Requirements for a fight with Andre Ward

[Freedom]

Lol yes yes Joe was never afraid to leave the UK and fight the very best in their prime on their turf....

Joe fought contenders many times outside Wales, even though unlike Ward he was immensely popular and attracted huge crowds in his home country.

Calzaghe fought in the USA, Denmark and Germany. Ward has never fought a single contender outside his home country.

[Master]

Ward will come to the UK and beat Froch if they paid him enough.

[Bo-Bo24]

Ward will come to the UK and beat Froch if they paid him enough.

I'd love him to come over here and beat Froch, its a fight that would definately sell out a football stadium in England. Thing is Froch could make just as much money fighting people he can actually beat so I don't see them paying Ward too much.

[Master]

Ward will come to the UK and beat Froch if they paid him enough.

I'd love him to come over here and beat Froch, its a fight that would definately sell out a football stadium in England. Thing is Froch could make just as much money fighting people he can actually beat so I don't see them paying Ward too much.

Agreed but eventually he will have to fight him to avenge his defeat.

[Freedom]

Since Ward fought at 175 in the amateurs, there can only be one reason he insisted Dawson fight him at 168: he wanted Chad to be weight-drained.

That was unsportsmanlike, and very selfish for someone who calls himself the "Son of God".

[jehoshaphat]

Since Ward fought at 175 in the amateurs, there can only be one reason he insisted Dawson fight him at 168: he wanted Chad to be weight-drained.

That was unsportsmanlike, and very selfish for someone who calls himself the "Son of God".

Actually in the amateurs light heavyweight is 178. But Ward wasn't a real light heavy. He fought at and was the #1 ranked 165er but he moved up to 178 because he wanted his cousin to make the Olympic team with him. Ward weighed in at 170-172 for light heavy in the amateurs and was actually a smaller 165er. One of our guys fought him at the US Challenge and he weighed in at 164 for a 165 tourney and then the next tournament we saw him at light heavy weighing in at 171 with socks and boxers on.
But with the Dawson fight he is not wrong because Dawson called Ward out and also said he could and would make 168. Dawson is even here stating that the weight cut is nothing and that he is only 178 with 5 weeks to go. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HSMTn8WfL0 After watching the fight I believe Dawson underestimated the cut and was indeed drained but he brought that situation to himself. Golovkin said he would go down to 154 for Mayweather, Ward and Hopkins both said they would go to 160 for Mayweather. If they underestimate the weight cut and are drained then you blame them not Mayweather. Though I doubt any of those fights will ever happen. But the other points of the original post such as Ward fighting outside of home is hard to ignore. At some point he has to give up home advantage. As far as the additional PED testing I think he should at least pick an agency of his own preference and join in with the other guys doing this. Its the only way boxing will get cleaner. Boxing bodies never try to correct boxing so the fighters have to take it in their own hands.

[imp]

Ward has a great resume regardless of where he has fought.

Who do you want ward to fight?
Who do you think ward is now ducking?

He has just had major surgery on his shoulder and has been out of action for ages.

What Master said made sense.
Pay Ward enough money and he will fight in uk.

[imp]

Could be an escape clause.

The fact still remains no one has beaten ward or even come close in a long time.

I like froch and would love to see the rematch but hearn is not looking to make this fight anytime soon either when a groves, kessler or even bute rematch could be a possibility after pascal.

[imp]

I just think ward is a nice guy and so what he doesnt sell as much as this person or that person he is winning and beating every type of style out there.

[Max Power]

Agreed. Ward is shame job and a selfish coward!

[Freedom]

Rodriguez says VADA testing was brought up during negotiations, Ward said "no":

Ward-Rodriguez tensions mount over drug testing | RingTV

Why is Ward stubbornly refusing to take the test? Random PED testing is good for the sport of boxing.

That's not an accurate statement. Aside from Carl Froch (which I'm sure is the one live body you're referring too) in Atlantic City he also fought Roger Cantrell in Saint Lucia and Jerson Ravelo in the Cayman Islands. The names might mean nothing now. But they meant something when he fought them. Ward was 13-0 when he fought the 12-0 Cantrell. Cantrell was a multiple Golden Gloves winner who was highly touted in the Washington area. It was a good prospect vs prospect fight. Ravelo is useless now a days. But the former Olympian was still a credible opponent when he fought Ward

What my opening post states is "Ward has never fought a contender" outside the USA and only once outside California. Cantrell and Ravelo are not contenders. Lots of fighters win golden gloves and are highly regarded in their hometowns, like Raphael Butler the heavyweight journeyman, but they never become contenders.

[jehoshaphat]

Rodriguez says VADA testing was brought up during negotiations, Ward said "no":

Ward-Rodriguez tensions mount over drug testing | RingTV

Why is Ward stubbornly refusing to take the test? Random PED testing is good for the sport of boxing.

