Has Andre Ward Got A Suspect Chin ?

[Tam Seddon]

Hope Froch gets another opportunity in the UK to fight ward, it will be a lot closer than the first fight and I'm certain after the Bute and Kessler performance that Froch will get off to a quicker start. Ward lost the later rounds against Froch so it's there for Froch to take if he can start fast.

I think if anybody can beat Ward it will be Froch.

[Beanflicker]

I haven't seen his early fights so you might be on to something!

I thought he took the few clean shots he got hit with well over the last few fights.

He's a great boxing talent and he's fought some dynamite punchers over the past few years, so maybe his punch resistance is better, or maybe (like prime Roy Jones) he's just really good at avoiding clean shots and rolling with punches.

I guess time will tell!

[ICB]

I haven't seen his early fights so you might be on to something!

I thought he took the few clean shots he got hit with well over the last few fights.

He's a great boxing talent and he's fought some dynamite punchers over the past few years, so maybe his punch resistance is better, or maybe (like prime Roy Jones) he's just really good at avoiding clean shots and rolling with punches.

I guess time will tell!

6:44 mark Ward gets rocked.

12:28 Ward goes down.

Let me know what you think.

[Beanflicker]

Hmmm... hard to say! My first instinct is to say ah well, it was 8 years ago and he was just a kid, he's filled out more and probably has a much better punch tolerance. But people did say the same thing about Amir Khan, how once he got bigger and filled out his chin wasn't a problem anymore (turned out it still was).

Its strange to see Ward get hit so flush coming in like that, he doesn't really get hit with that quality of punch anymore... but if he does? I guess we'll have to wait and see!

[El Kabong]

He got the hell rocked out of him by Edison Miranda too if memory serves me correctly. I think he's got an average chin but has covered it up with his style and his confidence.

[J_Undisputed]

As people said, he tried to emulate roy jones in the beginning and got clipped. He didnt have the speed /reflexes for the wide open style and found out the hard way. Since then he tries to get off first and keep his punches straight, follow through and fall into his opponents (sometimes with heads or shoulders) , tie up and then do his work on the inside where the leverage is taken off a lot of the punches and then bang his way out so his opponents are covering up when he leaves or having the ref separate the fighters makes for a safe exit. Good lateral movement and a willingness to throw while ward is stepping out will do wonders for an opponent.

[Master]

Ward did try and fight like Roy Jones but I think he found he could not continue to fight like him against better opponents and he changed the way he boxed more to the style of Hopkins. I think his chin is OK and not suspect to the degree of Khan or Audley.

[Rantcatrat]

He got the hell rocked out of him by Edison Miranda too if memory serves me correctly. I think he's got an average chin but has covered it up with his style and his confidence.

This is spot on.

[Rantcatrat]

Ward knocked out Dawson in the last third of the fight so I'm not about his failure to end fights strong.

Ward has held a lot in the past, but he didn't excessively hold in his most recent fight, his fight with Dawson.

Also, to the first point, with his fight with Kessler, Kessler was stopped on a cut in the end of the fight.

Sometimes guys have another boxer's number. Styles make fights. Ward has Froch's number. It's not that big of a deal. I would prefer to see Froch face Hopkins or Kessler in a rubber match.

I think Kessler and Froch just happen to make great fights. I saw both fights close. In their second fight, I saw Froch with a better start and more consistent use of his jab, but Kessler had the better singular power punches. I think a third fight would be another terrific one.

With Hopkins, it would be another way to compare Froch's career with Calzaghe's.

[ross]

Ward knocked out Dawson in the last third of the fight so I'm not about his failure to end fights strong.

Ward has held a lot in the past, but he didn't excessively hold in his most recent fight, his fight with Dawson.

Also, to the first point, with his fight with Kessler, Kessler was stopped on a cut in the end of the fight.

Sometimes guys have another boxer's number. Styles make fights. Ward has Froch's number. It's not that big of a deal. I would prefer to see Froch face Hopkins or Kessler in a rubber match.

I think Kessler and Froch just happen to make great fights. I saw both fights close. In their second fight, I saw Froch with a better start and more consistent use of his jab, but Kessler had the better singular power punches. I think a third fight would be another terrific one.

