Andre Ward possesses superior speed, height, and skill advantages over little-known Alexander Brand of Colombia. But the heavily favored fighter from Oakland nicknamed the “Son of God” refuses to put this bout in the win column prematurely.
“It’s impossible for me to overlook this man,” Ward said ahead of Saturday’s light heavyweight clash at Oracle Arena. “I’m not built like that. I wasn’t raised like that. I wasn’t groomed like that as a young fighter. I don’t operate like that. This man is coming. This is his Super Bowl, so because it’s his Super Bowl, it has to be my Super Bowl.”
Ward’s manager, James Prince, was a little more blunt with his assessment of the matchup.
“We’re going to put an S.O.G. brand on Alexander Brand,” he promised.
A win for Ward (29-0, 15 KOs) would propel him into a high-stakes, winner-take-all November pay-per-view fight with Russia’s Sergey Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs), the reigning unified light heavyweight champion. Not only would 175-pound supremacy be on the line, but also pound-for-pound status as the best boxer in the world.
The smart money is on Ward controlling the fight from the opening bell; it wouldn’t surprise this writer to see the former super middleweight champion outsmart a willing but outgunned Brand (25-1, 19 KOs) into a referee stoppage before the halfway mark of the fight.
However, if there were one thing to watch from ringside, it would probably be the HBO executives, who have patiently waited for Kovalev-Ward to come to fruition for years. Several pay-per-view fights have fallen through in the past because of an upset (see Chris Algieri’s derailing Ruslan Provodnikov’s pay-per-view shot against Manny Pacquiao), or even worse, a cut or injury.
I don’t think that will be the case this time. My prediction: Book your plane ticket to Vegas in November for what will be the best main event of the year.
KNBR.com captured video from Thursday’s press conference at the Lake Merritt Amphitheater. Ward discussed his upcoming opponent while “setting the record straight” regarding his career status, while manager James Prince and trainer Virgil Hunter added commentary.
Also in the video, Roc Nation president Michael Yormark talks about cross-promotion opportunities for Ward and new Warrior Kevin Durant (both Roc Nation clients and friends), while undercard fighters Bilal Mihasin, Maurice Hooker, and Daniel Franco introduce themselves to you.
Main event coverage begins at 7:30pm PT on HBO East and on tape delay at 10:30pm on HBO West. You can still buy tickets at Ticketmaster.com.