I don't feel cheated. Paulie Malignaggi noted the high degree of difficulty both fighters faced that night and doubted the prospect of a one-sided affair in the case of a rematch. No warning. Joe Louis was left a coked-out wreck. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Ive never talked about my story before, Ward said. But he went on to fight 119 times in all as an amateur and lost only four more bouts. As a professional he fought at two weight categories in the Super Middleweight and Light Heavyweight divisions, picking up and retiring with an impressive undefeated boxing record of 32 fights and victories (16 KOs). Mr. Jones. Ward defeated Roy Ashworth on April 7, 2005, by disqualification. Nearby Areas. "[42], Ward was scheduled to defend his super middleweight titles against former unified middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik on January 26, 2013, at the Galen Center in Los Angeles. Soaking in the response, Ward shook his head. Of course not. However, this was where Ward would take advantage by throwing short sharp shorts. Ward has been quoted in the past in saying how the jab is a lost art in terms of how it is used and thrown. I rushed to the hospital and had to see him lying on that cold slab. It was my mother who was gone. And it continued to happen on and off for the next few years., Ward pointed up at his bedroom window. Hes that good.. WBA super middleweight title. [40][41], The fight was watched by an average 1.3 million viewers on HBO. Abraham, a former middleweight titleholder, had moved up in weight to join the Super Six tournament. Andre Michael Ward (born February 23, 1984) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 2004 to 2017. Ward lives in Danville, California. Im trying to avoid those same demons. Ward looked at Lopez and tried to keep a straight face. With the biggest bout of his career looming, he opens up about his family and his faith. From Smith's perspective, he sees a hand obstructing his path to the target, which can be very discouraging when he wants to initiate offense. Couldn't get caught up in the first defense too much mentally. Going into the first fight, there was a cadre picking Ward, not just to win, but to win with relative ease. Making him one of the best technical fighters there has been in the modern era. Indeed, he has not lost a fight since 1998, when he was 13. He would also use the jab to set himself up for other punches. He may not be as flashy as I was, but I wasnt as flashy as Ali was when I came up either, Jones said. Frank Ward told his son hed found it in the street and didnt want anyone to find it. Just off Mission Boulevard in Hayward, a faded mural of Ward in his Olympic uniform is spray-painted on the side of the U.S. Karate and Boxing Gym where Hunter was working at the time. I sat down to watch him in the third row. Really down. I finally spotted a mural of Ward on the side of a van parked behind a warehouse. [24][25][26], Ward's opponent at the semi final stage was top 10 ranked super middleweight Arthur Abraham (32-2, 26 KOs). This only enraged the boy further until he was working so hard to clip Wards grinning face that sweat poured down from his brow and stung his eyes. CompuBox stats showed that Ward landed 80 of 238 punches (34%) whilst Kovalev landed more punches with 95 of his 407 thrown (23%). Ward dominated Ravelo for most of the fight en route to a TKO victory in the eighth round. When I speak about this, I dont come from an ignorant place: I know what it is to be biracial when both sides dont accept you and you have that confusion of not feeling accepted, he said. Then he grinned and began nodding. Ive never talked about my parents before and some of their struggles. [73] The fight averaged on 742,000 viewers on HBO. His mother would return from the streets looking for money. I whispered in his ear, Im going to finish what we started. "[99][100], According to Yahoo! 30 Day Exchange. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'myboxinglife_com-banner-1','ezslot_5',113,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-myboxinglife_com-banner-1-0'); Ward very much reminds me of a modern but careful version of Joe Louis. However, Wards footwork was exceptional at controlling his opponent. I wanted to stay numb in this completely surreal way. Truth be told, he doesnt have to. Ward stated his only regret was that he wasn't able to stop Green, who turned up to survive. Thats a defense mechanism Thats how he survived so long. Its simply to say their public images kind of suckno matter how popular they may be. After his parents fell to drug abuse, Ward was looked after by his godfather, Virgil Hunter, who became his trainer and remained his trainer for the length of his career. Theres a For Sale sign out front. The three judges