony Walker, Vice President, HBO Pay-Per- View:

 

“Thank you all for coming out today to talk about the great sport of boxing. I’d like to thank Roc Nation and Main Events and their staffs for putting together such a great main event, and also a fantastic undercard that we will televise on Saturday night. The wonderful thing about the main event is that it’s been a very, very long time since two elite fighters have made their Pay-Per-View debut against each other. Credit to Andre and Sergey for coming together and making this a big time event. All of the elements are there for it to be a big fight. Both fighters have applied their trade over several years fighting everyone who got in their way. Winning, their undefeated, all the pride in the world, and most importantly, the outcome is in doubt. Quite diverse group of opinions among you over who’s going to win the fight, and that’s what sells Pay-Per-View. For those of you who have not seen the HBO video pieces that were produced to showcase the fight and the fighters, I would encourage you to go to HBO On Demand, HBO GO or HBO.com and check out those shows. They’re provocative entertainment and I think they’re going to get you all primed for Saturday night. This month in November, there have been several high profile Pay-Per-View shows, and I have to give thanks to our distributors on the cable TV, satellite, Telco side, who have promoted this Pay-Per-View show and given us a great presence in the marketplace and really given it its due with all the other stuff going on. We have a great broadcast team on Saturday night, the telecast starts at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. The Pay-Per-View suggested retail price is a very attractive $54.95, and we look forward to seeing you there.”

 

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Monster Products, JetLux, Zappos, Jordan Brand and Shoe Palace. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

NABO JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION MAURICE HOOKER & TWO-TIME OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST CLARESSA SHEILDS MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES AND PHOTOS

 

KOVALEV-WARD “POUND FOR POUND” SET FOR SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19 AT T-MOBILE ARENA IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

 

 

Click HERE for Photos

Photo Credit: Roc Nation Sports/Tom Hogan – Hoganphotos

 

Las Vegas, NV (November 15, 2016) – NABO Junior Welterweight Champion Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker(21-0-2, 16 KOs) and Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Claressa “T-Rex” Shields participated in a media workout in Las Vegas, NV on Monday, Nov. 14, ahead of their undercard appearances on Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” taking place Saturday, Nov. 19 at T-Mobile Arena.

 

Shields, who will be making her professional debut against American rival Franchon Crews, will be featured on the freeview telecast beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT on the Pay-Per-View events channel prior to the official telecast, and through livestreaming on HBO Boxing’s YouTube channel.

 

Hooker, who will be defending his NABO title against veteran Darleys Perez (33-2-1, 21 KOs), will be featured during the televised undercard leading up to the main event on HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

 

Both fighters put on a display of mitt work, heavy bag, speed bag and shadow boxing for the media in attendance. Below is what the rising stars had to say during the media workout:

 

Maurice Hooker, NABO Junior Welterweight Champion:

 

“Kovalev-Ward is a special event. I’m going to do what I do best and hopefully, steal the crowd. The crowd is going to love me…they love knockouts, and that is what I am ready to give them.

 

“Aaron Pryor is one of the best. He brought a lot of knockouts. He was a great fighter whom a lot of people dodged. Like him, I’m coming into this fight with people dodging me. They are afraid because they don’t know what I can do. This fight means a lot…an opportunity to show them who I am. I am going to bring the knockout just like ‘The Hawk’ would.”

 

“I want to stay busy. I want to fight Ricky Burns and Eduard Troyanovsky and win ‘em belts. Shout out to my big bro Terrance Crawford. He’s doing his thing. Hopefully, he gets a fight with Pacquiao, move up and let me take over.

 

“My prediction for Saturday is a knockout. I love knockouts. I am always going for the knockout. With every punch that I throw, even the jab, I am going to try to take Darleys Perez’s head off.”

 

Claressa Shields, Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist:

“I’ll have been in camp for seven weeks. I’m excited. I’m ready to take on this new task of being a professional fighter and ultimately, winning a belt.

