Andre Ward speaks on his lack of fights!

[zhubin]

Ward is my hometown fighter (Oakland). There is no question he is a great technician. BUT...it comes down to what boxing/sports are ultimately about......it's a business. I'm not saying that is a good thing, but it's a reality. Andre doesn't possess a style of fighting that sells tickets...but unfortunately for him...he also does not possess a personality (Floyd) to sell tickets either. And i can tell you from watching his career up close...the guy just doesn't want to promote himself outside of the bay area. He really makes no effort. Maybe he is ok with that. if he isn't...he has to shake things up for himself.

[Beanflicker]

Andre doesn't possess a style of fighting that sells tickets...but unfortunately for him...he also does not possess a personality (Floyd) to sell tickets either. And i can tell you from watching his career up close...the guy just doesn't want to promote himself outside of the bay area. He really makes no effort. Maybe he is ok with that. if he isn't...he has to shake things up for himself.

Most guys aren't comfortable playing a "character" like Floyd, Haye, ect do. And most guys can't pull it off without look transparent, even if they wanted to.

The fact is, being in the top 3 best should be enough. The fact that it isn't spells a lot of trouble for boxing. It means that boxing is no longer about sport, it's about spectacle, and boxing IS NOT going to out-spectacle the UFC in the long run. Boxing is not going to compete in the "blood" game with guys getting kicked and elbowed in the head.

[Beanflicker]

The goal of boxing is to hit and not get hit. It's not Andre Ward's responsibility to make sure he gets punched and knocked down a bunch of times so his fights are exciting and compelling. That responsibility lies with his opponent.

To ask a guy to fight stupidly just for the sake of entertainment is ridiculous. Don't hate on Ward, hate on his 168lb peers who haven't been good enough to make a compelling fight with him.

[zhubin]

Andre doesn't possess a style of fighting that sells tickets...but unfortunately for him...he also does not possess a personality (Floyd) to sell tickets either. And i can tell you from watching his career up close...the guy just doesn't want to promote himself outside of the bay area. He really makes no effort. Maybe he is ok with that. if he isn't...he has to shake things up for himself.

Most guys aren't comfortable playing a "character" like Floyd, Haye, ect do. And most guys can't pull it off without look transparent, even if they wanted to.

The fact is, being in the top 3 best should be enough. The fact that it isn't spells a lot of trouble for boxing. It means that boxing is no longer about sport, it's about spectacle, and boxing IS NOT going to out-spectacle the UFC in the long run. Boxing is not going to compete in the "blood" game with guys getting kicked and elbowed in the head.

I am not disagreeing with you. The "casual" sports fan would rather see two guys pummel each other in a brawl. I am not a fan of it...but that is unfortunately the reality. Of course Andre can't transform himself into a Floyd like personality. But what he CAN do is make a better effort to promote himself nationally/internationally. You can't just sit around Oakland and expect people to come knocking on your door...regardless of how skilled he may be. At the end of the day....maybe he doesn't care. Maybe he is content being a god loving nice guy with a non crowd pleasing style. But if he isn't happy with his current situation...he is the only one that can try to change it.

[Beanflicker]

I just don't know what he can do himself personally. It takes a lot of money and backing to get a guy over. HBO invested HEAVILY in Floyd with all the 24/7 specials and promotion for the mega fights. In turn, Floyd expanded on that with appearances everywhere that made him a household name.

Floyd was in the exact same boat as Ward is now for years. He was under a promoter (Arum) who had no faith in his selling potential and was too busy devoting all his energy into DLH. Floyd was ducked because he was a super talent with no name value, so he couldn't get big fights because the big names wanted to fight other big names and didn't want to take a huge risk fighting Floyd for little reward.

It sucks. Andre is taking the right step now by trying to get away from Goossen, because they have proved to be absolutely USELESS in building Ward up.

[ross]

Fuck me, I bet Mayorga could generate more viewers for a match with Golovkin than Ward could generate against Kovalev.

You have to sell yourself. As a pro boxer you are selling yourself to the fans. Tyson Fury is doing it now. You have to promote yourself. On top of being a good salesman you have to have a good product.

Now Mayorga may not have won all his fights but he certainly entertained in the build up and the fight itself, you always get value for money no matter who hes fighting.

Ward on the other hand cant sell fuck all and if he did, people would ask for their money back because he promised them a sublime display of fighting skill when all they ended up getting was a load of holding, mauling, elbowing and head butting.

[Spicoli]

Man. Maybe I'm off the cliff but I actually like Ward and just wished he would get his arse in the ring I think he has that gnarly grind and gritty style that you love in spots, but want to spray paint the screen black in others. I understand frustration and injury for him but you can't just go out and pop off about "if I were to fight Kovalev and win...then what" and expect someone to keep a straight face. Just start with fighting...someone. He took a bad rap on last fight as he embarrassed a decent challenger and had the tables turned. It was Rodriquez going dirty and ugly. He's letting it all pass him by as 175 is in a mix with Stevenson blowing out a top mutual victim, even Hopkins staying more active and unifying and at 168 Froch has banked two of his most impressive victories destroying Bute and Groves 2. Ward is a fookin craft master but if he wants to fall back on "then what" he can blame himself. That kinda tells me Kovalev has already sent him a welcome to the neighborhood basket..

[Beanflicker]

You have to sell yourself. As a pro boxer you are selling yourself to the fans. Tyson Fury is doing it now. You have to promote yourself. On top of being a good salesman you have to have a good product.

