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He says that he feels strong at the new weight and is focusing on Barrera
Andre Ward feels stronger at 175, plans another fight before Kovalev | World Boxing News
Andre Ward: Without victory over Sullivan Barrera, there is no Sergey Kovalev fight - | Boxing News - boxing news, results, rankings, schedules since 1909
He hasn't fought his first fight at 175 yet. As I Predicted , at this rate , IF he ever fights Kovalev, it'll be around 2019!!!!
Ward is the kind of fighter that won't really lose much going up in weight. Power is the big thing you lose which he wasn't known for anyways. If he can fit another fight between now and November to prepare for kovalev then great but I doubt that will happen.
The good thing is Ward can't wait for Kovalev to get old, 'cause they're both the same age.
Pretty sure the plan was always for andre ward to have 2 fights before kovalev, he is just taking ages to do it since he pulled out last year, hopefully he gets on with it and we see what he can do.
Ward should be a megastar by now. I thought would have picked up where Floyd left off. He may be the best out there right now, but in terms of popularity and interest, he's not even in the top 10
If Ward had been an exciting and active fighter until now, and was just hemming and hawing before taking on Kovalev, I'd be more tempted to give a shit about the man. But seeing as to how that's not the case at all, he's non-existent to me.
As of right now Ward has timed himself out. His what ifs, I might's and remember when's are outlasting anything he is actually doing in the ring. He needs Kovalev, not the other way around. Shut up and fight.
Sounds fairly vague and I agree he needs to shut up and try to impress in the fight he does have signed. Saying that, I always thought Barrera was a good opponent, so Ward does have an opportunity to do that and make the Kovalev fight even more appealing than it is.
I'd tack on at least another 3 months to the wait time --allowance for his next injury. Hope its at least a better explanation this time than .. his knee was inexplicably swollen. If you're making that kind of bank and are are that much of a commodity to the boxing game where you can resume being top 3 after hardly fighting for years. You'd think there would be an expert on call who could diagnose these things and refer a specialist that can administer a surefire proven treatment.
Ward is not ready for Kov and will get beat. It will be an interesting fight but the longer ward puts it off the longer he remains undefeated.
Ward is such a waste man they guy last fight worth a shit was in 2012 against a drain Dawson who was done as top fighter. Reason being fucking got his ass kicked by Pascal and Stevenson the guy who avoids the Kovalev like the plague. Put it this way Ward started in 2004 and Kovalev 2009 and the they have about the same amount of title defense. Ward was going to be the next Hopkins but instead his career has been put on hold since 2012 has fought no body worth a shit. Like he had such a great start and just all went to shit i forgot he was even a fighter for a few years.
Leonard used the same logic when he waited out Hagler. It wasn’t fights but instead it was years.
Ward has used both.
Perhaps Ward is the kind of athlete that will be unaffected by his time off and his speed, timing, movement etc will be the same as it was in the Super cough 6. Let’s hope so because he's obviously looking past Barrera with avoid Kov plans. People could be in for a little shock here. Barrera is no dehydrated Chad Dawson. Ward has not had a threat of any kind in front of him in 5 years.
Ward has never waited for anyone to get old..you must be confused with pacman or calzaghe.Quote:
Originally Posted by TitoFan
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Originally Posted by impWard has never waited for anyone to get old..you must be confused with pacman or calzaghe.Quote:
Originally Posted by TitoFan
Ward had never waited for anyone to get old, because he's just not that busy. Check that. He just DOESN'T FIGHT. Presidents come and go in between Ward fights. He's irrelevant. His fans live off memories of his fights in blurry black and white film. He's self-proclaimed SOG. So maybe he's off answering a higher calling.
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Originally Posted by TitoFan
lmao
Like I've said before, Ward takes the "safety first" Mayweather mentality to a whole different level.
Btw did I see him in a new Rocky movie ad? Not sure the role he has but I bet he's a guy that might fight the main guy in the next movie. You know, just to leave everybody hanging and wanting more. He wont even fight fake fights. Tony Bellow is the only real fighter in the movie.
Ps-I wonder what ate betting odds are on the fight? Gotta be 3/1 Ward even with the hibernation. I've never bet real cash on a fight but throwing 50 bucks on Barrera is pretty tempting
I'm gonna call my prediction!!! i'm going for Andre Ward by decision. I feel that everyone was thinking only remembers Ward at 168 as a champion, people don't remember that WARD HAS A GOLD MEDAL @ 175.