“When deciding to go pro, I thought about my legacy—I didn’t want to disappear for four years, and win another gold medal but have people not know my name or what I look like or how I box.

“Expect to see a really good fight, a very skilled fight from me, this Saturday. The world is going to see a level of boxing that no woman boxer has ever showed before. I’m a smart fighter. I’m an entertaining fighter. I throw everything well and have great combinations.

“Franchon Crews and I have sparred and boxed before in huge tournaments. She’s coming into this fight fully prepared and I’ve been training for a KO. In the amateurs, my overall record was 77-1 but I’ve never KO’d anyone. Now, we have smaller gloves, no headgear and I’m way stronger than I’ve ever been. This is a different kind of pro debut. This should actually be a World Championship fight between me and Franchon Crews but somehow, she took it for a pro debut.

“I love boxing. That’s why I commit my time and body. I look forward to fighting in front of all the fight fans. I have friends, family, fans from all over flying into Vegas just to see me fight, so hopefully I can pack the house before the main event.”

 

Follow Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker on Twitter @mightymohooker, Instagram @mauricemightymohooker and Facebook: www.facebook.com/mauricemightymohooker/.

 

Follow Claressa Shields on Twitter @ClaressaShields, Instagram @ClaressaShields, and Facebook:www.facebook.com/claressa.shields.7.

 

 

 

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Zappos and JetLux. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

 

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Undefeated Prospects Sonny Fredrickson & Tyler McCreary Added to Kovalev-Ward Undercard

Toledo, Ohio (November 14, 2016) – Undefeated fighters super lightweight Sonny “Pretty Boi” Fredrickson (14-0, 9 KO’s) and featherweight Tyler “Golden Child” McCreary (11-0, 6 KO’s) will see action on November 19, as part of the highly-anticipated Light Heavyweight Unification showdown between Sergey Kovalev and Andre Ward at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Fredrickson and McCreary, both natives of Toledo, Ohio, will both perform on their biggest stage to date. The two will be featured on the Kovalev-Ward freeview telecast which begins at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT on the Pay-Per-View events channel prior to the official telecast, and to be announced cable, satellite, and telco channels. The freeview will also be available through livestreaming on HBO Boxing’s YouTube channel.

Fredrickson will fight Gabriel Duluc (11-1, 2 KO’s) while McCreary will battle Vincent Jennings (5-2-1, 4 KO’s).

“I’m thrilled that my fight will be offered to fans as part of the freeview telecast,” said Frederickson. “I have been on previous Andre Ward cards, but this one will be especially meaningful since it’s also my first fight in Las Vegas.”

Fredrickson, who is looking to make a big statement in front of a large crowd and packed media contingent, also added, “I have fought in front of a lot of people before and hopefully, this leads television fights and big opportunities. I want to thank my promoter Roc Nation Sports for allowing me the opportunity to shine on this incredible stage, my team at Victory Sports & Entertainment and also to Andre Ward for all his help and guidance. This is a big steppingstone for me and in 2017, I expect to move up in the rankings and take my career to the next level.”

McCreary, who is also eager about the opportunity, stated, “This is a big opportunity for me and I wanted to thank my team and my promoter Roc Nation Sports. I have been training hard and am excited to showcase my skills on this big stage. I am ready to show everyone that I can to rise to the occasion. It’s also exciting for me to fight on Andre Ward’s undercard. He and I have become friends since we met last year at the Cotto-Canelo fight, and he has become a mentor to me, so I am very thankful to be on this fight card.”

“We are very excited to have both Sonny Frederickson and Tyler McCreary fight on, arguably, the biggest card of the year,” said Rick Torres, President of Victory Sports & Entertainment. “We know that the Kovalev-Ward fight will produce a great battle and look forward to two of our young guns getting the fireworks started earlier in the evening. Both have been training very hard for this and are looking forward to putting on great fights as they take the next steps in their careers. Fans at home, especially those in Toledo, who tune in early can see both on the freeview telecast. All of this couldn’t be possible without Roc Nation Sports and we’re very appreciative of the commitment and confidence they have shown in Sonny Frederickson and Tyler McCreary.”

