LAS VEGAS -- Unified light heavyweight titleholder Sergey Kovalev and former super middleweight world champion Andre Ward have been among the best in boxing for the past several years, but when they fight each other in a bout that could crown a new pound-for-pound king on Saturday night (HBO PPV, 9 ET) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, it will be the first appearance for both of them on pay-per-view, where the true riches are for fighters -- if they can sell themselves and their event.Both boxers have contracts with HBO, which has been building up to this fight for the past 18 months with each fighting two interim bouts this year. Kovalev had title defenses against Jean Pascal in January and Isaac Chilemba in July. Ward routed Sullivan Barrera in March and Alexander Brand in August as he got used to fighting at 175 pounds after moving up in weight.None of those interim bouts were must-see TV. Kovalev and Ward were enormous favorites and wound up winning easily and with no drama and little excitement.But now Kovalev and Ward will have a chance to see if fans are willing to shell out an extra $60 or so to see them ply their trade against each other in an A-plus matchup with Kovalevs three world title belts on the line. Its viewed by many as a 50-50 fight with the winner potentially garnering support to take over boxings No. 1 pound-for-pound ranking.Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs), who will be making his ninth title defense, said he is excited to perform on pay-per-view for the first time and that while he trained the way he always does, there was a lot more promotional work for this bout than a non-PPV fight -- not that he is complaining.Sure, HBO Pay-Per-View is very important to me; this is big deal, Kovalev said. This is my first pay-per-view fight. I think all fighters goal is to be a pay-per-view fighter, but it takes hard work and not everybody can do this. For this fight I did more interviews than before because we want to get more fans, but this is part of my job.The additional media demands made it a bit more difficult because Kovalev, 33, is from Russia and although he has lived for several years in the United States -- first in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and now in Los Angeles -- English does not come easily to him, although it has improved dramatically over time.I am still learning English. I try to learn more all the time. I am more used to this now, so it becomes little more easy speaking English for interviews, Kovalev said. I know its important because I want fans to come to T-Mobile Arena and to buy pay-per-view to watch my fight against Andre Ward. Media is only difference this time because this is such big fight. I do every training camp in same way.First, I go to physical training in Big Bear (California), I run, ride bike, lift weights, I exercise and stretch to get in shape. After physical training I go to boxing training camp. I spar and I work with my coach, John David Jackson, in boxing ring. My sparring partners change, but most of the time my training is same.Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) is not only fighting on pay-per-view for the first time, he will also be fighting in Las Vegas for the first time in his 12-year professional career, something he has wanted for years.Still, Ward, 32, of Oakland, California, said his approach is the same, regardless of whether the fight was a regular HBO bout or a much more hyped fight on pay-per-view against a top opponent.Mentally, its honestly the same to me, Ward said. Obviously theres a lot at stake and its a different challenge, moving up in weight, pay-per-view, all of those things make it a little bit different. Whether its Alexander Brand or Sergey Kovalev, I approach every situation the same way. I wouldnt be able to get to this level and stay at this level if I checked in and checked out.Its the same dedication and its the same work. For me its about trying to be the best in a sport where theres little room for error. I understand that every time I step into the ring and leads to me making sure I prepare accordingly.Main Events and Roc Nation Sports, the co-promoters of the card, have high expectations for the pay-per-view sales, at least publicly. There are many who believe, however, that even though it is a superb matchup between two of boxings best, it wont translate into big sales -- maybe 300,000 if the stars aligned -- because neither fighter has a huge fan base.There is always a battle for the attention and money from fans, but as good of a match as Kovalev-Ward is, the fight is positioned in a tough spot. It is the third major combat sports pay-per-view in the past month, coming one week after Connor McGregors starring role at UFC 205 in the promotions first-ever card in New York and two weeks after Manny Pacquiao ended a brief retirement to beat Jessie Vargas and reclaim a welterweight world title on a stronger overall