Yeah but what about people who don't want to or can't play a character? The fact that guys need to be actors as well to get paid is pretty sad.

And again, being a top 2 or 3 athlete would constitute having a "good product" in any other sport.

And people argue that boxing isn't a dying sport. Please

[erics44]

You have to sell yourself. As a pro boxer you are selling yourself to the fans. Tyson Fury is doing it now. You have to promote yourself. On top of being a good salesman you have to have a good product.

Yeah but what about people who don't want to or can't play a character? The fact that guys need to be actors as well to get paid is pretty sad.

And again, being a top 2 or 3 athlete would constitute having a "good product" in any other sport.

And people argue that boxing isn't a dying sport. Please

not really, in most other sports you don't have to sell yourself to get a game


in football spain are frustrating to watch sometimes, not the most exiting of teams anyway but other teams now have to do something about their own playing style to try and take spain off their peak


boxing is different, in this case ward looks unbeatable at the minute at his own weight, yet froch (for example) can make a lot more money fighting a number of other fighters, he doesn't need ward


I really think ward has very little to offer, the only thing being that he is very good at what he does


and what he does isn't very interesting, I watch him fight and think yeah great, he can land more punches over 12 rounds than the other geezer

[IamInuit]

You have to sell yourself. As a pro boxer you are selling yourself to the fans. Tyson Fury is doing it now. You have to promote yourself. On top of being a good salesman you have to have a good product.

Yeah but what about people who don't want to or can't play a character? The fact that guys need to be actors as well to get paid is pretty sad.

And again, being a top 2 or 3 athlete would constitute having a "good product" in any other sport.

And people argue that boxing isn't a dying sport. Please

Indeed and this is comical. I think Wards Ozzie and Harriet routine is hurl worthy. I think he's a smug, self absorbed momma's boy who thinks boxing should be lining up at his door. I think he's been milking the S6 and needs to purchase a personality and he's the kind of guy I'd probably take a swing at if I had to spend time around him.

He's also one of if not the most technically savvy boxers on the planet and I have no desire to see him go full on Jake Lamotta to satisfy the dumb ass ppv public. Nor should he have to. That idea is as dumb as that stupid blue light FOX put on the puck so dumb hockey fans could follow the damn game.

Oh yeah and I'd also like to see Ward doing an impression of plywood flooring. Laid out. I'd like to see him knocked out more then any other fighter. That is not relevant to the subject matter.

[erics44]

Andre doesn't possess a style of fighting that sells tickets...but unfortunately for him...he also does not possess a personality (Floyd) to sell tickets either. And i can tell you from watching his career up close...the guy just doesn't want to promote himself outside of the bay area. He really makes no effort. Maybe he is ok with that. if he isn't...he has to shake things up for himself.

Most guys aren't comfortable playing a "character" like Floyd, Haye, ect do. And most guys can't pull it off without look transparent, even if they wanted to.

The fact is, being in the top 3 best should be enough. The fact that it isn't spells a lot of trouble for boxing. It means that boxing is no longer about sport, it's about spectacle, and boxing IS NOT going to out-spectacle the UFC in the long run. Boxing is not going to compete in the "blood" game with guys getting kicked and elbowed in the head.

I am not disagreeing with you. The "casual" sports fan would rather see two guys pummel each other in a brawl. I am not a fan of it...but that is unfortunately the reality. Of course Andre can't transform himself into a Floyd like personality. But what he CAN do is make a better effort to promote himself nationally/internationally. You can't just sit around Oakland and expect people to come knocking on your door...regardless of how skilled he may be. At the end of the day....maybe he doesn't care. Maybe he is content being a god loving nice guy with a non crowd pleasing style. But if he isn't happy with his current situation...he is the only one that can try to change it.

I don't see myself as just a casual fight fan, i'm pretty dedicated to it, I watch a lot of boxing and I have been a fan of the sport for years


I prefer to watch an exciting barn burner than any other kind of fight


I do enjoy watching the technicians tho, I like watching mayweather fight, I like the way he can avoid the punches and pick his opponent off, I like the fighter who can stay out of trouble and land his own punches but I watch ward and its not about that so much, he has a style where he lands a punch and avoids getting hit back by spoiling

[IamInuit]

Ward is my hometown fighter (Oakland). There is no question he is a great technician. BUT...it comes down to what boxing/sports are ultimately about......it's a business. I'm not saying that is a good thing, but it's a reality. Andre doesn't possess a style of fighting that sells tickets...but unfortunately for him...he also does not possess a personality (Floyd) to sell tickets either. And i can tell you from watching his career up close...the guy just doesn't want to promote himself outside of the bay area. He really makes no effort. Maybe he is ok with that. if he isn't...he has to shake things up for himself.

With all due respect I don't view it the way you do. I watch boxing for its built in diversity and the individualism it represents pugilisticly. I could give two shits about a bag of Doritos advertised on a banner or another slippery stupid decal on the ring apron. I watch it for what it is.

Its pretty freakin sad that in this enlightened day and age, pure boxers get kicked to the curb because they wont leave their tool box in the dressing room before they enter the ring. Boxing is actually devolving and its a group effort based on instant gratification from fans that don't know what a feint is to broadcasters who feed that weakness. Technically gifted pugilists expected to abandon the very skills that got them there because the fight has to be done before the pizza arrives. Its an enabler sandwich.