Andre Ward vs. Alexander Brand: Fight Time, Date, Live Stream and TV Info

In what's expected to be nothing more than the final tuneup for Andre Ward (29-0, 15 KO) ahead of a late 2016 showdown with light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev, the former 168-pound kingpin will face Alexander Brand (25-1, 19 KO) on Saturday. 

Ward is still shaking off the rust from a near two-year absence from the ring that began November 2013 and ended in June 2015.

In his two fights since coming back to the sport, he hasn't looked as dominant as he once did.

He stopped Paul Smith in June 2015 and won an easy unanimous decision over Sullivan Barrera in March, but most would agree he'll need to be better to beat Kovalev.

For Ward, that's what the fight against Brand is about: improvement. However, the fight likely means something much different to Brand.

He's looking to make a name for himself in the sport, and who better to do that against than Ward?

When: Saturday at 10:30 p.m. ET

Where: Oracle Arena in Oakland, California

TV: HBO

Live Stream: Box Nation (region-restricted)

Last Time Out

Ward Outclasses Barrera

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

While it wasn't a virtuoso performance from Ward, the former pound-for-pound contender did more than enough to prove his superiority over Barrera.

No judge had Barrera closer than eight points on the scorecards. Ward's speed was his biggest advantage, but he still looked a step slower, and his defensive reflexes weren't as razor-sharp as in the past.

Ward has work to do if he hopes to defeat Kovalev. Why did Ward pick Brand for his final tuneup?

He discusses it with Boxing EGO below:

Brand Edges Bektemirov

In December 2015, Brand earned a split-decision victory over Medzhid Bektemirov in Kissimmee, Florida.

Brand had a seven-point edge on two scorecards, but the third judge scored it for Bektemirov by one point. Regardless, Brand got the win and set himself up for the biggest opportunity of his career.

Does he really have a shot to beat Ward?

Prediction

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There's always a chance, but in this case, Brand doesn't have much of one.

Hamilton Nolan of HBO.com assessed this bout perfectly in his pre-fight piece:

"

Brand is a good enough puncher who can knock you out if you let him, which is unlikely in his next fight. He should be, in other words, completely dismantled by Ward. It is not necessary for Ward to win by knockout. But it is necessary for him to so thoroughly exploit every weakness in Brand's game as to demonstrate to him that he has no business being in the same ring with Ward, unless he retires and becomes a referee. Anything less will do nothing but whet Kovalev's appetite for blood.

"

The question heading into this fight isn't "can Ward win?" Rather, it is "can Ward win impressively enough for us and him to believe he's ready for Kovalev?"

Ward will defeat Brand easily, and he'll look as good as he has since his comeback. Brand looks smallish across the shoulders for the light heavyweight division and doesn't possess noteworthy speed.

In fact, he looks off balance much of the time, and his movements are herky-jerky. It may take a round or so for Ward to time him, but when he does, he should have no trouble finding the range.

Is that good enough to beat Kovalev? Well, we'll have to wait a little longer to get an answer to that question.