Sullivan Barrera ready to cancel plans for Andre Ward-Sergey Kovalev fight
OAKLAND, Calif. - Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson were on a collision course for a massive heavyweight championship showdown, but Hasim Rahman had other ideas.
The decided underdog knocked out Lewis in April 2001, cancelling plans for a fall mega fight between Lewis and Tyson. Fifteen years later, Cuban light heavyweight Sullivan Barrera has his own opportunity to play spoiler.
Of course, should Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev meet in November as scheduled, they would not generate a tenth of the hype as one of the biggest fights of all-time ended up creating. But as of now, the light heavyweight title fight shapes up as one of the marquee bouts on the docket for 2016, and it's a true even-money matchup fans are looking forward to.
First Ward (28-0, 15 KOs) needs to get past Barrera on Saturday (HBO, 9:45 p.m.) at Oracle Arena in his hometown of Oakland and look good doing it to keep the plans in motion.
"I know Ward and Kovalev are very highly respected and they create a lot of money and a lot of interest, but they don't know what Sullivan Barrera is capable of doing," said Barrera. "I will prove that on Saturday."
Barrera (17-0, 12 KOs) is promoted by Main Events, just like Kovalev. Barrera actually became the mandatory challenger to the IBF title held by the Russian puncher with a fifth-round knockout of Karo Murat in December, a career-best victory. But the title opportunity was set aside for an equally tough assignment against Ward, and also a career-high purse of $445,000.
Despite an accomplished amateur career in Cuba, where Barrera scored a victory over future world champion Chad Dawson, the Miami resident had toiled in obscurity in the pros. At age 34, Barrera finally will make his HBO debut and will make a quantum leap in level of competition.
If he's nervous ahead of his first time under the lights, Barrera hasn't shown it. He called for the fight with Ward on Twitter earlier this year, and believes the notoriously inactive boxer will be rusty on fight night.
At Friday's weigh-in, a ripped and ready Barrera, a full-fledged 175-pounder, jawed at Ward during the customary staredown.
"Yes, I think that I'm getting him at the right moment not only because (Ward's) moving up (in weight)," Barrera said. "He didn't say anything about the inactivity by the way, but he is moving up and I am ranked - rated number one in the IBF. So it's a perfect time for me to prepare for the future.
"One of the main reasons that I targeted him was because he is considered one of the top three or four fighters in the world. I admire him a lot. He's a great talent. I love what he's done. But I also consider myself a great talent and I also consider myself one of the best fighters in the world. And this opportunity is something that will prove to the world that I am at the top."
Indeed, Ward is a supreme talent. That much can't be denied. And Barrera's coach is the right man to prepare him. Abel Sanchez was chosen as BoxingJunkie's 2015 trainer of the year. He's molded Gennady Golovkin into one of the best fighters in the world at his camp, The Summit Gym at Big Bear in Southern California.
"Well the Andre Ward that we've watched in the past we haven't seen lately," said Sanchez. "But the best that I can do is prepare Sullivan to take what's given to him, to take what's in front of him.
"The attacking style that he has now and the knockouts that he has now are some of the stuff that we practice in the gym. It's just a matter of going at Andre and taking what he gives us but not to let Andre breathe."
If Barrera is going to spring the upset, he'll have to use his bigger frame to exert pressure, but that, too, will be no easy task. Ward is perhaps the best inside fighter in the game, adept at neutralizing his opponent's offense in the clinch while still generating his own output.
Barrera does pack a punch, and at a new weight, perhaps he can stun Ward, who has been knocked down once in his career. That came in his seventh pro fight against veteran gatekeeper Darnell Boone.
Barrera is in shape, confident and has the pedigree. He's done the talking, now he must back it up.
"Once I am in the ring, it's my house," he said. "Whatever Ward has, I will adjust to it and overcome it.
"I'm stronger than Ward. I have the Cuban background and I learned a lot of skills there. More than anything, the determination to overcome anything in front of me will help me defeat Ward."
(Photo of Barrera by Tom Hogan/Roc Nation Sports)