Ward vs Kovalev live stream: How to watch HBO PPV online

Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev met in one of the biggest fights of the year in Nov. 2016. After 12 rounds of fighting, Ward earned a narrow decision victory but it was immediately clear that these two would be going at it again in the near future.

They will meet in the main event of an HBO pay-per-view card from Las Vegas on Saturday, in a fight being billed as “The Rematch.” Ward vs. Kovalev II will begin at 9 p.m. ET on HBO PPV on Saturday and can be ordered through your television provider or at HBO’s official website.

The first fight wasn’t controversial so much as it was razor thin, but the controversy was definitely there. Ward won a unanimous decision, but the scores were 114-113 across the board. Ward took the most damage in the fight early when Kovalev managed to score a knockdown in the second round. But he recovered and slowly built momentum throughout the fight.

Many did think Kovalev won, however. That second-round knockdown was just the second time that Ward has been knocked down in his career. Kovalev was angry and said that the American judges were biased toward Ward. Referee Robert Byrd was criticized for allowing Ward to grab too much.

The decision aside, it was a great fight featuring two of the absolute best boxers in the world. When they meet for a rematch, the WBA, WBO, IBF and The Ring light heavyweight titles will be on the line.

Ward enters the fight with an unblemished 31-0-0 record (15 knockouts), while Kovalev carries a 30-1-1 mark (26 knockouts) into the bout. Obviously, Kovalev had entered the first fight between the two without a loss on his record. Both went into the fight with an otherworldly amount of hype but with many criticizing both for being untested by boxers of a similar skill ceiling.

So they tested each other, and on Saturday, they’ll do it again. The game plans will be the most interesting to see when they meet in the ring again. Ward was considered someone who could frustrate Kovalev with his game, but early on it was Ward who was frustrated, and Kovalev’s power really put him on his heels.

But by the end of the first fight, both boxers were clearly fighting for a decision win and neither was looking for the finish. Obviously, Kovalev is the more accomplished finisher of the two, and it will be interesting to see if he tries to get Ward down early again.

The undercard will see Guillermo Rigondeaux take on Moises Flores, an interesting fight but one that Rigondeaux should win handily. Also, Luis Arias will take on Arif Magomedov, while Dmitry Bivol will face Cedric Agnew.

Below is all you need to know to watch the match on Saturday.

Date: June 17, 2017

Location: Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada

Time: 9 p.m. ET

TV: HBO pay-per-view

Online Streaming: (to be added)