ABOUT VICTORY SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Founded in 2013 by President Rick Torres and Chief Operating Officer Michael Leanardi, Victory Sports & Entertainment is an athlete management company with offices in New York and Las Vegas.

DALLAS RISING STAR MAURICE HOOKER CAMP NOTES AND PHOTOS

 

 

Click HERE for Photos

Photo Credit: Stacey Verbeek

 

Las Vegas, Nevada – NABO Junior Welterweight Champion Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker (21-0-2, 16 KOs) of Dallas, Texas, took “training camp” on the road in prep of a ten-round title defense against former world titlist Darleys Perez (33-2-1, 21 KOs). Hooker-Perez is set as the lead-up undercard fight to the main event on HBO Pay-Per-View’s Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” on Saturday, Nov. 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

 

Beginning with pre-training camp at his home gym, Maple Avenue Boxing Gym in Dallas, TX, Mighty Mo’s stops on the road included Maple Avenue’s West San Diego facility, the Institute for Human Kinetics in Southern California, as well as the Salas Boxing Academy and Johnny Tocco’s Ringside Gym in Las Vegas. In addition to training at some of boxing’s most renowned gyms, the Roc Nation Sports boxing sparkplug has also sparred with rising talents Devin Haney, Thomas Hill, Nick Frese, Marco Hall and WBO/WBC Super Lightweight Champion Terence Crawford.

 

Before heading into fight week, Hooker will co-host a media workout with Two-Time Olympic Gold MedalistClaressa Shields, who will be making her professional debut on the Kovalev-Ward fight card. The media workout will take place at 12:00 p.m. PT at Never Quit Boxing Gym – 2975 South Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV.

 

“It’s been a privilege to train at some of the best facilities and with some of boxing’s brightest and upcoming talents,” said Hooker. “I’m always about improving myself so that fans get the best from me when I show up in the ring. I’m fighting in Vegas and HBO Pay-Per-View for the first time and carrying a lot of pride for Dallas and the whole state of Texas.”

 

“Maurice Hooker is very excited to be making his Las Vegas debut on the Kovalev-Ward fight card and is particularly looking forward to representing Dallas, Texas as the first of its native boxers to be featured on a HBO Pay-Per-View show,” said trainer Vince Parra. “There is a group of very talented fighters where Mo is from and he is about to elevate them on the map. He’s dynamic, he’s exciting and he’s someone to watch.”

 

Follow Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker on Twitter @mightymohooker, Instagram @mauricemightymohooker and Facebook: www.facebook.com/mauricemightymohooker/.

 

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Monster Products, JetLux and Zappos. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

 

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FRESH YOUNG BOXING TALENT ON DISPLAY FOR KOVALEV-WARD“POUND FOR POUND” UNDERCARD ON NOVEMBER 19 AT T-MOBILE ARENA

 

 

 

Las Vegas, NV (November 10, 2016) – In the lead up to Sergey Kovalev vs. Andre Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title on November 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the undercard will round out a 10-bout card filled with some of the best young boxing prospects.

 

Opening the card will be middleweight Meiirim “Sultan”  Nursultanov of Merki, Kazakhstan, making his pro debut. Nursultanov, now residing in Oxnard, CA, is managed by Egis Klimas, and recently signed by Main Events. He will be taking on Henry Beckford (4-5, 1 KO) of Hempstead, NY, in a six-round bout.

Bakhram Murtazaliev (6-0, 4 KO’s) of Grozny, Russia and close friend of Kovalev is coming off a second round knockout over Magomedkamil Musaev. He will be featured in an eight-round middleweight bout against Botirsher Obidov (6-0-1, 2 KO’s) of Anijan, Uzbekistan. This will be his first fight outside of his homeland of Russia.

