Andre Ward-Sergey Kovalev promoters keep up their own fight

Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev have never headlined a pay-per-view fight, so it seems to make sense that the folks co-directing the promotion for their Nov. 19 light-heavyweight title bout on HBO should get along better.

Minutes after three-belt champion Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 knockouts) closed an hour-long session with reporters Saturday morning, former super-middleweight champion Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) sat and began discussing his thoughts on the bout that will be fought at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Ward’s promoter, Michael Yormark of rapper Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports, spotted Kovalev promoter Kathy Duva of Main Events in the rear of the room and whispered to an assistant.

The assistant escorted Duva out.

Duva later said through a spokeswoman that she didn’t realize what was happening and “laughed when she found out” she was being forced out.

But on the heels of previous bickering, such strain seems like an obstacle to maximizing the national interest for a rare meeting between two of boxing’s best pound-for-pound fighters.

“We’re a competitive group here, just like our fighters,” said Yormark, known for being impeccably dressed and quoting the wishes of Jay Z.

“Great fights, big fights, are not easy to make. There are a bunch of rumors that we’ve had our issues. We’ve had some issues. It’s no different than putting the [Miguel Cotto-Canelo Alvarez 2015] fight together with Golden Boy.

“We’re competitive, but we’re all friendly, and trying to put together the best promotion we can. At the end of the day, it’s Andre against her fighter. We have to communicate to make things happen, but we’re doing it in a very professional way, a very professional manner, and that’s it.”

That position is up for debate.

After believing that a verbal deal was good enough to announce where the Kovalev fight would be to a captive, interested crowd on the HBO telecast of Ward’s August victory over Alexander Brand, Roc Nation disagreed and delayed the announcement until further discussion took place.

Then, instead of accompanying Kovalev to a Los Angeles news conference attended by dozens of reporters days after Ward’s victory, Ward declined, saying Duva doesn’t order him where to go.

Ticket sales were delayed as Duva’s team expressed fears that Roc Nation’s inaction on the site agreement was going to allow a Manny Pacquiao fight to be inserted at T-Mobile Arena in its place when the site deal got done.

Ward said he believes in staying calm and asked reporters to understand the high stakes at play.

“This is a fight even casual fans will be talking about in [light] of big fights not getting made. You can’t say that in this case,” Ward, of Oakland, said.

“This stuff that goes on behind the scenes … Main Events … who else do they have other than Kovalev?” Ward asked. “[Kovalev’s] fighting for his life. [Duva’s] fighting for her life. She really needs him to win. And, obviously, Roc Nation is trying to take that next step in boxing. There should be some tension.

“Everybody’s not kumbaya here. There’s a lot at stake. There’s going to be some heads being bumped, but the fight’s going to happen.”

Ward, who hasn’t lost since an amateur Silver Gloves competition in 1997, is slightly favored by experts who think his boxing skill will triumph over his Russian opponent’s undeniable power.

“His nickname is the Krusher. He’s going to get back to what he knows, who he is,” Ward said.