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Andre Ward, Sergey Kovalev set to make vastly different purses

Photo Credit: Roc Nation Sports/Tom Hogan – Hoganphotos
Fighters Network
16
Jun

LAS VEGAS — Sergey Kovalev has brooded around Sin City.

He’s angry about much: the controversial decision from the first bout, trash talk from Andre Ward, charges he’s a racist. Perhaps he’s most steamed about the money he’s set to make and how little it is in relation to Ward’s purse.

According to the Nevada State Athletic Commission payout sheet, Ward is guaranteed to pull in $6.5 million for Saturday’s rematch for the vacant RING light heavyweight championship. Kovalev? Nothing is listed at all.

The Russian’s promoter, Main Events CEO Kathy Duva, told a group of reporters that Kovalev will earn 75 percent of Main Event’s 40 percent cut of the promotion’s net revenue (pay-per-view sales, the gate, merchandise, etc.). That figures to be around $1 million-$1.5 million if the fight generates similar numbers to their first fight.



On the other hand, Ward will make a whopping sum and Roc Nation Sports stands to lose money on the promotion.

“Ward has a sugar daddy who pays him $7 million (actually $6.5 million) for this fight, OK,” Kovalev’s manager, Egis Klimas, said Thursday. “Sergey is earning every single penny. He is promoting this fight as much as he can. Every single penny comes from the fans – from the ticket sales, from the pay-per-view, Sergey is earning. Nobody’s giving it to him.”

Undercard purses:

Guillermo Rigondeaux $120,000; Moises Flores $25,000

Luis Arias $25,000; Arif Magomedov $25,000

Dmitry Bivol vs. Cedric Agnew wasn’t listed.

 

 

Mike Coppinger is the Senior Writer for RingTV.com. Follow him on Twitter: @MikeCoppinger

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