Opening up the freeview telecast, beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT on the Pay-Per-View events channel prior to the official telecast, will be an eight-round junior welterweight bout featuring the undefeated Sonny “Pretty Boi” Fredrickson (14-0, 9KO’s) of Toledo, OH, who is coming off of an a slugfest with Puerto Rican veteran Ramesis Gil. Fredrickson will take on Gabriel Deluc (11-1, 2 KO’s) of Boston, MA, in an eight-round showdown.

The freeview will also be available through live streaming on HBO Boxing’s YouTube channel.

Another Toledo native, Tyler “Golden Child” McCreary (11-0, 6 KO’s), who is coming off a unanimous decision win, will go toe-to-toe with Vincent “Pooh Bear” Jennings (5-2-1, 4 KO’s), of Grand Rapids, MI, in an eight-round featherweight bout. Jennings is determined to get his record back on track, but he will face his toughest test to date in McCreary.

In the spotlight fight on the freeview telecast, Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist (2012, 2016) Claressa “T-Rex” Shields of Flint, MI, will make her pro debut. Shields is set to face decorated fellow American Franchon “The Heavy Hitting Diva” Crews in a four-round middleweight bout, with each round timed at two-minutes. This will not be the first time the two have faced off. In their first matchup, Shields upset Crews, the top-ranked American women middleweight, during the 2012 Olympic Trials, the first U.S. team trials for women’s boxing. Crews will also be making her pro debut.

Just before going live on HBO Pay-Per-View, there will be a four-round heavyweight bout featuring undefeated prospect Darmani “Rock Solid” Rock (5-0, 4 KO’s) of the fighting city of Philadelphia. Rock recently scored a technical knockout victory in the third round on Oct. 22 and is wasting no time getting back into the ring. Facing off with Rock will be Brice Ritani-Coe (4-4-1, 3 KO’s). The Vegas resident, originally of San Pedro, CA, will be on the hunt for his fourth knockout.

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Monster Products, JetLux and Zappos. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

 

Fans can catch the freeview telecast beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT on the Pay-Per-View events channel prior to the official telecast, and to be announced cable, satellite, and telco channels. The freeview will also be available through live streaming on HBO Boxing’s YouTube channel.

 

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TWO-TIME WORLD CHAMPION ANDRE WARD MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES AND PHOTOS

Letterhead

 

 

KOVALEV-WARD “POUND FOR POUND”

SET FOR SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19

AT T-MOBILE ARENA IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

PRESENTED LIVE BY HBO PAY-PER-VIEW®

 

 

Click HERE for Photos

Photo Credit: Khristopher Sandifer/Roc Nation Sports

 

OAKLAND, CA (November 1, 2016) – On Monday, October 31, 2016, Two-Time World Champion Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) participated in a media workout in Hayward, California ahead of his pound-for-pound showdown against WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs). Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” takes place Saturday, Nov. 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

 

Ward put on a full workout session for the media in attendance, consisting of a series of shadow boxing, heavy bag, double end bag, speed bag and then stretching. Also on hand were youths from Camp Sweeney, Alameda County Probation Department’s residential facility in San Leandro, whom Ward spent time speaking with following the workout.

 

Below is what Ward had to say during the media workout:

 

ANDRE WARD, Two-Time World Champion:

 

“I feel that this fight with Kovalev is 50-50. That’s how I approach all of my big fights. I don’t go into the fight thinking, ‘I’ve got a clear-cut advantage here’ or ‘I’ve got to run through this guy.’ Personally, for me, I can’t roll like that. I’ve got to keep myself honest, stay on my grind, keep my head down and force myself to keep working. I truly believe Kovalev is everything they say he is, and I’m everything that I’ve shown over the years.

 

“There are always different game plans, nuances, different things you’re working on but I respect every fight that I fight. I don’t get caught up in the whole puncher thing, anybody can get you out of there if you get hit right. I don’t think I’d be sitting here in this position right now if I hadn’t had these highs and lows. We’ve got to find a way to get it done, and we’re going to find a way to get it done. I don’t care what he’s got in his gloves, who he’s knocked out or what he’s done. My job is to get my hand raised, and that’s what we’re focused on.

