Sullivan Barrera Is Ready To Shock The World Against Andre Ward
Sullivan Barrera Is Ready To Shock The World Against Andre Ward
Despite being a major underdog, Sullivan Barrera exudes the swagger and confidence of a fighter who might just have the goods to beat Andre Ward.
By Kendrick E. Johnson
It only takes a few seconds of observing Sullivan Barrera (17-0, 12 KOs) interact with others during fight week for one to tell he truly feels he’s going to beat two-time world champion Andre Ward.
Despite being a major underdog, and fighting Ward in his hometown of Oakland, CA, Barrera exuded a certain swagger and confidence at his open workout, which leads many to believe his matchup with Ward (28-0, 15 KOs) March 26 at Oracle Arena will be a better fight then what many anticipated when the fight was signed.
“Thank you Andre Ward for accepting my fight,” Barrera said at the final press conference. “I promise everyone who comes to the arena that I have had great preparation and this is a great dream. On that night, I’ll have a great show for everyone.”
The Cuban fighter has the confidence, skill, and power to give Ward problems, not to mention slight height and reach advantages.
And, Barrera is coming off the best performance of his career in his last fight.
He used his aforementioned advantages to knockout German Karo Murat in the fifth round to become the number one rated IBF light heavyweight contender.
“Barrera is a big body. He’s confident. Seems to be a good puncher,” Andre Ward said. “We did not pick him because he’s a soft touch. We picked him because he was going to get me ready and show me what this weight class is all about.
“If you look at my career, there’s a place for tune-ups, which I haven’t had a lot of. You want to fight the best, and if you aren’t fighting the best, you want to fight the number one contender. That’s what we’re doing.”
Although Ward is definitely a step up in competition for the confident Cuban fighter, that doesn’t change the fact that Barrera is an unbeaten, Top 10 guy in the light heavyweight division.
With the fight quickly approaching, all Barrera and his team can do is sit back and wait for their opportunity to shock the world.
“I want to thank all of the people who put together this super event on Saturday,” Ben Lira, Barrera’s trainer said. “We are here to put on a great show and Sullivan has done everything to prepare himself for this event.
“He knows the challenges in front of him, but he believes in himself and he believes that this is his time to show the public and the viewing audience that this is where he is. He is there to make a statement.”
It only takes a few seconds of observing Sullivan Barrera (17-0, 12 KOs) interact with others during fight week for one to tell he truly feels he’s going to beat two-time world champion Andre Ward.
Despite being a major underdog, and fighting Ward in his hometown of Oakland, CA, Barrera exuded a certain swagger and confidence at his open workout, which leads many to believe his matchup with Ward (28-0, 15 KOs) March 26 at Oracle Arena will be a better fight then what many anticipated when the fight was signed.
“Thank you Andre Ward for accepting my fight,” Barrera said at the final press conference. “I promise everyone who comes to the arena that I have had great preparation and this is a great dream. On that night, I’ll have a great show for everyone.”
The Cuban fighter has the confidence, skill, and power to give Ward problems, not to mention slight height and reach advantages.
And, Barrera is coming off the best performance of his career in his last fight.
He used his aforementioned advantages to knockout German Karo Murat in the fifth round to become the number one rated IBF light heavyweight contender.
“Barrera is a big body. He’s confident. Seems to be a good puncher,” Andre Ward said. “We did not pick him because he’s a soft touch. We picked him because he was going to get me ready and show me what this weight class is all about.
“If you look at my career, there’s a place for tune-ups, which I haven’t had a lot of. You want to fight the best, and if you aren’t fighting the best, you want to fight the number one contender. That’s what we’re doing.”
Although Ward is definitely a step up in competition for the confident Cuban fighter, that doesn’t change the fact that Barrera is an unbeaten, Top 10 guy in the light heavyweight division.
With the fight quickly approaching, all Barrera and his team can do is sit back and wait for their opportunity to shock the world.
“I want to thank all of the people who put together this super event on Saturday,” Ben Lira, Barrera’s trainer said. “We are here to put on a great show and Sullivan has done everything to prepare himself for this event.
“He knows the challenges in front of him, but he believes in himself and he believes that this is his time to show the public and the viewing audience that this is where he is. He is there to make a statement.”