Boxing

Raymond Ford Not Impressed By Abraham Nova's Press Conference Antics

The beef between the two was the only real fireworks in the final press conference before Saturday Showdown
Joseph Hammond|
Press Conference for Ituama vs. Whyte. was mild save for the war of words between Raymond Ford and Abraham Nova.
Press Conference for Ituama vs. Whyte. was mild save for the war of words between Raymond Ford and Abraham Nova. | Joseph Hammond

Raymond Ford was having none of Abraham Nova’s antics ahead of their scheduled fight this weekend.

Abraham Nova (24-3-1, 17 KOs) showed up to the press conference with a significant costumed mascot representation of himself. The mascot happily shadowboxed any attendees of the final press conference at the Arena in Saudi Arabia.

Ford (17-1-1, 8 KOs) was not having any of it as Nova predicted a stoppage victory for himself.

“You’re not confident, you’re here to get paid,” Raymond Ford said in reply.

Nova is a late replacement for Anthony Cacace, who bowed out last month. Raymond Ford is dialed in for this 130-pound fight and is a potential star in his new division. Nova has not fought since November 2024, while Raymond Ford was last in the ring in April 2025.

Ford was outworked by Nick Ball last year in a WBA world featherweight title fight, the only loss of his career. Ball will also appear on the Riyadh card.

No matter what happens to Abraham Nova in the fight, his mascot was likely thrilled the press conference took place inside the cavernous and air-conditioned Kingdom Arena rather than outside, where daytime temperatures reach 105 °F — though they had dropped to around 90 °F during the evening press conference.

A Mild Press Conference

The back-and-forth between the resurgent Ford and Nova was the only real tense moment of the press conference. Filip Hrgović seemed almost bored with David Adeleye, his opponent whom he dismissed as a “walk in the park.”

Similarly, Dillian Whyte is at his best when he is defiant and disrespecting his opponent with trash talk that is hard-edged to say the least.

Here is one example for those unfamilar with Whyte's usual approach. Whyte was once tipped as a possible opponent for former Heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz and didn't hesitate to offer some harsh trash talk saying at the time:

“Andy Ruiz is glad that he doesn’t have to fight me. He’s glad the only battle he’s got now is just with diabetes. I’m not on him anymore; he’s glad. Diabetes he can overcome, but he can’t overcome me.”

Gone was that fire, and Whyte and Itauma seemed almost chummy at the press conference, exchanging smiles and taps on the back. Whyte was really into the music and seemed relaxed.

The Raymond Ford vs. Abraham Nova fight is one of the chief bouts in support to the main event, a crossroads fight between Moses Itauma and Dillian Whyte.

The action from the anb Arena in Riyadh will be broadcast on DAZN.

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Published
Joseph Hammond
JOSEPH HAMMOND

Joseph Hammond is a veteran sports journalist with extensive experience covering world championship fights across three continents. He has interviewed legendary champions such as Julio César Chávez, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Gennady Golovkin, Oscar De La Hoya, and Bernard Hopkins, among many others. He reported ringside for KO On SI in 2024 for the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk bout in Riyadh - the first undisputed heavyweight championship in 24 years.

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