Monday 3 October 2016 09:08, UK
Sergey Kovalev insists he 'doesn't care' what Andre Ward is watching after his American opponent revealed he has only seen one of the Russian's fights.
The WBA 'super', IBF, and WBO light-heavyweight champion is preparing for his eagerly awaited showdown with Ward in Las Vegas on November 19, live on Sky Sports.
Ward appeared to play down the threat posed by Kovalev after admitting that he took the fight after viewing 'Krusher' just once from ringside - a stoppage win over Jean Pascal in their rematch earlier this year.
But Kovalev is refusing to be drawn into any pre-fight mind games with Ward ahead of a battle between the top two fighters in the division.
"I don't think at all what Ward is doing, I don't think," Kovalev exclusively told Sky Sports. "I'm thinking only about me, what I'm going to do. I don't care about what Andre Ward thinks.
"You can ask him about what he thinks that he watches only one of my fights. He can say that he saw only one fight, but he can watch all my fights.
"I don't know what he's watching or I don't care what he's watching. My goal is to get victory and not to think about what Andre Ward is watching or not watching, what he's doing. I'm just working now on my body, on my shape."
Both men boast unbeaten records, with Kovalev having 26 stoppages in 30 wins, while Ward has 15 wins inside the distance from his 30 victories.
Ward's renowned defence was breached in a 2005 points win over Darnell Boone, who floored the former super-middleweight world champion in the fourth round, but Kovalev is reading little into this rare show of vulnerability.
"I don't care about his knockdown, Andre Ward," admitted Kovalev. "I don't give any attention before about Andre Ward.
"I just saw a couple of fights, him against Sullivan Barrera and Alexander Brand, but what was before I don't know, I didn't check."