card in Las Vegas.However, Michael Yormark, Roc Nations president and chief of branding and strategy, is bullish.We havent put a number out there, but were obviously excited about this matchup and we think its going to do very well, he said. Collectively, us and Main Events think this is going to be the best pay-per-view event of the year. Were very optimistic about the pay-per-view numbers. Weve got two great fighters in a 50-50 fight. Its the best fight of the year and arguably on paper the biggest fight of the last decade. We would be very disappointed if it wasnt the biggest pay-per-view of 2016. Cheap Adidas Shoes Store .J. -- Marshawn Lynch said Thursday it will be good to get back to football after the Seattle quiet talking running back wrapped up his final mandatory media session of Super Bowl week. Wholesale Adidas Shoes Authentic . Now that hes hitting streaking teammates with pin-point passes for easy layups, Love is asserting himself as one of the true superstars in the league. http://www.wholesaleshoesadidas.com/ . -- Its been a long road back for Sean Bergenheim. Discount Adidas Shoes Online . -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style. Cheap Adidas Shoes For Sale . Boucher previously coached the Tampa Bay Lightning and had a 97-78-20 record over two-plus seasons. He was dismissed by the team last March after the Lightning struggled in the lockout-shortened season with a 13-18-1 record. Australias captain Steven Smith and his deputy David Warner have chosen not to enter into a public debate ahead of the next round of meetings in pay negotiations between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers Association.Having been wined and dined by CA board directors in Melbourne on Wednesday night, Smith and Warner elected only to make conciliatory noises after the end of the Chappell-Hadlee series against New Zealand. Their words were in contrast to the more urgent tone taken by others, including the ACA chief executive Alistair Nicholson and the former Australian international Simon Katich.For us it was a good opportunity to meet the board and have a nice dinner with them and a good chat, Smith said of the dinner, the sort of courtesy that was not offered to Nicholson, among others. They took our points of view, we listened to them and it was nice to see everyone on the same page and trying to get the best for our game moving forward.Sitting alongside Smith, Warner chimed in to say: Dinner was nice.While CA declined to comment publicly on the MOU negotiations, there is a wide expectation that the board will seek to break-up the revenue sharing model that has been fundamental to Australian cricket since 1997. Under that model, Australias players get around 26% of Australian Cricket Revenue, a selection of the money generated by the game that is decided upon by CA.The ACA is seeking the retention of the model while also hoping to expand and future-proof the sources of revenue. This is partly designed to cater for the inclusion of more expansive womens pay in the next MOU, at a time when the game is expanding in professionalism and prominence via the Womens Big Bash League.Smith, Warner and other senior Australian players are critical to negotiations because it is believed that CA willl try to tempt them into accepting considerable individual pay rises in exchange for the revenue sharing model being stripped away.ddddddddddddIn this, the model would be similar to that presently in use for the women, who are paid separately by CA without a wide range of conditions and benefits open to the men via their longer standing MOU agreements.Another key figure in the debate is the former captain Mark Taylor, who forged a middle path between the players and the board when a pay dispute in 1997 was defused by the adoption of the revenue sharing model and the founding of the ACA itself. Now a board director, Taylor is also known to be a mentor of Smith, and a proponent of the move away from revenue sharing.The CA chairman David Peever was previously the managing director of the mining giant Rio Tintos Australian operations and an outspoken critic of union involvement in the workplace. In a 2012 mining conference address, Peever had outlined his views on third party involvement in negotiations between employers and employees.Direct engagement between companies and employees, flexibility and the need for improved productivity has to be at the heart of the system, he said at the time. Only then can productivity and innovation be liberated from the shop floor-up, and without the competing agenda of a third party constantly seeking to extend its reach into areas best left to management.CAs negotiating team is being led by the executive general manager of strategy and people, Kevin Roberts - himself a former board director. The ACA is expected to seek the advice of the former players association chief executives Tim May and Paul Marsh at various points of the process. ' ' '