Tonight, fans around the globe will tune in to what could very well go down as the “Fight of the Year” when American Gold Medalist, Andre Ward (30-0, 15KO’s) takes on Russian Sergey Kovalev (30-0, 26KO’s). 60 victories and no defeats between these two shining stars, although at the end of the night, one of them will face an element of the sport they’ve never quite been a part of. That element? The agony of defeat! As we prepare for this showdown, we take a look at Keys to Victory, Four to Explore, and an Official Prediction:

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2016 has not been a great vintage for boxing. In the eyes of many it has been a veritable annus terribilis. Whilst this may be over egging it somewhat, the year has certainly had its fair share of disappointments. The sordid saga of Fury Klitschko 2, the Wilder-Povetkin Meldonium scandal and the infuriating impasse between Canelo and Golovkin have left fans and the general public frustrated on many occasions.

There were of course some diamonds among the rough: Postol vs Crawford,Usyk vs Glowacki and Golovkin vs Brook were all high calibre fights. But far more was needed to atone for the bitter anti-climax that was Mayweather Pacquiao. The backlash from this fight is still reverberating among sports fans. Many hold it responsible for the current decline of pay-per-view in America.

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Legacy is on the line this Saturday night when former super-middleweight king challenges light-heavyweight crown-holder Sergey Kovalev, live on HBO PPV. The winner of this super fight from sin city will cement their hall of fame credentials and likely take over the pound-for-pound throne. Several questions linger in what has been rightfully billed as a 50-50 fight between elite level fighters. Matching 30-0 records and top-5 P4P status makes this the best matchup on paper in 2016.

A strong case for victory can be made for either men, but it’s not as simple as a run of the mill boxer vs. puncher dual due to the well-rounded skills each pugilist poses. It’s safe to say that both fighters will be facing their best opposition to date. A few opponents come to mind to compare and contrast in an attempt to split hairs.

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Most people understandably see tomorrow night’s big fight between Sergey Kovalev and Andre Ward as a classic Boxer Vs. Puncher showdown. Kovalev, the world light-heavyweight ruler, is the puncher, Ward, the former dominant super-middleweight king, the boxer. But is there a chance their roles could be swapped in Las Vegas?

Ward, as quoted by BBC Sport, suggests as much, stating how “we will see who is the puncher” in this fascinating match-up. Ward warned how Kovalev, should he make any mistakes in the early going of what has been called by many the biggest fight of 2016, will “be made to pay.”

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