 

“I have days where I do some type of cardio in the morning – sprints, distant running – then go back to training camp to get some rest and eat. Then we come to the gym and spar and hit the heavy bag. It’s a monotonous process when you’re in training camp, and that’s pretty much every day. Of course we take days off to rest the body and be smart, but it’s really the same thing every day. As you get closer, you start to pull back a little bit so you don’t over train. That’s normally the week of the fight, so up until the Saturday before the fight, you’re full steam ahead. 100 miles an hour.

 

“Typically, Virgil and I will go through our process together. He watches a lot more film than I do. He’s up until 3:00 a.m.or 4:00 a.m. watching film. As I’ve gotten older, I watch less film. I don’t need to see 10 fights to see tendencies and certain things. I know what I need to see. I may go back and watch a round here and there, but I try and leave room for my instincts. I’m very instinctual. You’ve got to be able to think on the fly thinking on the highest level. I leave room for that. It’s not a checklist you go down. You can’t get into a ring thinking like that. I just believe that who I am and what I have is enough, and that’s what I’m standing on.

 

“Having young guys like Shakur Stevenson around, it starts to make me feel old because I used to be that guy at Roy Jones’s camp, Floyd Mayweather’s camp, hanging around Bernard Hopkins. You see yourself in them. It’s a little weird, because you’re like, ‘man, now I’m the OG.’ But it’s also a beautiful thing because we need more of that. We need champions and top contenders and just fighters in general to open up the door and allow the young guys on the way to be shown how it’s done.

 

“I’m honored for Claressa Shields to say that I am her idol. I admire her story, what she’s come from, and think that she’s amazing in the ring. She’s the real deal. I watch her, I pick up things from her. For her to have two Gold medals is amazing. For her to make her pro debut on this fight card is a beautiful, beautiful thing. I think it’s a perfect situation.

 

“It’s a beautiful thing to be fighting in Vegas. I’m excited. What better time than now in this stage in my career. I’m just excited to continue to prepare so I can do my part to give the fans their money’s worth, those that pay to be there and those paying to watch it. That’s what I’m focused on, and I’m extremely happy to be a part of it. T-Mobile is a new arena, and a new chapter, and to be a part of it is a beautiful thing.”

 

 

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Zappos and JetLux. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

 

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MAURICE HOOKER VS. DARLEYS PEREZ JOIN KOVALEV-WARD “POUND FOR POUND” TELEVISED UNDERCARD

 

TITLE FIGHT SET FOR SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19

AT T-MOBILE ARENA IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

PRESENTED LIVE BY HBO PAY-PER-VIEW®

 

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA (October 14, 2016) – Rising Dallas, Texas boxing star and NABO Junior Welterweight Champion Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker (21-0-2, 16 KOs) will defend his NABA junior welterweight title against Darleys Perez (33-2-1, 21 KOs) in a ten-round bout on the televised undercard of Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” on Saturday, Nov. 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will be produced and distributed live on HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

 

In his last appearance on August 6, Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker captivated the crowd at Oracle Arena as the co-feature of Andre Ward vs. Alexander Brand. Hooker wasted no time outperforming Washington D.C.’s Tyrone Barnett, landing a flurry of punches before scoring a technical knockout at the 2:17 mark of the opening round to retain his NABO junior welterweight title. Hooker looks ahead to his next challenge, former WBA World Lightweight Champion Darleys Perez. Perez is coming off a May 20 knockout victory over fellow Colombian Ubadel Soto, an impressive bounce back following a tough title defense loss to Anthony Crolla, the previous year. The veteran fighter, who resides and trains full-time in the U.S., will step up a weight class to meet Hooker.

