In a fair fight with an honest referee Golovkin would KO Andre Ward

[Violent Demise]

If the fight were in Oakland with a crooked home referee who would permit Andre Ward to use illegal tactics (hit while holding, use deliberate head butts, hit off the break and repeatedly clamp GGG's arm) I think Ward would win a decision, perhaps a TD after a cut from deliberate head butt.

But in a fair fight with an HONEST referee preventing Ward from fouling, matching SKILL against SKILL, I think Gennady Golovkin would knock out the bigger man Andre Ward.

In that type of fight the more skilled fighter wins. And that would be Ward.

[palmerq]

I think unless ward has totally lost it or is highly weight drained in a 160 fight then he owns golovkin pretty easily, at 168 i think ward ko's without too much toruble, golovkin just gets hit far to much and ward really is top class and can mix it up very well... ward by easy win in my opinion!

[Dia bando]

GGG is very good at cutting the ring off, Ward is a bit like Hopkins awkward, hard to hit very
dirty and very hard to beat,! but GGG has that power and if you avoid him from KO you out
early he with give you a systematic beating.
I fancy GGG to brake Ward down slowly, before he stops him in maybe 8 to 10 rounds.

[Master]

GGG is very good at cutting the ring off, Ward is a bit like Hopkins awkward, hard to hit very
dirty and very hard to beat,! but GGG has that power and if you avoid him from KO you out
early he with give you a systematic beating.
I fancy GGG to brake Ward down slowly, before he stops him in maybe 8 to 10 rounds.

Unless the inactivity of Ward has got to him, I highly doubt this occurring. If Froch could not do it then GGG probably could not do it either.

[Dia bando]

GGG is very good at cutting the ring off, Ward is a bit like Hopkins awkward, hard to hit very
dirty and very hard to beat,! but GGG has that power and if you avoid him from KO you out
early he with give you a systematic beating.
I fancy GGG to brake Ward down slowly, before he stops him in maybe 8 to 10 rounds.

Unless the inactivity of Ward has got to him, I highly doubt this occurring. If Froch could not do it then GGG probably could not do it either.

GGG is a far better boxer than Froch, the best straight punch by him was the one he ko Groves with, Ward has been buzzed a few times, GGG will buzz him for sure.

[Ron Swanson]

I can't wait for the days when those that only appreciate face first boxing stop telling everyone else what is enjoyable

[powerpuncher]

There actually was a rule against under the original MoQ rules but that was left out when the rules for pro boxing were adapted from them. With respect to fighters clinching and using it as a way to smother offense, its a smart tactic to outsmart your opponents who may be blessed with more offensive ability. At the same time, it defeats the whole purpose of people tuning into watch a fight. I would have less issues if you clinched and spun a person and released and then attacked. Conversely I wouldn't have an objection to a Muay Thai like tactics of throwing a person down if they excessively held you.

As for ward on the Headbutts, i don't think any fighter openly admits to using their head but you can tell a fighter that follows through with their head offensively. Unfortunately, the risk is not the same for both fighters. In a fight where brow on brow forehead on forehead or cheekbone on cheekbone contact is made, the risk is the same and Its fairly safe to say that its an accident. For fighters like ward, bradley and holyfield who have been accused of cutting fighters on occasion, there needs to be a distinction made by the referee than lowering your head (Using the top, side, or upper forehead are the striking surface) into an opponent (brows, cheekbone, bride of nose or other areas where the skin is thinner and stretched raised features of the face) will not be tolerated. Either start docking them early if they initiated a butt or simply remove the possibility for them to win on the cards if the fights stopped early due to a cut. It opens the door for their opponents to pull the old "i cant see" routine and get a no contest in a fight they were losing but would keep the accidentally on purpose follow through with their melons...

I can't wait for the days when those that only appreciate face first boxing stop telling everyone else what is enjoyable

agreed

[Rantcatrat]

This is a ridiculous thread. GGG hasn't defeated anyone near the quality of Ward, let alone even fought in Ward's weight class. Seriously, he hasn't even unified the titles at 160 yet. How can anyone with a straight face contend that GGG could beat Ward? I'm a fan of the guy and I can't. Let's see GGG get his defense against Rubio in and then move up in weight for a fight with Junior, Froch or Kessler first. If he beats one or more of them, at least then we can better gauge where he's at. Until then, come on, give it up, especially, when Abel Sanchez has outright said that they're willing to face Froch or Junior but not Ward because the risk isn't worth the reward, indicating at least implicitly that Sanchez views Ward as on a whole different level.

[Rantcatrat]

I can't wait for the days when those that only appreciate face first boxing stop telling everyone else what is enjoyable

It goes both ways, right? Same thing for people who only view defensive counter-punching as the sweet science. There's beauty in an artful volume puncher and in a defensive wizard. Great boxing technique is just that: great boxing technique, no matter if it is great offensive or defense.

