By Miguel Maravilla
Photos: Roc Nation Sports/Khristopher Sandifer

By Fightnews.com

Unified light heavyweight champion Andre “SOG” Ward (31-0, 15 KOs) and former light heavyweight champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-1-1, 26 KOs) wrapped up their three city press conference tour Wednesday afternoon in Los Angeles as they met at the Hollywood Roosevelt in Hollywood, California to announce their much anticipated rematch taking place Saturday, June 17 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas live on HBO Pay-Per-View.

Roc Nations Michael Yormark opened up the press conference.

“On June 17th, NO Excuses. It’s simple these guys don’t like each other. Last year Ward came back in their fight. Like a true champion he is Andre will take on Kovalev. For Sergey he ha lot to prove Sergey has become his own trash talk machine,” Yorkmark said.

“You got a perception and reality. At the end of the day you have to see me June 17th. This fight I didn’t have to take this. At the end of the day it’s about showing up,” Ward said. “June 17th, it will be no different. Reality check,” Ward concluded.

Ward was accompanied by his manager James Prince.

“We will pick up where we left off June 17th. U.S. VS Russia. You have Putin and we have Trump. We need to crank something,” James Prince said. “They might call you manager of the year. I will be manager of the night, just like last year,” Prince said with a grin looking at Kovalev’s manager Egis Klimas.

Kovalev’s promoter Kathy Duva introduced the Krusher along with his manager Egis Klimas.

“What’s Sergey’s story?Is that he want his belts back,” Kathy Duva said in introducing Kovalev

“I already proved to myself and I believe in my self that I will get my belts back. On June 17th, I will finish you,” Sergey Kovalev said.

“As you all know I don’t talk too much. We hope this fight will be much better. Yesterday at the press conference people in his hometown were telling us that Sergey beat Ward,” Klimas said.

The two met last November at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas as Ward came off the canvas from a second round knockdown and pulled off a very close split decision over Kovalev in unifying the light heavyweight titles. Ward vs. Kovalev 2 is a 12-round championship rematch for Ward’s WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight championship.

“I don’t have nothing to prove. This fight is for the fans. I am fine and I dont have to take this fight. I am doing this for them. It is nothing personal to us,” Andre Ward told Fightnews.com “This fight isn’t any more important than the first fight. I don’t fear these guys. You have to see my fight June 17th,” Ward added.

“I wanted this fight bad. Andre Ward took my belts unfairly he didn’t deserve to win. My goal is to collect all four belts. This fight means a lot to me,” Sergey Kovalev told Fightnews.com

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