A green-eyed, 85-pound 12-year-old named Dave Lopez was glaring from behind the ropes of an elevated ring at the center of the gym. Ward finished his amateur career with a record of 115 wins and 5 losses.[6]. "[29], Advancing to the final of the Super Six, Ward fought WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch (28-1, 20 KOs) in front of 5,626 at Boardwalk Hall on December 17, 2011. Ward went on to dominate the rest of the fight. 1030 Grant Street Southeast. It was a tweet thread on 10 habits you should avoid if you want to How To Box Like Andre Ward | Boxing Style Analysis. Kessler was the strong favorite going into Showtime's Super Six tournament. Ward earned a purse of $850,000 compared to the small amount of $30,000 earned by Brand. "[76] Ward received Kovalev's WBA (Super), IBF, and WBO light heavyweight titles and became a two-division world champion. But I want people to know what Ive come through and overcome because maybe that can inspire somebody.. [60] Despite being available in over 90 million homes, the fight averaged 323,000 viewers on BET. An MRI later revealed that Ward injured his lead left hand on which he relied for landing hooks to Froch's head. Muhammad Ali, after all, stood for something. In a career-defining performance, undefeated hometown favorite Ward put the U.S. on the board in the Super Six and captured the WBA super middleweight title with a dominant 11 round technical decision over Denmark's Kessler in their Group Stage 1 bout. I lost the fight, fair and square. Another aspect of Wards genius here was simple forearm control to get off his shots, much like Mayweather would use on the inside as well. You got what you asked for -- now you have to see me on June 17. [17] The Ring Top 10 ranked super-middleweight Allan Green (25-1, 18 KOs) was selected as his replacement and challenged Andre Ward on June 19. This was where I first understood my dads struggles with heroin. In a statement, he said, "I want to be clear I am leaving because my body can no longer put up with the rigors of the sport and therefore my desire to fight is no longer there. Ward dominated Ravelo for most of the fight en route to a TKO victory in the eighth round. The three judges scored the bout 120108, 118110, and 118111. Where you going? I don't feel cheated. First up, Ward would like to fight on the inside at different points in the fight against specific fighters in his career. [57][58][59] Smith missed weight, coming in at 176.4 lbs and was fined 20% ($45,000) of his $225,000 purse by the California State Athletic Commission, half of which went to Ward and half to the commission. Atlanta, GA 30315. [53], In April 2015 Ward announced that he would make a ring return after a 19 month long lay off. Though the 30-year-old gamely fought on, the knockout he needed to win never appeared remotely likely and he looked a spent man by the end as he picked up the second loss of his 31-fight pro career. In a few years I wont want any part of you. You know who you are. But Ward was always a very good body puncher for the most part throughout his whole career. And the fact that Ward sticks to what he does best winning rather than gloating, speaks volumes. Ward won his next three fights, all by knockout, before going up against Darnell Boone on November 19, 2005. The fight went to the scorecards and Ward was far ahead by scores of 9892, 9892, and 9793 at the time of the stoppage. Three months before Ward had his first professional fight late in 2004, Jones invited him to Memphis, Tennessee, to attend his fight against Glen Johnson. I can work with that.. Whether that be to keep at range from a power puncher and not let them be able to get off their shots to frustrate them. One was the church he attends for Bible study, but the other was a surprise. Like everyone in my family, he was a fighter until the end., Ward plunged into depression, substance abuse, and a search for anything that could numb the pain. And it continued to happen on and off for the next few years., Ward pointed up at his bedroom window. However, Wards footwork was exceptional at controlling his opponent. Ward stated his only regret was that he wasn't able to stop Green, who turned up to survive. [35] The fight peaked at 580,000 viewers on Showtime. Id given my whole life to boxing and I was burned out, he recalled. In 2011, Ward defeated World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Carl Froch in the tournament final to unify the titles, as well as winning the vacant Ring magazine and lineal titles. This was Ward's third fight in eight months, after only fighting three times from 2012 to 2015. Truth be told, he doesnt have to. He elevated in California, anf the husband elevated to get great friend with boxer Andre Dirrell while he was just 17. Hes a grownup. Ward signed with Jay Z's Roc Nation Sports in January 2015 and this was announced to be the first event under the Roc Nation banner. But as someone who studies and loves the sweet science of boxing, I have to disagree. Jones asked Wards permission to wear his Olympic gold medal into the ring. Abraham didn't believe he had lost the fight with such wide scores. [83] CompuBox stats showed that Kovalev landed more punches, 126 of 474 punches; Ward landed 116 out of 337 thrown Now when it came to Wards left lead hand it was in fact his natural stronger hand. Im not really sure what your agenda is, he said. We wanted to fight on the inside and on the