With Hopkins, it would be another way to compare Froch's career with Calzaghe's.

Dawson basically fell over frm exhaustion, that happens when you have to lose an extra 7 lbs....

He didnt feel like he had to hold Dawson as Dawson had no strength. People see what they want when they are a fan of a fighter but Wards win over Dawson is no more impressive than Frochs over Mack. It was a watse of a fight.

[Beanflicker]

I don't think it was a waste. He fought a very capable guy and beat the shit out of him worse than anyone did (until Stevenson of course).

But yeah I agree that the weight cutting definitely hurt Dawson's performance.

[Silkeyjoe]

Ward knocked out Dawson in the last third of the fight so I'm not about his failure to end fights strong.

Ward has held a lot in the past, but he didn't excessively hold in his most recent fight, his fight with Dawson.

Also, to the first point, with his fight with Kessler, Kessler was stopped on a cut in the end of the fight.

Sometimes guys have another boxer's number. Styles make fights. Ward has Froch's number. It's not that big of a deal. I would prefer to see Froch face Hopkins or Kessler in a rubber match.

I think Kessler and Froch just happen to make great fights. I saw both fights close. In their second fight, I saw Froch with a better start and more consistent use of his jab, but Kessler had the better singular power punches. I think a third fight would be another terrific one.

With Hopkins, it would be another way to compare Froch's career with Calzaghe's.

Dawson basically fell over frm exhaustion, that happens when you have to lose an extra 7 lbs....

He didnt feel like he had to hold Dawson as Dawson had no strength. People see what they want when they are a fan of a fighter but Wards win over Dawson is no more impressive than Frochs over Mack. It was a watse of a fight.

|Wtf? Are you joking? Are you seriously comparing Yusaf Mack to Chad Dawson. Fucking Brits eh?

[Silkeyjoe]

Hope Froch gets another opportunity in the UK to fight ward, it will be a lot closer than the first fight and I'm certain after the Bute and Kessler performance that Froch will get off to a quicker start. Ward lost the later rounds against Froch so it's there for Froch to take if he can start fast.

I think if anybody can beat Ward it will be Froch.

Didn't Ward break his hand in the Froch fight? Would explain losing the later rounds

[erics44]

Hope Froch gets another opportunity in the UK to fight ward, it will be a lot closer than the first fight and I'm certain after the Bute and Kessler performance that Froch will get off to a quicker start. Ward lost the later rounds against Froch so it's there for Froch to take if he can start fast.

I think if anybody can beat Ward it will be Froch.

Didn't Ward break his hand in the Froch fight? Would explain losing the later rounds

Froch has won the later rounds in every single fight he has had, if scoring started at 9 then froch would be undefeated and very very hard to beat

if you look at wards last 4 in a selection of wards fights including froch and Bika it looks more like he is not as affective as fight wares on

I'm not saying this means froch will beat ward i am just saying the likelyhood is that if the fight gets on to 9+ rounds froch will finish stronger than ward whenever they fight

and i dont buy the injury having that much affect on the fight, it was too typical of both fighters history for there to be any evidence that it mattered

Ward just needs the headlines

[ross]

I also feel Froch has as good a chance as any ato beat Ward.

He looked like shit in their first fight because he still had delusions of being a good elusive boxer when all he needed to do was just work consistantly not trying to load up on silly hooks and upercuts like Hamed used to.

If he could go in to a rematch with the mentality to work, dont wait for Ward, dictate the pace and dont let Ward hold. Ward will tire as he always does and then as you said, he has to hope he has enough left in the last 3rd to really put it on Ward. Against a tough strong fighter like Kessler or Bika that isnt going to happen because they will still be there throwing with you to the death, whereas Ward will be vulnerable.

Its all ifs and buts but if kessler had started to work more in the 3rd their fight would have been a draw and depending on whos interpereting the rounds that were close, it could have gone to Kessler. In my eyes, Froch still hasnt proven hes the better man. One win a piece but he does have that strength and stamina to always give Ward problems late in a fight.