For the next 45 minutes, boxings future went at boxings present with a fury that quickly sapped Ward of any illusions that he could safely toy with this young savant. If I cannot give my family, my team, and the fans everything that I have, then I should no longer be fighting. Ward noted extreme pain in the sixth round of the fight as well as one week prior, though the initial X-ray came back clear. He might have excelled in other sports, but he chose boxing to concentrate on. [57][58][59] Smith missed weight, coming in at 176.4 lbs and was fined 20% ($45,000) of his $225,000 purse by the California State Athletic Commission, half of which went to Ward and half to the commission. Going into the first fight, there was a cadre picking Ward, not just to win, but to win with relative ease. Ward (26-0, 14 KOs), 28, of Oakland, Calif., was training for a Jan. 26 title defense against former middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik when he injured the shoulder in a November sparring session. They dont tell you that really its everyone else around you that changes. After a while they couldnt bet against him, so instead they criticized his style. I know, I know, we're all supposed to hate Andre Ward. [111] A natural left-handed fighter who boxes in an orthodox stance, Ward's best punches typically come from the lead left, including a sharp, piston-like jab, which he shoots to the body as well as the head. He very much has a misunderstood boxing style which is a combination of many styles into one. [27] Ward started out slow with Abraham, trying to find a way to penetrate his tight defense. Brand entered the fight as a 100-1 underdog. The Las Vegas Sun confirmed the bout will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. ESPN had it 118110 in favor of Ward. Or of UFC star Conor McGregor gloating essentially for the sake of gloating. Ward is not a brawler, despite all those knockouts. Statistically, I shouldnt have made it out.. Im not really sure what your agenda is, he said. Your email address will not be published. Not every round, but I thought I was doing very good. Miranda couldn't stay up with Ward's versatility around the ring. My wife sees it. Our Top Coaching Course. So I asked if God had ever asked him to do anything he didnt already want to do. He would then use his head to lean on the shoulders of his opponent to apply pressure but also so his chin was protected. Boxing is just a season, Ward said. One was the church he attends for Bible study, but the other was a surprise. Ward showed he had an inside game as well as an outside game. Gods told me plenty of times no. Im comin, Ward said under his breath, while doffing his shirt. This event marked Ward's first time fighting in Las Vegas, Nevada. But for Ward, the jab was a tool to use the opportunity to slip up on the inside on some opponents, much like the great Roberto Duran would do as well. Like Ward, hes undefeated, but he can also take an opponent out with a mere jab and has boxing skills which, believe it or not, might come close to matching his power. He would also use the jab to set himself up for other punches. Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, California, U.S. 30 Day Exchange. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. "[9], On September 12, 2009, at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California, Ward defeated Shelby Pudwill by TKO in the 3rd round. According to the NSAC, The T-Mobile Arena was put on hold for June 17, 2017, on HBO PPV. I remember Andre and his brother going to swimming pools in Carson City with Frank and there was nearly always a fistfight with Frank defending his children from the comments from white kids at the pool. As he would prefer to use waist movement. I can work with that.. Although Ward himself was a massive success in his career. I didnt feel like I had to. Ward dictated the fight however with a strong jab. Andre Ward H.O.F. Dawson was coming off a big win against future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins in April. Of course not. There was nobody out there like him.. We all have evidence of that from looking back. Frank Ward, the son of an alcoholic, never touched a drop. Three months before Ward had his first professional fight late in 2004, Jones invited him to Memphis, Tennessee, to attend his fight against Glen Johnson. No fighter today more skillfully solves boxings best crosswords in blood than Ward, who is 29-0 as a professional with 15 knockouts. As of January 2022, BoxRec ranks Ward as the twelfth greatest boxer of all time, pound for pound.[2]. It wouldve been nice to see Ward box a couple more years, but I have nothing but respect for all he achieved, in particular, his gold at Athens, coming out on top in a competitive super middleweight division and finishing off by defeating the much-feared Kovalev at the time. Super Middle Weight Andre Ward holds a media day workout at Warzone Boxing Club to promote his November 16 fight with Edwin Rodriguez on November 12, 2013 in Rancho Cucamonga, California. "I could never leave Oakland." On March 20, 2008, at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, Ward defeated Rubin Williams by seventh-round TKO. His African-American mother was rarely present, battling an addiction to crack cocaine and living on the streets of San Francisco for most of 20 years. In total he landed 178 of 444 total punches thrown (40%). Retained WBA (Super) super middleweight title. [12] Kessler's WBA super-middleweight championship was also at stake. Ward defeated Green by unanimous decision on June 19, 2010. Some have called him boring because he limits risk and calibrates the ideal distance to break down opponents while creating angles nobody else in boxing can create. [40][41], The fight was watched by an average 1.3 million viewers on HBO. But I cant say I agree with it.. The cut would force the referee to stop the fight. As I mentioned earlier he would keep his head usually off centre line to his right, but would also sometimes change the level he would throw the punch. Much like Joe Louis, he would do it while fencing with his jab, before unleashing his huge power shots. But now it is important to go into these individual aspects he used within his style throughout his career. Theres a rickety wooden deck built over a carpet of brick and as he climbed the lone step, the wood creaked under his sneakers. One day later, Frank Ward signed both his sons into the gym. For the most part, I grew up middle-class. Andre Ward vs. Arthur Abraham was a Super Middleweight championship fight for the WBA Middleweight championship. Ward, who fought his biggest name to date said, "This is kind of a bittersweet victory. But he went on to fight 119 times in all as an amateur and lost only four more bouts. WBA super middleweight title. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Abraham entered having lost two of his previous three bouts. He would touch with Dawson before instead quickly changing the route of attack by throwing a right to the body before going up top again. On November 19, Ward will challenge Sergey Kovalev . For example for the first knockdown. The American would always invest in these shots against the majority of the fighters he fought. But we made adjustments and got the win. [93][94] On April 10, Kathy Duva said that there would be no rematch clause in place for a third fight, meaning whoever would win, would not be obliged to fight another rematch. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Whats more, he doesnt fight nearly as much as he should (as least he hasnt until recently). [28], In the post fight interviews, Abraham said through a translator, "I started well, and I thought I did good the first three rounds He didn't hit me, and I was blocking a lot of his shots. Every single time. Wards brother, Jonathan, he confessed, never recovered from their fathers death. A devout Christian, he regularly visits places in his area such as schools, prisons, and youth facilities. In the super middleweight division, Ward competed in a highly competitive super six tournament where he won his first world title and also unified which was a massive statement at the time. His last professional fight was a light-heavyweight title defense bout against Russian boxer Sergey Kovalev on June 17, 2017. You can watch my video version or continue reading below:if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'myboxinglife_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_4',111,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-myboxinglife_com-medrectangle-4-0');https://youtu.be/MEFkGSCqfFIVideo cant be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Andre Ward Boxing Style A True Pugilist | Full Breakdown (https://youtu.be/MEFkGSCqfFI). But after years of struggle, his mother, Madeline Arvie Taylor, is clean now. But he paused after putting his key in the ignition. So I just began spiraling out of control in a way I know a lot of people never come back from.. But thats enough to walk away and be happy. [74], Ward fought the unified IBF, WBA (Super) and WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev at the T-Mobile Arena on November 19, 2016. He put my medal on. [70] In front of 8,653 hometown fans, Ward unanimously outpointed Brand to claim the vacant WBO International light heavyweight title. And then hed relapse. The house is empty and Ward cautiously walked around the side to the backyard. Andre Ward isn't interested in fighting Deontay Wilder or Anthony Joshua, but he'd consider a heavyweight fight against "the right opponent." . Im chasing greatness. Miranda said of Ward in the post fight, "I thought it was going to be easier, but it was tougher than I was expected. His little boys were sitting there close to me and they went crazy. The fight should have continued. Ward told me he grew up always thinking of his hulking father as Superman. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'myboxinglife_com-box-4','ezslot_3',112,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-myboxinglife_com-box-4-0'); When it comes to how Ward would fight. He attributes his self-described "formless" style to years of studying Roy Jones Jr., Bernard Hopkins, and Floyd Mayweather Jr.[112] Ward also makes effective use of the jab to the body while out of punching range. The name of the game is to not get hit, and he did that well. He had the tuxedo robe. Specializes in advanced food preparations, product execution (work flow), disseminating product information internally, participating in the design of all areas of the facility, supervising and . Ward would usually try to battle with his stronger left arm to throw uppercuts or hooks at this point. Ward faced Jerson Ravelo on June 20, 2008, in Georgetown, Cayman Islands, for the vacant regional NABO super-middleweight title. He dreads receiving another call like the one he received about his dad. This only enraged the boy further until he was working so hard to clip Wards grinning face that sweat poured down from his brow and stung his eyes. In three years I wont be able to do that with him again, he said. Ward originally claimed the belt in November 2009 with a victory over long-time champion Mikkel Kessler in his opening fight of the Super Six tournament. Kovalev is an absolute device of destruction in the ring. He would stay at the stance for too long. Hes not exciting, after all. Abraham didn't believe he had lost the fight with such wide scores. Naturally, this would help to condition opponents to lower their guard over time. I whispered in his ear, Im going to finish what we started. [90] On April 4, Roc Nation Sports and Main Events confirmed that terms were agreed for the rematch to take place on HBO PPV. Indeed, he looked less like a stereotypical boxer than an MTV heartthrob or an Abercrombie & Fitch model. Ward earned a purse of $850,000 compared to the small amount of $30,000 earned by Brand. In Defense Of Andre Ward Grown Up Ive boxed for over 20 years. Andre Ward, after an extended layoff, promotional issues and three pedestrian comeback fights, is finally ready to face an elite opponent again. As Wards parents descended into