SERGEY KOVALEV, his manager Egis Klimas and trainer John David Jackson walked out of todayโs press conference. The source of the rancour with Andre Wardย and his team stems, in part, from the controversial claim that trainer John David Jackson wanted to defect from Kovalevโs corner to join his antagonist Ward.
Speaking to Boxing News, Jackson said, โTheyโre trying to say that I reached out to them. I never reached out to them. They reached out to me. They made me an offer and in the end I said no. I stayed loyal to my guy. That was it. All theyโre trying to do is play mind game, get inside Sergeyโs head, but it didnโt work. What they actually did, without thinking, brought us closer together.
โYouโve got to do what you can to offset the other campโs preparation and what theyโre doing. They tried, they failed. I give them credit, at least they tried.โ
Expecting this issue to come up at Thursdayโs press conference, John David Jackson had resolved to leave. Kovalev elected to go with him. โI was going to do it. I told Egis, the manager, he said, ‘Letโs walk out together. We donโt want to be here either.’ I just wanted to say my piece, didnโt want to get in a big war of words. Let them do the talking,โ the trainer said.
There was some confusion in the first fight, with input from a Russian friend in Kovalevโs corner. โThat was the first time I saw him and the last time I saw him in my life,โ Jackson said. He maintains that wonโt be a problem second time around and highlights other key differences. โHe has a new conditioning coach [Alexandr Mikhailovitch], heโs not killing himself to do certain things, 13 miles a day. Itโs a better camp for him and mentally heโs better. The new guy came in,โ John continued. โHe went back already. He came for the conditioning and heโs gone.โ
Jackson explained why he believes Kovalev will outbox and hurt Andre Ward in this rematch: โHe proved first fight that he could beat Ward at his own game. Sergeyโs jab is so much stronger, he was knocking Ward off balance with it. But he wasnโt consistent with it in the second half of the first fight. Stay consistent, use the same plan that you used in the first half of the first fight, you will beat Ward. Itโs not that Ward figured Sergey out, itโs that Sergey got fatigued and allowed Ward to get back in the game. Whatโs Ward going to do different? You will see come fight night.โ