He's most certainly expected to win but where people fight in the amateurs is really not that much at play here. They are like two different sports. And let’s not forget that Ward was talking about going to 175 a day after the S6 ended and that’s because there were no opponents left at 68. But alas a phantom issue came up right about the time when Stevenson and Kovalev burst out. He failed at every juncture is his bogus claims against Goossen and in the meantime provided himself the avenue out of getting in the mix at 175. Oh I'm sure its all just coincidence. Now it appears he is using his self-imposed 5 year exile as a reason to stall a Kovalev fight even further by saying he may fight another after Barrera? No doubt to shake off that 5 year rust of his own making.Quote:
Originally Posted by terrorsid
You've got to be exciting either in the ring or outside of the ring if you want to be a big star. Just winning doesn't do it if you're boring crowds and TV audiences to death. He's going to be even less exciting at a higher weight. I'm just hoping either this guy or Kovalev sparks him and we can treat him with the indifference he deserves.
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Originally Posted by IamInuitHe's most certainly expected to win but where people fight in the amateurs is really not that much at play here. They are like two different sports. And let’s not forget that Ward was talking about going to 175 a day after the S6 ended and that’s because there were no opponents left at 68. But alas a phantom issue came up right about the time when Stevenson and Kovalev burst out. He failed at every juncture is his bogus claims against Goossen and in the meantime provided himself the avenue out of getting in the mix at 175. Oh I'm sure its all just coincidence. Now it appears he is using his self-imposed 5 year exile as a reason to stall a Kovalev fight even further by saying he may fight another after Barrera? No doubt to shake off that 5 year rust of his own making.Quote:
Originally Posted by terrorsid
I think that Ward still has it, and he does have intentions on fighting Kovalev. Ward has had issues getting big fights but it happens to some people. Until Ward actually loses the only thing people can do is take away credit for what he has done aSnd find reasons to convince themselves that he's gonna loses cause of this and cause of that. People just don't care to see any talent coming from Ward so unless he beats everyone like Barrera Kovalev Stevenson Fonfara the Cruiser weight then Heavyweight then he might get some credit. Another thing that I was a bit confused about was the GGG situation, how was the outcome in that fight in your opinion??? I look at Canelo vs GGG talk about how he isn't gonna fight Canelo @155 and says its for the middle weight title at 160. Also GGG was willing to go down to 147 to fight Floyd and also willing to go up to fight Chavez Jr @168 but wouldn't fight Ward at 168 GGG wanted it at 164. Ward tried to make that super fight and GGG turned it down, was that Wards fault? Ward is fighting at 175 because he was forced up in weight to get a big fight and has a Contract to fight Kovalev soon and he still gets no credit. Just say FUCK WARD instead of making up reasons you think he'll lose.
Ward has been inactive. Fact. Less talking and more boxing is what is required. When would Ward have fought Triple G with all his court appearances?
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Originally Posted by terrorsidQuote:
Originally Posted by IamInuitHe's most certainly expected to win but where people fight in the amateurs is really not that much at play here. They are like two different sports. And let’s not forget that Ward was talking about going to 175 a day after the S6 ended and that’s because there were no opponents left at 68. But alas a phantom issue came up right about the time when Stevenson and Kovalev burst out. He failed at every juncture is his bogus claims against Goossen and in the meantime provided himself the avenue out of getting in the mix at 175. Oh I'm sure its all just coincidence. Now it appears he is using his self-imposed 5 year exile as a reason to stall a Kovalev fight even further by saying he may fight another after Barrera? No doubt to shake off that 5 year rust of his own making.Quote:
Originally Posted by terrorsid
I think that Ward still has it, and he does have intentions on fighting Kovalev. Ward has had issues getting big fights but it happens to some people. Until Ward actually loses the only thing people can do is take away credit for what he has done aSnd find reasons to convince themselves that he's gonna loses cause of this and cause of that. People just don't care to see any talent coming from Ward so unless he beats everyone like Barrera Kovalev Stevenson Fonfara the Cruiser weight then Heavyweight then he might get some credit. Another thing that I was a bit confused about was the GGG situation, how was the outcome in that fight in your opinion??? I look at Canelo vs GGG talk about how he isn't gonna fight Canelo @155 and says its for the middle weight title at 160. Also GGG was willing to go down to 147 to fight Floyd and also willing to go up to fight Chavez Jr @168 but wouldn't fight Ward at 168 GGG wanted it at 164. Ward tried to make that super fight and GGG turned it down, was that Wards fault? Ward is fighting at 175 because he was forced up in weight to get a big fight and has a Contract to fight Kovalev soon and he still gets no credit. Just say FUCK WARD instead of making up reasons you think he'll lose.
That’s quite a mix you got going on there. Some martyrdom, some denial, some revision and the twisting of the facts. Its a little comical because Wards super fans approach the situation using the same pretzel logic as Ward does. Not only do some of you not acknowledge the FACTS but you then attempt to change them and bring them up ass backward to satisfy a desired conclusion rather then the real one.