scored the fight 117109, 119109, and 117108. The man from Oakland defeated the likes of champions Carl Froch, Mikkel Kessler, Chad Dawson, and Arthur Abraham in this division. As Wards parents descended into addiction, domestic violence, financial ruin, bouts of homelessness, and repeated stints in rehab, Hunter would become not only Wards trainer, but soon his godfather and temporary guardian. Kovalev said the fight could have continued, "I don't know. On offense, that means running the football so the clock doesn't stop. This showed in round 7 when Brand's right eye suddenly started to swollen up. Retained NABF and NABO super middleweight titles. Statistically, I shouldnt have made it out.. Frank Ward would seek treatment to get clean. This time leave the excuses at home." The dip could have been due to 21 million tuning in to the Olympics on NBC. [36], The World Boxing Council Board of Governors voted to make Ward "Champion in Recess" due to a broken hand Ward had sustained during the Super Six tournament. 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. Get in here!, See? Ward said and laughed. [60] Despite being available in over 90 million homes, the fight averaged 323,000 viewers on BET. The scores were 116112, 119109, and 119109 for Ward. Andre Ward, S.O.G. Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino, Lemoore, California, U.S. Ashworth disqualified for hitting on the break, 1st AIBA American 2004 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, Super Six World Boxing Classic: semi-final, Super Six World Boxing Classic: group stage 2, Super Six World Boxing Classic: group stage 1, "BoxRec ratings: world, pound-for-pound, active and inactive", "Andre Ward Remembers the Father Who Inspired His Boxing Career", "Andre Ward Fights to avoid a boxer's bad ending", "Darnell Boone vs The 3 Champions (Ward, Stevenson, Kovalev) Boxing News", "Andre Ward vs. Allan Green Unlikely For 2/2 Boxing News", "Ward wins unanimous decision over Miranda", "Andre Ward vs Shelby Pudwill on September 12 Boxing News", "Andre Ward Vs. Mikkel Kessler On Saturday The Sweet Science", "Mikkel Kessler vs. Andre Ward: Round By Round", "Andre Ward vs Mikkel Kessler Report BoxingInsider.com", "Ward emerges as man to beat in Super Six", "Jermain Taylor withdraws from Super Six", "Ailing Ward postpones title defense vs. Green", "Andre Ward shuts out Allan Green in Oakland", "Ward keeps WBA crown, gains Super Six semis", "Dirrell out of Super Six as career in jeopardy", "Ward vs Bika 'Basically Done' Not Part of The Super Six Boxing News", "Andre Ward Overcomes Sakio Bika Test in Oakland", "Super 6 Semi Finals, Andre Ward vs Arthor Abraham | BoxingInsider.com", "Andre Ward Takes Wide Decision Win Over Arthur Abraham", "Ward dominates Abraham to reach Super 6 final", "Froch advances to No 2 super-middleweight", "Ward had broken hand in victory over Froch", "Carl Froch outclassed by dazzling Andre Ward", "Andre Ward beats Carl Froch into a distant second place | Kevin Mitchell", THE CYBER BOXING ZONE PRESENTS THE LINEAL SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONS, "Andre Ward draws 1.3 million viewers to HBO for his TKO of Chad Dawson", "Dirrell-Sjekloca For WBC Title, Ward is Champion in Recess Boxing News", "Chad Dawson Calls Out Andre Ward; "S.O.G." [108][109], On December 15, 2020, Ward was announced as being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2021, his first year of eligibility. In an interview with Jones last fall, he told me he was still fighting despite his age because it was Gods will. Hell, so did Jack Johnson, for that matter. The ward covers parts of Lincoln Square, Andersonville, Ravenswood, Edgewater, Rogers Park . Whats more, he doesnt fight nearly as much as he should (as least he hasnt until recently). Then of course create opportunities up top. Sharing Jones words with Ward almost has him blushing as he drove us to meet with his dads sister, Sandy Boos, to look over old photos from his childhood. In total he landed 178 of 444 total punches thrown (40%). It was also noted that the rematch would take place at the Mandalay Bay in Paradise, Nevada on HBO PPV. And has been reported that he hasnt lost a fight since being 12 years old. [63] Barrera was risking his IBF mandatory position in this fight. He shows up in a white Porsche a little after tipoff with his wife, Tiffany. Ward dictated the fight however with a strong jab. Some may find that lack of showmanship boring. That doesnt mean these individuals dont like flash. My dad was gone. But then I tried for the knockout, and I couldn't do it. Every day, Ward said. Then, in the tenth round, Ward dropped Dawson to a knee after a solid combination, which prompted referee Steve Smoger to stop the fight after Dawson could not continue. I'm a boxing analyst, amateur boxer, and blogger looking to pass on my boxing experiences and passion to anyone looking to learn or find out more about the sport of boxing. At the time of stoppage, Ward was ahead 9079, 8980, and 8980 on all three judges' scorecards. He eventually got his chance two years later, losing a unanimous decision. For the fight, Kovalev received a minimum purse of $2 million and Ward's purse was a career-high $5 million. This full video can be found on my master class page (link in bio). Hes a grownup. I think that Calzaghe felt that he had already beaten all the top boxers of his generation and was ready to retire - Ward is a lot younger than Calzaghe, so Joe may have thought that War. Ive taken a lot of punishment. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. His appearance as an analyst for the Crawford vs. Indongo fight sparked further rumours. The fight was to take place on BET. This isnt my life. As an amateur, he was almost unstoppable winning multiple national championships before being picked for the U.S Olympic team and then going on to win Gold at light heavyweight in 2004. [74], Ward fought the unified IBF, WBA (Super) and WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev at the T-Mobile Arena on November 19, 2016. What a loser. It may not be the kind of punishment my critics expect me to have taken, lying on the canvas unconscious. [47] The fight started with rough tactics until Jack Reiss made an unprecedented move, penalizing both fighters two points each and warning them that he would end the fight if it did not clean up. He said, "We're going to the final, baby. [71] Ward spoke to HBO in the post fight interview about fighting Kovalev next saying: "I'm excited, I'm looking forward to it. Pre-Fight: Defense - Kovalev B+; Ward A. Pre-Fight: Intangibles - Kovalev A+; Ward A+. Not enough, however, that the ESPN analyst is convinced that the hard-hitting Nigerian can compete with the more formidable. Ward looked slow in the victory, not looking like the same fighter he was in 2011. [62], Boxing Scene reported In January 2016, Ward's light heavyweight debut was set against Cuban boxer Sullivan Barrera (17-0, 12 KOs) at the Oracle Arena. Ward claimed a shoulder injury that required surgery was the reason for his inactivity, but the WBC claimed that Ward had not provided any medical evidence or even given them a rough availability date. For his counter punching, it was more used with opponents who rushed in because of frustration that would be caught by him. On Aug. 6, Ward will face Colombian Alexander Brand at Oracle Arena in Wards hometown of Oakland, California. (The arenas star attraction, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, is a friend and occasionally accompanies him to the ring carrying his championship belts.) Like Joe Louis, he lost his first amateur contest. And a man can be broken. I want to fight the best. [53], In April 2015 Ward announced that he would make a ring return after a 19 month long lay off. He went down. You have probably seen the beautiful catch and counter before against Barrera, but this was a rare occurrence of Ward standing like this. Ward reiterated how the events of the evening unfolded, "I got off the canvas against the hardest puncher in the division and smiled. Ward defeated Kessler to via technical decision in round 11 to win his first world title. Ward landed 166 from 463 thrown (36%) whilst Barrera landed 111 of 722 punches thrown (15%). Ward ended his career undefeated with 32 wins, 16 of which came inside the distance. 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!. Hes Roy! Even to use it to create counter-punching opportunities. Thats a dangerous place to be. I lost the fight, fair and square. [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. His chance two years later, losing a unanimous decision him lying on side... Dawson, and 117108 Despite his age because it was Gods will Alexander Brand at Oracle Arena in Wards of. But he went on to fight 119 times in all as an analyst for the knockout, 8980! Pre-Fight: Intangibles - Kovalev B+ ; Ward A. pre-fight: Intangibles - Kovalev A+ ; A.... Going to finish what we started wife, Tiffany i finally spotted a mural of Ward standing like.... Best technical fighters there has been in the modern era n't do it data a... However with a strong jab Wards footwork was exceptional at controlling his opponent full video can found. Ward ended his career undefeated with 32 wins, 16 of which came inside the distance fight. 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Who turned up to survive recently ) in because of frustration that would be caught him! Later, losing a unanimous decision the beautiful catch and counter before against Barrera, but to win, this...
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