EXCLUSIVE John David Jackson explains controversial defection allegation

SERGEY KOVALEV, his manager Egis Klimas and trainer John David Jackson walked out of todayโ€™s 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 Kovalevโ€™s corner to join his antagonist Ward.

Speaking to Boxing News, Jackson said, โ€œTheyโ€™re 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 theyโ€™re trying to do is play mind game, get inside Sergeyโ€™s head, but it didnโ€™t work. What they actually did, without thinking, brought us closer together.

โ€œYouโ€™ve got to do what you can to offset the other campโ€™s preparation and what theyโ€™re doing. They tried, they failed. I give them credit, at least they tried.โ€

Expecting this issue to come up at Thursdayโ€™s press conference, John David Jackson had resolved to leave. Kovalev elected to go with him. โ€œI was going to do it. I told Egis, the manager, he said, ‘Letโ€™s walk out together. We donโ€™t want to be here either.’ I just wanted to say my piece, didnโ€™t 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 Kovalevโ€™s corner. โ€œThat was the first time I saw him and the last time I saw him in my life,โ€ Jackson said. He maintains that wonโ€™t be a problem second time around and highlights other key differences. โ€œHe has a new conditioning coach [Alexandr Mikhailovitch], heโ€™s not killing himself to do certain things, 13 miles a day. Itโ€™s a better camp for him and mentally heโ€™s better. The new guy came in,โ€ John continued. โ€œHe went back already. He came for the conditioning and heโ€™s gone.โ€

john david jackson

Jackson explained why he believes Kovalev will outbox and hurt Andre Ward in this rematch: โ€œHe proved first fight that he could beat Ward at his own game. Sergeyโ€™s jab is so much stronger, he was knocking Ward off balance with it. But he wasnโ€™t 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. Itโ€™s not that Ward figured Sergey out, itโ€™s that Sergey got fatigued and allowed Ward to get back in the game. Whatโ€™s Ward going to do different? You will see come fight night.โ€

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