Its fine that you think Ward still has it. Perhaps he does. He was definitely the most talented fighter to come along since Floyd 6 years ago prior to his sit in. When you say Ward had issues getting big fights you need to explain yourself because that’s not true. He never tried to make any and only beeked off from the retirement stool when people started forgetting who he was.. He quite literally ran out of opponents at 168 after the S6. Even in that tourney it was shallow waters and they had to import middleweights with some name rec. There was nobody left to fight. It was at that point when he talked about moving to 175. Low and behold Chad Dawson mouths off about going down to 168 and Ward calls him on it. What happened to Ward going to 175? Why didn’t he agree to a catch at the very least and go for 175 right then? Instead, he made a decade long 175 champion melt down to 168 who performed and looked about the same as Oscar did when he melted down to meet Manny after a decade. A dead man walking.
This nonsense that people just don’t want the guy to succeed is a straw grab. The dude has to fight before people can do that…...PERIOD! What part of having not done dick in 6 years do you not understand? You super fans are just like he is with these juvenile attempts to first deny the facts and then blame the messenger for re delivering them. What pisses those like me off is that he has/had a special kind of talent and just decided to let it waste away over ding dong law suits that he knew were ridiculous. The only conclusion one can reach after that fiasco and given the facts is that he didn’t want to fight. Now if you can disprove anything I've said thus far then do so, don’t just make shit up. My beef with Ward is that he's robbed me as a fan. It purly selfish reasons because that kind of talent comes around once maybe twice in a generation. Imagine if Robinson or Armstrong sat out?
Now to the second paragraph. Why is the GGG thing confusing? Ward was retired and yapping from the shadows. Why was he calling out middleweights instead of moving up to 175 like he said he would years before? Why was he willing to go to 160 for Floyd but not for the champion? Why was it ok for Chad but not him? Golovkin has never said he'd fight at 155.against Alvarez Produce the story. He's stepped aside twice now so that fake can defend his fake title and is on record of saying its at 160 or paper weight can vacate or be stripped. He also never said he'd go to 147 to fight Floyd. He said he'd go to 154. I guess he was thinking along the same lines as Ward when he offered Floyd 160. And please take the Chavez fight into context. Golovkin cant get a fight and wants a super fight. Chavez Jr for whatever the reason is a huge draw so at the end of his rope Golovkin offered him 7 million for a fight and Jr turned it down. This is about Ward not the Kazak and besides, Golovkin has been decimating the field while Wards been on strike.
Nobody forced Ward to 175 but himself. He's tried to sit out the division now for years . This victim card gets tiresome after awhile. He's screwed his own career by himself and now he's out of time and is also looking past Barrera and considering another warm up hoping Kovalev implodes. Are you going to be telling us 2 years from now that he intends to fight Kovalev and enough with the woe is me routine. He's got a three fight deal with HBO that ends with the Kovalev fight after Barrera so why is he talking another warm up? And quit making childish comments about people not giving him credit because again he has not done anything in almost 6 years to receive any. And whats with this “making up reasons you think he will lose” garbage instead of saying “FUCK WARD”? When all else has failed just grab the little red wagon and go home. Ignoring the truth ot attempting to change the subject might work in a grade 9 social studies class but this isn’t one of them.
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Originally Posted by Kirkland Laing
Do we have to wait until he's sparked to treat him with indifference?
Ward will win against Barrera and then on to the next one. Get ready people!!!!!
Lately I think of Ward as a well rooted houseplant. I know one month..year..it should be something glorious, I just don't want to watch it doing nothing every single day. Barrera is a down the middle threat but new, its a good full 175 match for Ward. I think he gets off the canvas to stop Barrera
As someone who cares less and less about a fighters personality, or how often they choose to box, I'm just looking forward to what I see as an interesting fight. Everyone always moans about how unfair boxing is, and how ungrateful it's fans are, but when a fighter tries to negate those things to the fullest it seems to create the most contempt for them. Andre Ward can make very good money to box, and he has some other career options. I don't care about him one way or another, or particularly enjoy his style, but I can't knock him for not wanting to fight often when he doesn't have to, I wouldn't either.
I already do but lots of people don't. I'll be watching this weekend but only because my nice weekend away fell through. I'd looked at the schedule and thought Ward fight, bollocks to that. Now I'm hoping he proves me wrong and is actually worth watching.Quote:
Originally Posted by TitoFanQuote:
Originally Posted by Kirkland Laing
Do we have to wait until he's sparked to treat him with indifference?
