Sergey Kovalev Vs
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#KOVALEVWARD 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, JetLux and Monster Products. 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. Follow the conversation using #KovalevWard. FOLLOW US: www.kovalboxer.com @KrusherKovalev @SergeyKovalev_Official /thekrusher /kovalboxer www.andresogward.com @AndreWard @AndreSogWard /AndreSogWard www.mainevents.com @Main_Events @Main_Events /MainEventsBoxing /MEBoxingSeries www.throneboxing.com @RocNation @RocNation /RocNation /RocNation www.insidehboboxing.com @HBOboxing @HBOboxing /HBOboxing /HBOsports www.mgmgrand.com @MGMGrand @MGMGrand /MGMGrand www.t-mobilearena.com @TMobileArena @TMobileArena /TMobileArena MEDIA CONTACTS: Main Events: Ellen Haley, [email protected], 973-903-6715 HBO: Patrick Byrne, [email protected], 212-512-1361 Roc Nation Sports: Lauren Menache, [email protected], 212-889-0440 MGM Resorts International: Katharine Sherrer, [email protected], 702-692-6724 SERGEY KOVALEV VS. ANDRE WARD “POUND FOR POUND” MEGA SHOWDOWN SET FOR SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19 AT T-MOBILE ARENA IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA PRESENTED LIVE BY HBO PAY-PER-VIEW® LAS VEGAS, NV - On Saturday, Nov. 19 the world’s best pound-for-pound boxer will be crowned at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada as Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs), the WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion, and Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs), Two-Time World Champion, will square off for 12 rounds of “Pound For Pound” action in their long-awaited showdown. 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 and is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions. Tickets for the most anticipated fight of the year are on sale now and start at $55 on axs.com and at the T-Mobile Arena box office. The mega-fight will be only the third bout in the history of The Ring Magazine pound-for-pound list to pit two undefeated Top 5 ranked pound-for-pound fighters against each other. Kovalev and Ward are currently ranked the number two and number four pound-for-pound boxers in the world, respectively, by The Ring Magazine, making their hotly anticipated fight only the third bout in the history of The Ring Magazine pound-for-pound list to pit two undefeated top-five ranked pound-for-pound fighters against each other. Odds makers and pundits have this fight evenly matched at 50-50 and it is poised to be a sure-fire 2016 Fight of the Year candidate. History will be made on Nov. 19th! Neither man has faced an opponent like this before. Making the fight even more intriguing, Kovalev and Ward are polar opposites. Kovalev, the Russian Wrecking Ball, 33, has been dominating boxing’s light heavyweight division with his aggressive, fan-friendly style since his breakout performance against then-unbeaten Nathan Cleverly in 2013. His rise to boxing stardom has been meteoric, as he has gone from an unknown fighter from Chelyabinsk, Russia to headlining HBO Pay-Per-View in just four years after signing with his first promoter, Main Events. Out of Kovalev’s 30 career victories 26 have come by way of knockout. Additionally, he has entered into championship rounds only twice in his professional career. Kovalev has always sought to test himself against the best boxing has to offer; he wants to prove in the ring that he deserves that mantle. Ward, 32, the last American man to win an Olympic Gold Medal in boxing (2004), reigned as the WBA Super Middleweight World Champion from 2009 to 2015 while fighting mostly out of his hometown, Oakland, CA. He announced his intention to move to up to the light heavyweight division in search of a bigger challenge in 2015, shortly after signing with his current promoter, Roc Nation Sports. He has been a top rated pound-for-pound fighter since 2011. Ward is seeking to assume his place and leave a legacy at the top of the sport. Kovalev said, “I am very excited to finally get my chance to face Andre Ward on November 19. I want to face the best competition. I want to be the best Pound-for-Pound fighter in the world. Thank you to all of my fans and I hope everyone will come out and see this great fight on November 19 in Las Vegas.” Ward responded, “I am excited. I am looking forward to it. I want to be the light heavyweight champion of the world. We will see you in November. I have been doing this for 22 years and if I am not ready to fight the best now then I will never be ready. I have been preparing for these moments since I’ve been a kid. You got to respect Sergey for the way he has gotten to where he has gotten. He didn’t have any soft touches. He wasn’t protected. He wasn’t really pushed by the media. He is a guy who should get a lot more credit than he has. The winner of this fight could possibly be pound-for-pound #1.” Main Events’ CEO, Kathy Duva, added, “There is no greater thrill for a boxing promoter than putting together a fight that the fans want to see. Sergey has always strived to be the best and face the best and on November 19 the new Pound-for-Pound king will be crowned. I think it is fitting that this fight is taking place in Las Vegas. Las Vegas has been home to many of the biggest and best fights, including both Taylor-Chavez I and De La Hoya- Trinidad. Now it will be the venue for the first Pound-For-Pound showdown of the new millennium. This should be a great night!” Roc Nation President & Chief of Branding and Strategy, Michael Yormark, said, "From its inception, Roc Nation Sports Boxing has remained committed to promoting the biggest fights featuring the world’s best fighters. That is exactly what we have in Kovalev-Ward – a fight that transcends boxing, transcends sports, and enters the rarefied realm of seminal cultural events. On Nov. 19, on boxing’s most legendary stage, we will find out who the best boxer in the world truly is. It will be a clash of cultures, styles, strategies and personalities and we are proud to represent Andre and be a part of history." “This pound-for-pound battle between two great champions will be a sensational matchup at T-Mobile Arena,” said Richard Sturm, president of Entertainment and Sports for MGM Resorts International. “We look forward to working with both Main Events and Roc Nation Sports on this championship event which should be one of the most anticipated fights of the year.” 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.