That's not an accurate statement. Aside from Carl Froch (which I'm sure is the one live body you're referring too) in Atlantic City he also fought Roger Cantrell in Saint Lucia and Jerson Ravelo in the Cayman Islands. The names might mean nothing now. But they meant something when he fought them. Ward was 13-0 when he fought the 12-0 Cantrell. Cantrell was a multiple Golden Gloves winner who was highly touted in the Washington area. It was a good prospect vs prospect fight. Ravelo is useless now a days. But the former Olympian was still a credible opponent when he fought Ward

What my opening post states is "Ward has never fought a contender" outside the USA and only once outside California. Cantrell and Ravelo are not contenders. Lots of fighters win golden gloves and are highly regarded in their hometowns, like Raphael Butler the heavyweight journeyman, but they never become contenders.

Did you read the article you posted? Rodriguez clearly says he DIDN'T bring this up in negotiations. I wish Ward would take the additional tests but he is right if you want something of concern done then you put in writing and don't wait until negotiations are over. But lets get to the real subject. What do you want from Ward? You can't call it fair play for a guy to fight outside of his weight class just because he is the best. So who do you want Ward to fight, where at, and under what conditions?

[Freedom]

Why will he not?

And he shouldn't demand light heavyweights drain down to 168. It would be the same as Ward draining down to 160 to fight Golovkin.

And he shouldn't always demand his own way. When Kessler was the champion, he went to Ward's hometown, and despite it being written into the Super Six contract that referees be from neutral countries, Ward had his home ref Jack Reiss (Sauerland protested to no avail). This is what happened:

In fairness it was not in negotiations

Yes it was. Use of a neutral referee was written into the Super Six contract. Here's one of several sources:

Mikkel Kessler's camp is unhappy with the officials for the Andre Ward bout - ESPN

Steve Smoger is a east coast referee. Luis Pabon is a Puerto Rican referee. Those were the referees for Ward last 3 fights (Smoger twice). So I don't know where this he needs a California ref to fight nonsense comes from

Smoger is a US referee used for the Froch fight (there was no PED testing for that fight). We saw how nationalistic Smoger was during Hopkins-Murat recently.

Smoger was approved by the California Commission for Ward's last fight in Oakland, but for that fight the ref didn't matter because Chad was badly weight-drained anyway.

California referee Dan Snell helped Ward during his fight with Sakio Bika. Ward was allowed to foul - headbutt and hit off the break - but Snell was on Bika's back for it all night. At one point, Ward hit Bika off the break, and Snell admonished Bika for it!

Ward had California ref Raul Caiz Sr for his Super Six fight against Allan Green. Ward was permitted to hit while holding throughout the fight, but was too feather-fisted to stop Green.

Yes, Ward used Luis Pabon for his California fight against Abraham. But Puerto Rico is basically part of the USA isn't it? And Pabon had no objections to Ward using deliberate head butts in that fight.

Do you have proof Ward is on steroids?

No definite proof. But isn't a boxer refusing PED testing several times (for the Kessler, Abraham and Rodriguez fights) is a reason to SUSPECT he's on something? Why won't Ward take the test?

[IamInuit]

Why will he not?

And he shouldn't demand light heavyweights drain down to 168. It would be the same as Ward draining down to 160 to fight Golovkin.

And he shouldn't always demand his own way. When Kessler was the champion, he went to Ward's hometown, and despite it being written into the Super Six contract that referees be from neutral countries, Ward had his home ref Jack Reiss (Sauerland protested to no avail). This is what happened:

In fairness it was not in negotiations

Yes it was. Use of a neutral referee was written into the Super Six contract. Here's one of several sources:

I was referring to the drug testing not the fact that he got his way through the S-6. Anyone who thinks he didn't have his way is an idiot but you cant blame Ward for that.

[Freedom]

I find irony in the fact that @Freedom likes this post and is a big fan of Wladimir Klitschko.

Differences:

1) Wlad has never refused to take PED test (for example, he agreed to WADA testing for Povetkin in 2010)
2) Wlad doesn't deliberately headbutt
3) Wlad isn't feather-fisted, he has had a lot of brutal KOs
4) Wlad has had only one fight in his hometown of Kiev
5) Wlad is a big draw, his fights have filled stadiums. His last fight was watched by many millions of people (Poland, Germany, Ukraine, Russia, etc).
6) Wlad isn't afraid to cross the ocean - he was hoping Mitchell turned out better, and Jennings/Wilder/Arreola do well, because he WANTS to fight in the USA again
7) Wlad doesn't deliberately hit off the break
8) Wlad isn't arrogant and doesn't call himself the "Son of God"
9) Wlad wouldn't insist an opponent be weight-drained (if he fought Valuev, he wouldn't insist the fight be at 250 )

Similarity:

1) Both hold too much. Wlad never used to, but his last fight against Povetkin he was as bad as Ward for clinching