 

“I want to thank my team at Maple Avenue Boxing Gym, Roc Nation Sports and HBO for giving me the opportunity to show the world a ‘Mighty Mo’ performance on the undercard of the ‘Fight of the Year’,” said Hooker. “For my part, I promise to put on a show for the fans in Las Vegas and the Pay-Per-View audience at home. No one punches like me. It’s going to be lights out.”

Hooker added, “I will be dedicating this fight to Aaron Pyror, who passed away, earlier this week. I can’t think of a better way to honor ‘The Hawk’s’ legacy than with a big win. I look to be a world-class junior welterweight champion like him.”

 

“This is my chance get back into the limelight. I have fought all over the world and facing Maurice Hooker in Las Vegas on November 19 is perhaps my last chance to show that I have a lot left inside the ring and I plan to take full advantage of it because losing is not an option,” said Perez. “I will move up to the 140-pound division and I will be ready to challenge this young lion who has never fought a guy like me before. There will be fireworks in Las Vegas and I plan to go home a winner.”

 

“Not only is Kovalev-Ward the most anticipated fight in recent boxing history, with the addition of Hooker-Perez to the televised undercard – Nov. 19 is an evening that international sports fans simply cannot afford to miss,” said Roc Nation President & Chief of Branding and Strategy Michael R. Yormark. “From our very first day in boxing, Roc Nation Sports has committed to making great fights and creating scintillating global events, and we are thrilled to work with Main Events to add this incredible matchup to the undercard, as ‘Mighty Mo’ Hooker puts his undefeated record on the line against the very talented Colombian Darleys Perez.”

 

“HBO is the pinnacle of pugilistic entertainment. We are very proud to have Maurice Hooker make both his Las Vegas and HBO Pay-Per-View debut on November 19,” said Arnie Verbeek, Hooker’s manager. “We have worked extremely hard to get to this point in his career and are thankful to Roc Nation Sports for believing in Maurice Hooker’s talent.”

 

Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker (21-0-2, 16 KOs) was born and raised in Oak Cliff, Texas, where he found a boxing home at Maple Avenue Boxing Gym by way of an outreach program for at-risk youths. His natural talent was soon noticed resulting in him competing as an amateur, during which time he participated in over 100 fights, compiling a record of 97 wins and only seven losses, with 67 victories coming by way of knockout. Hooker turned professional on April 29, 2011, taking on the vastly more experienced Tyrone Chatman at the Orpheum Theater in St. Louis. After four rounds, the judges saw the fight 40-36, 37-39 and 38-38, calling the fight a split draw. Undeterred, in his next fight on June 24, 2014, Hooker scored his first professional win, knocking out Wilbert Mitchell in the first round. Eleven wins (eight by knockout) later, he took on undefeated Abel Ramos on January 17, 2014 in a bout that was featured on ShoBox from the Cook Convention Center in Memphis. After eight close, hard-fought rounds, the judges saw the fight a draw. Four consecutive knockout victories would follow before he took on fellow undefeated prospect Eduardo Galindo on June 26, 2015 at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas for the vacant NABO junior welterweight title. “Mighty Mo” did not disappoint his legion of hometown fans who saw him capture the title with a sixth round technical knockout victory. On October 17, 2015, Hooker successfully defended his title at Madison Square Garden in New York City against his toughest opponent to date in Ghislain Maduma. The 10-round decision win came on the undercard of Gennady Golovkin vs. David Lemieux and was featured on the event’s “freeview” as well as streamed online around the world. “Mighty Mo” made his debut under the Roc Nation Sports banner on the undercard of Andre Ward vs. Sullivan Barrera, this past March at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, where he annihilated opponent Wilfrido “La Roca” Buelvas of Columbia in the first round of a 10-round junior welterweight bout by way of technical knockout. Hooker returned to Oracle Arena on August 6 as the co-feature on the Ward-Brand undercard, defeating Tyrone Barnett of Washington, D.C., to remain the NABO Junior Welterweight Champion. Hooker is ready to step up to the challenge on November 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas when he faces former WBA World Lightweight Champion Darleys Perez.

