On July 11, unified light heavyweight titleholder Sergey Kovalev dropped contender Isaac Chilemba in the seventh round en route to a unanimous decision win in his homecoming defense in Russia. Kovalev retained his title for the eighth time and took care of the business necessary to punch his way into a huge fall fight.Now it is Andre Wards turn to do the same.Ward, the former super middleweight world champion, must defeat gargantuan underdog Alexander Brand in their 12-round light heavyweight fight on Saturday night (HBO, 10:35 ET/PT) at Oracle Arena in Wards hometown of Oakland, California, to preserve the long-awaited showdown with Kovalev.The fight was signed months ago but is contingent on each fighter getting through interim bouts, mainly because Ward was shaking off a lengthy layoff and also wanted a couple of fights to get used to fighting at 175 pounds after a career spent boxing at 168. But if Ward wins, the big one is on. It will headline an HBO PPV card on Nov. 19 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.But first things first, as far as Ward is concerned.Sergey Kovalev is not on my mind at all, Ward said. Ive got a job to do. I havent even talked about Kovalev. We can talk about Kovalev on [Sunday]. Thats what I told my team.Ward claims he did not even take a peek at Kovalevs fight against Chilemba last month.I didnt watch his last fight, Ward said. Hes not my next opponent, but I know what happened and what people are saying about it. It is obviously the end game and what were trying to get but I didnt watch it. I have to compartmentalize what I have to do right now.Thats just kind of how I operate and how I stay focused. I dont want to juggle two opponents right now. I have to focus on one guy and thats Alexander Brand. I will not take him lightly. If Im not successful [on Saturday], there is no fight down the road with me and Kovalev.The 32-year-old Ward (29-0, 15 KO) doesnt want to just beat Brand, either. He wants to make a statement ahead of the showdown with Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs), the fearsome Russian puncher, = a fight that could propel the winner to the top of the pound-for-pound list.Its very important for me to look good (against Brand), to my standard and to my teams standard, said Ward, who won Olympic gold in 2004 and is the last American man to do so in boxing. I have a certain amount of pressure on myself to go out there, perform and, hopefully, look good doing it. So my team has looked at [Kovalev-Chilemba]. They are doing their due diligence but, no, I personally have not looked at it.Ward was supposed to face Brand last November on the Canelo Alvarez-Miguel Cotto undercard, but Ward withdrew because of a knee injury. When he made his 175-pound debut on March 26, he easily outpointed former Cuban amateur star Sullivan Barrera.With Ward wanting another tuneup fight before facing Kovalev, Brand (25-1, 19 KOs), the fourth choice, got the call again when other matches did not work out, including proposed fights with unbeaten Long Island brawler Seanie Monaghan, former light heavyweight titlist Nathan Cleverly of Wales and unbeaten Swedish fighter Erik Skoglund.But when Brand was tapped, he was happy to accept the fight as he did for the November bout that was scratched.It has?been a long road for Alexander Brand, said Alex Camponovo, Brands manager. He has worked very hard to get where he is today. This is a great opponent, one of the greatest of all time in Andre Ward. We know that this champion probably has never lost a round inside the ring, and that is what Brand is here to do, to prove himself and to show that if you try and work hard, you can go very far.Most view Brand, however, as having virtually no chance against the gifted Ward. Brand is 39 years old, fought more than 400 amateur fights and did not turn pro until he was 32 -- and got knocked down in his last fight in December.His record is also bereft of any meaningful opponents except Badou Jack, who defeated him by eight-round split decision in 2012 and went on to win a super middleweight world title in 2015. But Brand said he is confident -- although what else is he supposed to say?Its a privilege to fight one of the best, if not the best, Brand said. I dont know if I will come out attacking or if I will counter more. It depends on how Ward will be fighting. But I will be ready. I will capitalize on his mistakes and make him pay.Im here to put on the best show possible on television and in the arena. This is going to be my toughest test to date and what could be better than try to beat Andre in his backyard?That is one of the reasons Ward said he refuses to take the man lightly.I want to be the lightweight champion of the world, a two-division champion, Ward said. Everyone knows that, but its impossible for me to overlook this man. Im not built like that. I wasnt raised like that. I wasnt groomed like that. I dont operate like that. This man is coming. This is his Super Bowl. Because this is his Super Bowl, it has to be my Super Bowl. He has got everything to gain and nothing to lose. He swings for the fences with every punch. Hes a dangerous guy to fight.Ward added: I have not given myself any time to think about Kovalev. I have plenty of time to get ready for Kovalev. That is where you have slip-ups. That is where you have upsets. That is where you have bad performances, when you start to look ahead and you say, I am not looking ahead, but then mentally, you are. So I just try to block it out. Im really good at doing that. Come [Sunday], I will begin to think about Sergey Kovalev and what needs to be done to beat him and to get those belts.But not if Brand, as unlikely as it may be, has his way.Ward still has 12 rounds to fight before he can think about Kovalev, Brand said. Im here to ruin his party. Andre Holmes Jersey . The 17-year-old native of Marystown, N.L., pulled out of Skate Canada International last month in Saint John, N.B., with the same problem. Jeremy Kerley Jersey . The Dutchmans tenure got off to a poor start when referee Guido Winkmann awarded a penalty within two minutes for Niklas Starks clumsy challenge on Alexandru Maxim. http://www.thebillsgearshop.com/Bills-Adolphus-Washington-Draft-Jersey/ . Rinne played two periods in his first game since left hip surgery in early May. Gabriel Bourque scored 3:07 into the second period and Austin Watson tallied 5:15 later for Nashville. Jordan Mills Jersey . Perhaps Carroll was so prepared for a break because he believes there is very little the Seattle Seahawks need heading into the off-season. "I dont see anything that we need to add. We just have to get better," Carroll said. Josh Allen Jersey . Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseballs network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before.SAN DIEGO - The Freak is back. Tim Lincecum tossed aside his recent struggles and pitched his first career no-hitter and the second in the majors in 11 days, a gem saved by a spectacular diving catch by right fielder Hunter Pence in the San Francisco Giants 9-0 win over last-place San Diego on Saturday night. Lincecum has won two Cy Young Awards and two World Series rings. Now he has something really remarkable — a no-hitter in which he threw a whopping career-high 148 pitches. "Right now I think Im just kind of coming down and dont know where to be emotionally," a calm Lincecum said afterward. The slightly built right-hander was in control from his first pitch until his last, which settled into left fielder Gregor Blancos glove and set off a wild celebration in front of a pro-Giants crowd at Petco Park. Catcher Buster Posey wrapped Lincecum in a bear hug and lifted him off the ground. Lincecum was then mobbed by his teammates behind the mound and doused with water. Blanco, who caught Yonder Alonsos fly ball to end the game, found Lincecum in the mob and handed him the ball. Lincecum, who witnessed Jonathan Sanchezs no-hitter against San Diego in 2009 and Matt Cains perfect game last year, was given a champagne shower by his teammates in the clubhouse. "Its pretty surreal for me just to be part of that," Lincecum said. "Obviously I got to see a couple with Jonathans and Cains perfect game, but to be in the middle of it is a little different. I think Im still kind of pinching myself right now." Lincecum (5-9) struck out 13. He walked four and hit a batter. Still, he needed some help to preserve his no-no. Pence caught Alexi Amaristas sinking liner with a full dive to end the eighth. Lincecum pumped his fist as Pence excitedly jumped up and with the ball in his glove. Amarista put his hands to his helmet and pulled it off in disgust. "That was really special. To be honest with you, I thought that was a hit off the bat by Amarista," Lincecum said. "But Hunter comes flying out of nowhere and makes the Superman catch. That was awesome." Pence said he "just laid out and reached as far as I could and happened to just get there. I would say the whole game was one of the greatest feelings and greatest things to be a part of." Said Amarista: "He got to the ball." Lincecums 148 pitches were the second most thrown in a no-hitter since at least 1988, according to STATS. Edwin Jackson needed 149 pitches for his no-no for Arizona in 2010. Lincecum had 103 going into the seventh and mightve saved his shot at history with an 11-pitch inning. "You dont see a pitcher up over 140 pitches in a no-hitter often," Posey said. "You get fatigued." Posey noted that Lincecum threw more than 200 pitches all night, including 40 in the bullpen warming up pregame and then eight pitches before each inning. "It takes a toll on your body, so for him to be able to continue to execute pitches is remarkaable," the catcher said.dddddddddddd Manager Bruce Bochy said he had pitching coach Dave Righetti — who threw a no-hitter for the New York Yankees on July 4, 1983 — check on Lincecum the last few innings. "Im superstitious at that point," Bochy said. "Im not going to say anything. There was no way he was coming out. I was just praying he didnt hit the 150 mark. "He was just right on all night with all his pitches," Bochy said. Lincecum was in a season-long funk. He was the loser when Cincinnatis Homer Bailey no-hit the Giants on July 2. Pablo Sandoval did his part, too, when he made a nice backhanded play on pinch-hitter Jesus Guzmans grounder deep behind third base and threw him out for the third out of the seventh. Lincecum had been struggling coming in, losing his previous four decisions and hadnt won since June 4 against Toronto. He hadnt won on the road since April 3 at the Los Angeles Dodgers. Then again, hed gotten only 12 runs of support in his last 10 starts. The crowd gave Lincecum a standing ovation as he headed to the mound for the ninth. Lincecum struck out Chase Headley and then retired Carlos Quentin and Alonso on fly balls to left. Lincecum tossed the 15th no-hitter in franchise history and seventh since the Giants moved to San Francisco after the 1957 season. Matt Cain was perfect last June. The Padres remain the only team without a no-hitter. Lincecum lost 15 games last year and ended the season as a reliever — and a reliable one at that. He cut his hair short in the off-season, a new look as he started anew. He worked out with a personal trainer during the winter to add about 10 pounds of strength, and tweaked his mechanics. Padres manager Bud Black said Lincecum was mixing his fastball, splitter, curve and cutter. "Hes evolved," Black said. "He knows how to pitch. He keeps his poise. He has us off-balance all night." The Padres lost for the 18th time in 21 games and dropped a season-high 12 games under .500. "We havent been swinging the bats like were capable," Black said. "Were not pitching. Theres a lot of things were not doing well. The last 2 1/2 weeks have been unacceptable. We just havent gotten it done." While Lincecum dominated the Padres, the Giants jumped all over San Diegos Edinson Volquez (6-8). Posey and Sandoval had three hits apiece. Pence hit a three-run double and finished with four RBIs against Volquez, and then homered off Joe Thatcher leading off the eighth. Brandon Belt hit a two-run home run an estimated 414 feet into the sandy play area beyond the fence in right-centre in the fourth inning. Volquez allowed eight runs and nine hits in five innings, struck out six and walked one. He threw 107 pitches. NOTES: The four-game series concludes Sunday with a matchup of lefties. Barry Zito, who went to high school in San Diego, is scheduled to start for San Francisco and Eric Stults is scheduled to start for the Padres. Cheap Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China Nike NFL Jerseys China Discount NFL Jerseys Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Wholesale China NFL Gear Stitched Jerseys Discount Jerseys Cheap NFL T-shirts Cheap Jerseys 2019 Black China NFL Jerseys Discount NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys 2020 ' ' '