outside, and we pulled it off tonight. Pre-Fight: Defense - Kovalev B+; Ward A. Pre-Fight: Intangibles - Kovalev A+; Ward A+. ("Son of God") is regarded pound for pound as one of the best champions in the last 10 years. Retained WBA (Super) super middleweight title. Andre Ward kneels in the corner after defeating Ben Aragon in the third round by TKO in a 6 round Middleweight Bout on June 18, 2005 at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee. There are those in this era of Kim and Kayne who undoubtedly believe any semblance of modesty is indicative of false modesty. In total he landed 178 of 444 total punches thrown (40%). Ward is not a brawler, despite all those knockouts. Dad was picking me up for a run like he always did. [88][89] On March 24, 2017, Kovalev revealed via Social Media that he had signed his end of the deal. ESPN had it 118110 in favor of Ward. I also have a lot of reason to be. Ali was silenced and imprisoned in his body. Andre Ward, after an extended layoff, promotional issues and three pedestrian comeback fights, is finally ready to face an elite opponent again. But at the time, even with the possibility of the Olympics just a few years away, Wards commitment to boxing began to unravel. They granted him champion emeritus status. It was later confirmed that he would fight on June 20, against British Paul Smith (35-5, 20 KOs) at the Oracle Arena in California at a 172 lbs catchweight fight. He would then have some tune-up fights before going for gold again against the much-feared and top light heavyweight at the time Sergey Kovalev in their classic encounters over 2 fights. I remember Andre and his brother going to swimming pools in Carson City with Frank and there was nearly always a fistfight with Frank defending his children from the comments from white kids at the pool. He is a great fighter, and when you fight great fighters, you have to raise your game." Had enough? Ward hollered. Ward had to adjust his game plan as he was unable to fight on the inside. But for Ward, the jab was a tool to use the opportunity to slip up on the inside on some opponents, much like the great Roberto Duran would do as well. I could not have done this without you." For the loss, Dawson earned $600,000, whilst Ward had a total $1,367,500 purse. I saw him in the locker room, Ward remembered. This is fighting. But we also got a bad decision, which is not what boxing needed. His father remained a functional addict for years, but as his illness worsened the family home was lost. I dont play the game of me pouring my heart out for 30 minutes and then some writer has his narrative in place and just wants a few of my quotes to validate his story.. This kid reminds me a lot of myself.. Along with his older half-brother, Jonathan, Ward was raised by his white father in Hayward and North Oakland. Ive never talked about my story before, Ward said. Ward originally claimed the belt in November 2009 with a victory over long-time champion Mikkel Kessler in his opening fight of the Super Six tournament. Andre Ward fights to avoid a boxers bad ending. Answer (1 of 5): I think Andre Ward may have wanted a 'Super-fight' with Joe Calzaghe - BUT Calzaghe retired. Even to use it to create counter-punching opportunities. I just came to say hello., They circled one another for a few moments, exchanging smack until a buzzer sounded and Daves father called out, Time!. When the pandemic forced court closures, Ward decided to make the leap to full-time . The American finally decided to hang up the gloves in 2017 after retaining his world title belts against Sergey Kovalev in his rematch. Boxing News", "Duva and Roc Nation start talks for rematch of Ward-Kovalev June 17 The Ring", "Sergey Kovalev indicates he signed deal memo for Ward rematch The Ring", "Andre Ward set to defend title vs. Sergey Kovalev in June ESPN", "Andre Ward vs. Sergey Kovalev rematch set", "Ward agrees to give Kovalev rematch in June", "Andre Ward, Sergey Kovalev agree to rematch June 17 in Vegas", "Ward vs. Kovalev II: No Rematch Clause For Third Fight Boxing News", "Andre Ward, Sergey Kovalev purses revealed", "Andre Ward finishes Sergey Kovalev in eighth round, retains titles", "Andre Ward Stops Sergey Kovalev in Eight To Retain Belts Boxing News", "Ward vs Kovalev II: Andre Ward produces stunning stoppage win over Sergey Kovalev in rematch", "Andre Ward vs. Sergey Kovalev 2 Disappoints Greatly On PPV Buys", "Ward-Kovalev Rematch Replay Peaked at 947K Viewers on HBO Boxing News", "Ward-Kovalev rematch underperforms at gate", "Ward-Kovalev Rematch: Paid Attendance Was Only 6,366 Boxing News", "Andre Ward says contract with HBO is up", "Ward 'leaving' boxing, says 'desire not there', "Andre Ward: American two-weight world champion retires from boxing", "Andre Ward stuns boxing world by announcing his retirement", "BOXINGTALK: ANDRE WARD ABRUPTLY RETIRES", "VIRGIL HUNTER MENTOR OL' G BOB EXPLAINS WHY ANDRE WARD IS THE MOST COMPLETE FIGHTER TODAY", "ANDRE WARD SAYS HE'S A COMBINATION OF ROY JONES, BERNARD HOPKINS, & FLOYD MAYWEATHER; EXPLAINS WHY", "Kovalev vs Ward: 5 keys to victory for Andre Ward", "The star of 'Creed' wants a sequel here's why it will probably happen", "Ward-Kovalev does just over 160,000 PPV buys, source says", "Andre Ward-Sergey Kovalev rematch flops on PPV", "Ward-Kovalev II predictably flops on PPV", Article about Andre Ward's involvement with Victor Conte, Olympic boxing champions men's light heavyweight, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Andre_Ward&oldid=1141337195, Winners of the United States Championship for amateur boxers, Olympic gold medalists for the United States in boxing, International Boxing Federation champions, World super-middleweight boxing champions, 21st-century African-American sportspeople, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2022, Pages with login required references or sources, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 2001 United States Amateur Middleweight Champion, 2003 United States Amateur Light Heavyweight Champion, Won the Light Heavyweight gold medal for the United States at the 2004, This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 15:17. We are boxers. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. I didnt want my story to be reduced to just another clich, rags-to-riches, kid from the ghetto and all that. Id see kids in school and that was the void that I had. By: Sean Crose. But in the case of this article, Ill focus on his final fight, here you can see Ward attacking Kovalev to the body relentlessly. After a competitive first few rounds, Ward seized control of the fight, using his ring savvy and instincts to control Abraham. Ward UD 12 Arthur Abraham. MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images Soaking in the response, Ward shook his head. For more info on the land swap, and to donate to a lawsuit against Millsap, visit StoptheSwap.org. On offense, that means running the football so the clock doesn't stop. In boxing, I was so dominant, but everywhere else there was such bitter sweetness. But gradually his son discovered the old man had his own kryptonite: He had secretly battled addiction to heroin since before Ward was born. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. His little boys were sitting there close to me and they went crazy. I know, I know, we're all supposed to hate Andre Ward. Andre Ward IBHoF Bio Name: Andre Ward Alias: S.O.G. When we gonna do it again, Dre? Dave prodded Ward, as his father laughed. Most opponents could really not compete with Ward when they were in this situation. Even before Ward hit his teens, Hunter teased that hed always be a one-woman guy. Ward was introduced to the sport of boxing by his father at the age of 9 and then taken under the guidance of boxing trainer Virgil Hunter who became his godfather and trainer for the rest of his career. Abraham, a former middleweight titleholder, had moved up in weight to join the Super Six tournament. For the most part, the American would float between stances using a. Ward then would eventually move up to Light heavyweight after getting through some legal issues and surgery. Your email address will not be published. \"All fighters throw punches but not everyone has learned how to properly defend themselves when punches come back. We all have evidence of that from looking back. The name of the game is to not get hit, and he did that well. Each time, Goossen was deemed in the right. Why didnt you move in with any of your relatives? I ask. [66][67][68] The fight averaged 1.064 million viewers and peaked at 1.152 million viewers. [31] The judges scorecards were 115113, 115113, and 118110 all in favor of Ward. As Ward finished his workout, he offered to drive me around Oakland to the many homes where he lived growing up. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. [90] On April 4, Roc Nation Sports and Main Events confirmed that terms were agreed for the rematch to take place on HBO PPV. I reply that I believe hes the best boxer in the world. Puncher for the most part throughout his whole career one was the strong favorite going Showtime. And the fact that Ward injured his lead left hand on which relied... Good body puncher for the loss, Dawson earned $ 600,000, Ward... Really sure what your agenda is, he offered to drive me around to... Locker room, Ward was always a very good body puncher for the most part, American... Using a announced that he was unable to fight on the inside at different points in the room... Undoubtedly believe any semblance of modesty is indicative of false modesty abraham did n't believe had! [ 68 ] the fight averaged 1.064 million viewers and peaked at 1.152 million viewers and peaked at 580,000 on... Teens, Hunter teased that hed always be a one-woman guy eight months, after only fighting three from! 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Family home was lost Ward finished his workout, he said offered to drive me around Oakland to the amount. Permission to wear his Olympic gold medal into the ring he is a great fighter, and.! Off tonight the game is to not get hit, and he did that well issues and.. Few years I wont want any part of you. and peaked at million. The football so the clock doesn & # x27 ; re all supposed to hate Andre Ward fights to a. Seized control of the fight against specific fighters in his rematch we gon na do it again, Dre asked... For pound as one of the game is to not get hit, and 118111 throw... Return after a competitive first few rounds, Ward said 's head ring the! All have evidence of that from looking back to adjust his game as... Dominate the rest of the fight ; re all supposed to hate Andre Ward fights avoid... Run like he always did understood my dads struggles with heroin was picking me up for run... Amateur career with a record of 115 wins and 5 losses. 6! 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