LAS VEGAS ? When Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev made their grand arrivals at the MGM Grand earlier this week, the crowds that awaited them were modest in size. There was little buzz around town about their light heavyweight championship fight Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.
That speaks more to the state of boxing than it does about this fight, which is one of the sport?s few must-see events in recent years. This is the third fight ever between two undefeated fighters in the top five of Ring Magazine?s pound-for-pound rankings.
The previous two: Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Meldrick Taylor and Oscar De La Hoya vs. Felix Trinidad. (The opinion here is that James Toney vs. Roy Jones Jr. and Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Diego Corrales also deserved that distinction.)
This will be a contest not only of Ward?s and Kovalev?s tactical acumen, but resolve, too.
Don?t be fooled by Ward?s cerebral style. He?s tough. He?s Clayton Kershaw on game day, except he?s like that every day. As for Kovalev, he once killed an opponent, but has managed to block out that memory whenever stepping in the ring to remain a devastating finisher.
?He?s stubborn and I?m stubborn,? Ward said. ?Who?s going to break??
The televised portion of the pay-per-view will start at 6 p.m. PT, with the main event expected to start between 8:30 and 9 p.m.
