Andre Ward is ready for Sergey Kovalev. The lineal super middleweight champ looked as fresh as ever on Saturday in his bout with Alexander Brand, controlling the action throughout the fight before scoring the unanimous decision victory. He is now 30-0 in his career after sweeping the judges cards 120-108 (12-0 on rounds) in the win.
With Kovalev sitting ringside, Ward treated Brand like a heavy bag, forcing him into corners, feinting his jab and setting up his over-the-top hook. Ward was the heavy favorite coming in, as high as -10,000 before the fight began.
Although he wasn't as accurate as he normally is, Ward kept his distance from Brand effectively while the underdog was, as many noted, just trying to go the distance in the bout.