Last November, fight fans around the globe watched two of the best in the game go hard and heavy for 12 rounds in a Light Heavyweight classic. Despite the great action from the first bell, it was the decision in the end that left many fans wanting to see more. The bad blood that exist between these two warriors is well documented. This time around, there’s a new set of subplots which add more fuel to the fire. As we prepare to see this second installment of ‘fire vs ice’, we analyze Keys to Victory, Four to Explore, and an Official Prediction.
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Ward vs. Kovalev 2: Will The Drama Spill To The Ring?
Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev return to Sin City with a storm cloud of tension and drama lingering as they prepare to engage in the much anticipated rematch. Who will improve upon their performance from a razor-tight first meeting that drew a wide range of scoring throughout social media? Can Kovalev find a way to gain back the momentum he held? Will Ward’s versatility stifle Sergey ‘The Krusher’ Kovalev’s attack having already experienced it a full 12 rounds?
It’s too bad Ward vs. Kovalev 1 was on HBO PPV because the fight superseded expectations but had its exposure shrunk. Had the first run broadcasted on regular HBO it may have done a high enough rating to help sell a rematch on PPV. Instead many common or casual fans didn’t see it and currently focused on the recent Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor news.
A Coaches view on the Maywether vs. McGregor fight…
No thanks, I’ll sit this one out…
I don’t begrudge anyone in any fighting sport the opportunity to make money. These men are talented in their respective sports and they put themselves at risk out there so let them get paid. I get it!
However, on that Saturday night in August as you gather around your TV’s in anticipation of the big fight between Conor McGregor and Floyd Maywether, please take a moment and consider this.
One day a few years back a boy showed up at my gym with all of his worldly possessions in a backpack wanting to become a professional boxer. He had heard about me from a distant relative and came half-way around the world, leaving his wife and 3 year-old daughter behind, to come chase his dream. He knew two words of English…”me champion.”
Ward-Kovalev II final press conference quotes
On Thursday, June 15, Unified Light Heavyweight World Champion Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (31-0, 15 KOs) and former WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-1-1, 26 KOs), along with their teams, participated in the Fight Week Powered by Monster Final Press Conference for their highly-anticipated showdown. Ward-Kovalev 2: “The Rematch” will take 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® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
Mayweather-McGregor: Can We Just Not Do This Again?
Welp, looks like we’re off to another iteration of the “Fight of the Century,” and to no surprise, it looks much like the Mayweather-Pacquiao “Fight of the Century” we endured back in 2015.
Both bouts have Floyd Mayweather – the supreme talent of his generation; both feature tireless back-and-forth “will they, won’t they?” speculation and conjecture designed to keep the masses on edge. Both of them seemingly dominate the news in boxing. And both seem less focused on the fight potential itself, and far more heavily focused on the cash-grab potential. Not a good sign.
Ward-Kovalev II grand arrival quotes for Saturday
Unified Light Heavyweight World Champion Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (31-0, 15 KOs) and former titleholder Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-1-1, 26 KOs) opened Fight Week Powered by Monster with their Grand Arrivals at Mizuya Lounge at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on Tuesday, June 13, ahead of their ultimate rematch on 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® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
Big-money betting taking place on Mayweather-McGregor fight, despite the bout not yet being official
While much has been made of The Money Team reportedly reserving The MGM Grand in Las Vegas for August 26 for the much hyped “Super-Fight” between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor, the fight between the superstar boxer and the superstar MMA fighter is not yet official.
Despite this, big wagers have been placed on the fight’s outcome in the Vegas casinos and sportsbooks. According to an interesting piece on ESPN.com, The Westgate Superbook in Las Vegas has already had over $10,000 bet on the fight. Currently, Mayweather is a whopping -900 betting favourite (down from an even bigger –2,500 favourite when odds were first announced back in February), while McGregor is currently listed at +700 (he was +1,100 back in February).
Kovalev: Andre Ward will pay inside the ring
Yesterday, former WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion, Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-1-1, 26 KOs) and his team hosted an international conference call to discuss his upcoming rematch with Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (31-0, 16 KOs) which will take place June 17 live on HBO Pay Per View®, and live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Below are some highlighted quotes from the call:
Garcia vs Broner: Is this the fight where Broner gets KO’d?
Adrien Broner, seemingly every fight fans’s favourite bad boy, is a pretty heavy underdog going into his July fight with unbeaten Mikey Garcia; if not on the boards then perception-wise. Ask a fan, and around eight or nine out of ten of them will tell you Broner gets beaten on July 29.
Broner knows he’s not the fan favourite to win but he says he will be “100-percent” and that he wanted this, a tough fight. To his credit, Broner, a multi-weight champ, has never been stopped in his career, where he has suffered two defeats – to Marcos Maidana, who for many people “exposed” Broner and burst his bubble, and to Shawn Porter. But will Broner get stopped by Garcia next month? Is this the fight that ends Broner’s time as an elite fighter?
Mikey Garcia and Adrien Broner media quotes
Two of the world’s best 140-pound boxers in the sport – Adrien Broner and Mikey Garcia – participated in a media conference call on Thursday to discuss the news that they would square off against one another on Saturday, July 29, on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®.