 

Follow Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker on Twitter @mightmohooker, Instagram @mauricemightymohooker and Facebook: www.facebook.com/mauricemightymohooker/.

 

Darleys Perez (33-2-1, 21 KOs) is a celebrated Colombian boxer hailing from San Pedro de Uraba. As an amateur, with a record of 82 wins and 7 losses, he captured the lightweight boxing gold medal at the 2006 South American games in Buenos Aries, Argentina, and was a contender at the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing, China. Perez made his professional debut on February 14, 2009, by way of knockout over fellow countryman Edwin Ortiz. 27 consecutive victories followed, earning Perez a shot at the interim WBA World lightweight title against undefeated Yuriorkis Gamboa at the Bell Center in Montreal, Canada on June 8, 2013. In a closely-fought contest that went the distance, Gamboa prevailed, handing Perez his first career loss. A year later, Perez received a second chance at the interim WBA World lightweight title, successfully scoring a unanimous decision over Argenis Lopez at the Sheraton Hotel in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Perez was promoted to full titleholder status when the WBA stripped Richar Abril of the belt for twice failing to make title defenses. In the first of back-to-back defenses of the WBA World lightweight title on July 18, 2015, Perez topped hometown challenger Anthony Crolla with a majority decision draw at the Manchester Arena in the United Kingdom. In the rematch on November 21, 2015, again at Manchester Arena, Perez was taken down for the count in the fifth round by a single body shot. Undeterred by his second loss, Perez returned to the ring on May 20, 2016, scoring with a big second-round knockout over Ubadel Soto. Perez looks to continue his upward streak as he moves up a weight class to take on Maurice Hooker for the NABO junior welterweight title on November 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

 

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Rosneft and Corona Extra. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

 

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MGM Resorts’ Odds-maker Jay Rood Weighs in on Sergey Kovalev vs. Andre Ward ‘Pound For Pound’

 

Saturday, November 19, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas

Presented Live By HBO Pay-Per-View®

 

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA (October 11, 2016): As WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs) and former Two-Time World Champion Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) prepare for their epic “Pound For Pound” showdown scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, fans, media, experts and odds-makers around the world are split on who will be the favorite to win this virtually even-money battle.

And with good reason.  Both Kovalev and Ward are undefeated and in their prime, making for a rare and exciting boxing match-up and a testament to the moxie of the boxers and the promoters.

 

Jay Rood, Vice President of Race & Sports for MGM Resorts International, provides his expert analysis of this exciting match-up:

 

“I really believe this could end up being a ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate. Usually fighters in good form don’t meet up.”

Because of that, this fight opened close, has remained so and, most likely, will close so.

 

“It’s not very often that a fight in Las Vegas that’s this significant is this close in terms of odds,” says Rood.  “Ward opened at -145 and he now is at -150. I don’t believe it will change much from here.”

 

The fact that Ward is the slight favorite is because, in part, the public, especially those bettors who consider themselves as experts or ‘sharps,’ tend to go with the boxer over the puncher.

 

But while Ward is considered the boxer and Kovalev the puncher, both are versatile, in keeping with the tremendous skill each possess.  In other words, Ward, the perceived boxer, has power, and Kovalev, the perceived puncher, can box.

 

“The public is perceiving this fight, right or wrong, as ‘Boxer vs. Puncher,’” added Rood.  “Usually the boxer draws the ‘sharp’ action.  Most of the ‘sharp’ money will be on the boxer.”

 

However, the general betting public appears to be trending toward Kovalev.

 

According to Rood, “Kovalev will draw good action, otherwise this number would need to be closer to -200 to balance the fight (betting action). I don’t think it will be that one-sided.  I think the crowd going to the fight will be 60 percent on Kovalev.”

 

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA Light Heavyweight World Titles, takes place Saturday, Nov. 19, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. “Pound for Pound” is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Rosneft and Corona Extra. 

 

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