Ended just as I thought!!!! Next
He couldn't because GGG thought he wasn't a big enough star to fight Ward.(yes, the guy that thought he wasn't a star turned down the star FFS that is madness)Oh wait, he's focused on cleaning out 160 now because we know in 2011 he wasn't focusing on that when he was going to go up to 168 to fight Steiglitz. Oh wait, he's going to go up to 168 for Chavez Jr. Oh, no, he's focused on cleaning out 160. Oh no, he'll go up for Froch. Focused on cleaning out 160. Too big a star for Ward.(yes, he said he wasn't big enough then he was too big haha)Okay, he'll fight Ward if Ward cuts 8 lbs and takes a pay cut.(yes GGG wanted his money and a chunk of Wards money, a sizable chunk at this point it would be more honorable to say "I want no part of that fight")Quote:
Originally Posted by Master
Yes, all these different ever changing excuses came out of one camps mouth. But he's the good guy to fans. Thus proving that facts are absolutely irrelevant in boxing. Because Ward wasn't fighting he's the bad guy, just ignore all the reasons above.
It's such crap, I actually hate Ward but someone has to remind people of the facts.
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Originally Posted by Ron SwansonHe couldn't because GGG thought he wasn't a big enough star to fight Ward.(yes, the guy that thought he wasn't a star turned down the star FFS that is madness)Oh wait, he's focused on cleaning out 160 now because we know in 2011 he wasn't focusing on that when he was going to go up to 168 to fight Steiglitz. Oh wait, he's going to go up to 168 for Chavez Jr. Oh, no, he's focused on cleaning out 160. Oh no, he'll go up for Froch. Focused on cleaning out 160. Too big a star for Ward.(yes, he said he wasn't big enough then he was too big haha)Okay, he'll fight Ward if Ward cuts 8 lbs and takes a pay cut.(yes GGG wanted his money and a chunk of Wards money, a sizable chunk at this point it would be more honorable to say "I want no part of that fight")Quote:
Originally Posted by Master
Yes, all these different ever changing excuses came out of one camps mouth. But he's the good guy to fans. Thus proving that facts are absolutely irrelevant in boxing. Because Ward wasn't fighting he's the bad guy, just ignore all the reasons above.
It's such crap, I actually hate Ward but someone has to remind people of the facts.
Hard to follow all that, much less look for supporting evidence on all of the above. But the simple fact remains that GGG is light-years more active than Ward. Fans like to watch fights... not sit around and watch the grass grow while the years continue going by. It's what reduces us to useless speculations like "prime X vs. prime Y" because inactive fighters give us nothing else to do. Hooray for Ward for doing what was expected of him versus a much slower fighter. In five years, when we get to watch Ward's next fight... hopefully we'll be treated to a more competitive spectacle. And maybe he and Kovalev will meet in our lifetimes.
I thought he would stop Barrera late but looked to settle and time it out late. Headbutt...check. Low blows...check. Late shot...check. Yep Wards back ;D. Ward ate more than a few stiff jabs and showed some damage, but in fairness he didn't make the "rust" excuse and Barrera was a sturdy strong type going in all things considered. Ward got in some good work but needs more before he pulls into Kovalevs yard.
Not convinced at all that hbo and /or Ward are totally serious about Kovalev though. Why not push the match..sell it or even get Kovalev involved in pre or post fight on camera. They didn't even show him afterwards??? Just odd if you're pushing for a 'super fight'
It was a decent fight. Ward looked a little rusty but still good. I 100% agree that he needs one more fight before kovalev. Kovalev is a very good fighter and Ward has to be at 100% to win. Before his layoff, I am pretty confident that Ward wins. Now, I'm picking kovalev.
I think they will push it more when ward and kovalev fight next, they certainly seemed more interested in pushing for ward to have another fight before kovalev (especially roy jones). It's always funny listening to the hbo guys, they know their stuff but every so often they cleary have an agenda they are trying push.Quote:
Originally Posted by Spicoli
To be fair it makes a lot more sense to have them both have another fight before taking each other in a ppv. I think ward definently needs another one to get his max sharpness back and really he has lost a lot of his star power over the last couple of years, if he can get in against a competent but over matched guy he can look great and that would really hype up a kovalev ward match, I just don't think the general public(who are needed to waste money on ppvs) are really into wardvKov right now...
A shame Andre will step up to krusher before Stevenson.
I actually thought that it would be funny if Ward and Stevenson fought before the kovalev fight.Quote:
Originally Posted by SlimTrae
Ha Stevenson vs Kovalev would be awesome 2 power houses
The shame was that he didn't get to fight GGG before leaving 168. Now we will never see that fight.Quote:
Originally Posted by SlimTrae
But a Ward/Kovalev fight is good too.