By Michael Wagaman

OAKLAND, Calif. -- It's seems a foregone conclusion that Andre Ward will get his long-anticipated shot at unified light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev later this year.

That's been the buzz ever since Ward made the decision to abandon his WBA super middleweight crown and make the jump to the 175-pound division. Fans and writers have been talking about it online and in private circles for months.

About the only person not willing to talk about it is Ward, who has tried to insulate himself from the rumors while training for his upcoming fight with No. 1 contender Sullivan Barrera.

The former Olympic gold medalist is emphatic when he says he can't even begin to think about Kovalev - at least not until after Saturday's fight with Barrera.

"It's like being in the NBA playoffs and being in the first round and saying, 'Boy, those Finals look good,'" Ward said. "You can't do it. You know it's there, you know it's looming but you can't. I hear the chatter but I'm realistic. I know there's no step two without this first step."

The fight with undefeated Barrera (17-0, 12 knockouts) represents a milestone moment for Ward (28-0, 15 Kos).

The 30-year-old was originally scheduled to make his light heavyweight debut in November before an injury to his right knee forced Ward to pull out of a scheduled bout with Alexander Brand.

It was another in a series of setbacks for Ward, who has been stymied by a lack of in-ring work for much of his career. Saturday's fight against Barrera is just the fourth bout in more than four years for the Northern California native.

Much of that inactivity stemmed from a contract dispute with Ward's former promoter Dan Goossen and made many doubt whether Ward would ever reach his full potential.

A win against the Cuban-born Barrera - the IBF's No. 1-ranked contender - would quiet some of the critics and set the stage for the title bout with Kovalev.

Still, Ward insists he's not looking that far ahead.

"I'm in a new weight class and I have to prove myself all over again," he said. "The reality is there is no Kovalev. I don't deserve a shot at the title without coming out and performing Saturday night."

Ward's long-time trainer and mentor Virgil Hunter said that's been the focus of Ward's camp all along.

"If you can't get by number one then why look any further?" Hunter said. "He's been programmed since he was a kid to take one fight at a time. You just take the fight that's ahead of you. That's why he's been successful."

Kovalev is clearly enticed by the prospect of facing Ward. He will be in attendance for Saturday's fight and will hold a sit-down luncheon with the media beforehand.

While many people expect to see the Ward-Kovalev bout, a victory by Barrera could jumble things up.

Barrera, 34, is coming off three wins in 2015 including knockouts of former super middleweight champ Jeff Lacy and light heavyweight contender Karo Murat.

Beating Ward would put Barrera in line for the title shot at Kovalev even though Ward has a clause for a rematch with the Cuban should he lose.

Barrera said he's miffed and motivated by the Ward-Kovalev talk and has predicted a ninth-round knockout for Saturday.

"This is a great opportunity to show who I am by taking a fight like this," Barrera said through an interpreter. "The fact that they've gone past me . that just motivates me even more. I want to show that I'm a guy to be reckoned with."