The purses for Saturday’s massive show starring Sergey Kovalev and former super-middleweight king Andre Ward have been announced by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Ward, despite being the challenger, picks up a bigger check. The Russian champion takes less due to Kovalev’s insistence on taking home a slice of the pay-per-view profits.
Kovalev is guaranteed $2m. Ward will bank a cool $5m from what will be his defining night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The winner of the 2016 showpiece seems destined to become the pound for pound number one in the world. They will see out the year at the summit of the sport.
On the undercard, former world title challenger and Kovalev’s last opponent, Isaac Chilemba is being paid $150,000. Opponent Oleksandr Gvozdyk receives $50k less for his trouble.
Olympic star Claressa Shields is making her pro debut on a huge Nevada event. She will pocket $50,000 for her appearance on the road to what many see as a certain world title run.
Here’s the full list of purses for tonight’s HBO PPV show:
Andre Ward 5m
Sergey Kovalev 2m
Isaac Chilemba 150k
Oleksandr Gvozdyk 100k
Maurice Hooker 75k
Darleys Perez 25k
Curtis Stevens 42.5k
James De La Rosa 22.5k
Claressa Shields 50k
Franchon Crews 10k