[Ron Swanson]

I can't wait for the days when those that only appreciate face first boxing stop telling everyone else what is enjoyable

It goes both ways, right? Same thing for people who only view defensive counter-punching as the sweet science. There's beauty in an artful volume puncher and in a defensive wizard. Great boxing technique is just that: great boxing technique, no matter if it is great offensive or defense.

I can't remember once reading a fan of defensive fighters saying that Arturro Gatti was boring or Mickey ward etcetera. But I read daily that Ward is boring or Mayweather or Bradley etcetera. If someone wants to say "I find Ward to be boring" that would be fine with me. But it's hardly ever put like that. It's Ward is boring. You have to admit the statement is unfair. Why should one group speak for all?

I actually don't like Ward but I've watched the man shadow box probably 50 times. It's compelling the way he goes about it. You can visualize the opponent. The man is in a fight in his head. Not just moving and throwing the right punches but nullifying the shadow opponent. I've learned more watching him shadow box than I learned watching fights of a favorite like Benn.

[erics44]

I can't wait for the days when those that only appreciate face first boxing stop telling everyone else what is enjoyable

I don't think you can say that if you don't like the way ward fights then you must only like face first fighters

I agree tho, people find all sorts of different styles enjoyable

[powerpuncher]

I can't wait for the days when those that only appreciate face first boxing stop telling everyone else what is enjoyable

I don't think you can say that if you don't like the way ward fights then you must only like face first fighters

I agree tho, people find all sorts of different styles enjoyable

if i understood him correctly, he thinks as i do. i dont mind as much people not finding certain fighters particularly exciting, but i dont like it when they make a blanket statement and pretty much say that nobody finds their fights enjoyable. i find wards fights enjoyable. i know there are some other people who enjoy watching him fight also. so in reality, he isnt as bad for boxing as some people claim. he has some fans and is a great boxer. again, boxing has a long history of boring fighters that were great. thats just how it works.

its like in college football, you can like how oregon plays since they play fast paced or you can like alabama who slows the game down and uses up the clock. as long as you can see the beauty of each style, thats all that matters.

(sorry about the college football reference to those not from america. im used to talking to people who know a lot about american football).

[Ron Swanson]

I agree. But people going around shouting Ward is boring has an effect on the numbers that a man produces. Casual people tune in to see guys they hear good things about. Boxing regularly shoots itself in the foot this way. Watch the UFC, all company men shouting excitedly about everything and every one. People that don't know what's going on hear this and assume they are seeing something exciting. In boxing most top guys are labeled as boring because they don't get hit much. That means most top guys don't draw because of the prevailing opinion. So boxing sells UK fighters to the UK, Mexican fighters to Mexicans, Puerto Rican fighters to Puerto Ricans etcetera. The skill aspect is lost in sales and skilled fighters are blamed when in fact the entire process is flawed to not sell what is great about the sport, the sweet science. I like a nice brawl as much as the next guy but we shouldn't actively participate in destroying the best of the best in the court of public opinion then blame them for their lack of popularity. Take Rigo, his own promoter actively destroyed his reputation while he rose to prominence. How was he supposed to sell when his promoter, the man responsible for selling his fights, basically told everyone not to watch?

There are 1000 reasons boxing slides further and further into a niche. Not the least of which is boxing fans and boxing announcers distaste for boxing.

[erics44]

I agree. But people going around shouting Ward is boring has an effect on the numbers that a man produces. Casual people tune in to see guys they hear good things about. Boxing regularly shoots itself in the foot this way. Watch the UFC, all company men shouting excitedly about everything and every one. People that don't know what's going on hear this and assume they are seeing something exciting. In boxing most top guys are labeled as boring because they don't get hit much. That means most top guys don't draw because of the prevailing opinion. So boxing sells UK fighters to the UK, Mexican fighters to Mexicans, Puerto Rican fighters to Puerto Ricans etcetera. The skill aspect is lost in sales and skilled fighters are blamed when in fact the entire process is flawed to not sell what is great about the sport, the sweet science. I like a nice brawl as much as the next guy but we shouldn't actively participate in destroying the best of the best in the court of public opinion then blame them for their lack of popularity. Take Rigo, his own promoter actively destroyed his reputation while he rose to prominence. How was he supposed to sell when his promoter, the man responsible for selling his fights, basically told everyone not to watch?

There are 1000 reasons boxing slides further and further into a niche. Not the least of which is boxing fans and boxing announcers distaste for boxing.

UFC is fuckin shit and the best fights are a lot more boring than the most boring boxing fights

Who wants to watch 2 men lie on the floor for 15 minutes?

Just my opinion obviously