The moment
Abraham Nova hears
Raymond Ford’s voice, he can’t help but laugh.
Ford is one of the best trash-talkers in the sport and promises to give Nova a beating in their 10-round
junior lightweight bout on the
Moses Itauma-Dillian Whyte card Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on
DAZN PPV.
Not only does Nova not believe him, but he also isn’t sure Ford will give him any issues.
“I will find out Saturday night if he is the toughest challenge,” Nova told Not Just Boxing on its YouTube channel. “I can’t say he is. He could be the easiest challenge.”
Initially, Nova (24-3-1, 17 KOs) wasn’t supposed to be on the receiving end of Ford’s threats. Anthony Cacace was in his position originally, but was
forced to pull out with a back injury about five weeks ago.
The timing wasn’t ideal, but from a financial and opportunistic standpoint, Nova couldn’t say no.
The last few years haven’t been smooth for the 31-year-old Puerto Rican. He’s 1-2-1 in his last four fights. However, he has experience against top-tier junior lightweights.
Ford, of course, believes he’s one of the best out there. Since losing his WBA 126-pound title and moving up in weight, he's looked sharp, beating both Orlando Gonzalez and Thomas Mattice.
With his confidence sky-high, Ford (17-1-1, 8 KOs) has a feeling that a title shot will fall at his feet if he takes Nova out. He’s also convinced that none of Nova's opponents has his sort of skill set.
That’s where things become funny for Nova. Although he isn’t calling Ford a tenuous opponent, he isn’t convinced that he’ll be anything special.
“I’ve been in there with some high elite fighters, as in O’Shaquie Foster and Andres Cortes," Nova said. "So I wouldn’t say he’s the toughest, but we’ll find out come fight night.”