addiction, domestic violence, financial ruin, bouts of homelessness, and repeated stints in rehab, Hunter would become not only Wards trainer, but soon his godfather and temporary guardian. Our father came from Oklahoma and he was a racist. Connecting with his own punches, particularly the short left hook and uppercut, while clinching, weaving and smothering his opponent's punches is commonplace in Ward fights. Andre Ward, S.O.G. 2. Kovalev is a defining moment, Ward said softly. Gods not a genie. "[32][33][34], Ward won the vacant Ring and lineal super middleweight titles with his Super Six World Boxing Classic win against Froch, despite some independent sources rating then-undefeated IBF champion Lucian Bute at number one or two at the time. Taking vitamin D supplements appeared to ward off dementia in a new, large-scale study. I was different. After I won the heavyweight title [in 2003 against John Ruiz], I was just fighting just because. "It was a classic hometown decision. I didn't feel like I was getting knocked down with his punches --- I could have continued", Kovalev said. Theres a math equation very few people have solved. All three judges scored the fight lop-sided 120108 for Ward, who said post-fight of his win, "This means a lot to me. Ward still has a copy of the sign-up sheet. [91][92] Ward addressed the public by stating, "I'm going to keep it short and sweet. They granted him champion emeritus status. ("Son of God") was regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound champions in his era as a pro. The man from Oakland defeated the likes of champions Carl Froch, Mikkel Kessler, Chad Dawson, and Arthur Abraham in this division. I was always the kid in that window just wondering when my mom was coming, he said. Coming soon,\" wrote future Hall of Famer Andre Ward, who recently took to social media to post video from one of his master classes on boxing that he'll be teaching at the Everbody Fights Fight School. Daves father Kris, the owner of the boxing club, came over to greet Ward. The prevent defense can also be run in early-game situations. This full video can be found on my master class page (link in bio). The next day I got the call from my cousin saying my daddy was dead. Andre Ward saw some improvement in Efe Ajagba on Saturday night. What a loser. This isnt to say theyre bad men at heart. I loved the swag, the way he dressed, the country accent, what he said, the way he did it his way. Theres a strange metaphor at work as you pull a third U-turn, trying to distinguish one anonymous beige cluster of office buildings and warehouses from the others, all moated with nearly vacant parking lots. For the fight, Ward earned $1.85 million and Barrera earned a $450,000 purse. He would very much use his lead hand almost like he was fencing with it in three ways: For defence, he would use the jab as I mentioned as a way to create distance between himself and the opponent. [114] He reprised his role in Creed II, released on November 21, 2018. Dave pressed harder and a few light shots from Ward stamped the sweat into his eyes and produced tears. Ward remembered seeing his father retire to his room after work and transform himself into a glassy-eyed, entirely different person. A green-eyed, 85-pound 12-year-old named Dave Lopez was glaring from behind the ropes of an elevated ring at the center of the gym. Didnt I warn you? Andre Michael Ward (born February 23, 1984) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 2004 to 2017. A right hand from Ward had Kovalev in trouble, which was followed by several body shots, including a low blow. "[106][107] Also in the statement read, "As I walk away from the sport of boxing today, I leave at the top of your glorious mountain, which was always my vision and my dream. Over 12 rounds, Ward threw 289 jabs. [22] Instead, Ward successfully defended his WBA super middleweight title, unanimously outpointing another top 10 ranked super middleweight, Sakio Bika (28-4-2), in front of a sparse crowd at Oracle Arena on Saturday night. Required fields are marked *. Ward trains at Virgil Hunters Hayward, California, gym, next to the San Mateo Bridge. I'm finished. The injury was more severe than originally thought and led to the cancellation of the fight as well as the subsequent retirement of Pavlik. I want to end up in that category.. Andre Michael Ward (born February 23, 1984) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 2004 to 2017. I was numb. And the fact that Ward sticks to what he does best winning rather than gloating, speaks volumes. 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From Oklahoma and he was the longtime world champion as a Super Middleweight fight. Looked less like a stereotypical boxer than an MTV heartthrob or an Abercrombie & model... His punches -- - I could have continued '', Kovalev said wide... International light heavyweight title [ in 2003 against John Ruiz ], I doing! Transform himself into a glassy-eyed, entirely different person did that well WBA Middleweight championship of many styles one... The fighters he fought a brawler, despite all those knockouts this day is... Earned $ 1.85 million and Barrera earned a purse of $ 850,000 compared to the cancellation the! Ward vs. Arthur Abraham was a light-heavyweight title defense bout against Russian boxer Sergey Kovalev June... Be happy showed he had lost the fight was a cadre picking Ward, who is 29-0 as a Middleweight... Video can be found on my master class andre ward prevent defense ( link in bio.. Into the first fight, Ward said softly and a few light shots from Ward stamped sweat! Mateo Bridge close to me and they went crazy most dangerous divisions in the.! 2008, in Georgetown, Cayman Islands, for the most part, I know I... Big win against future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins in April people never back. Public by stating, `` I 'm going to finish what we started Abraham in this division stored in way... The ropes of an alcoholic, never recovered from their fathers death dave pressed harder a...
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