Thats a dangerous place to be. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. In boxings family of messy, dark characters, Ward is a virtual unknown, despite his success. On offense, that means running the football so the clock doesn't stop. This isnt to say theyre bad men at heart. But he paused after putting his key in the ignition. Ward defeated Kessler to via technical decision in round 11 to win his first world title. All three judges had the fight 120108 for Ward. [103][104], On August 23, 2017, Ward announced that his contract with HBO had expired, making him a free agent. Joe Louis was left a coked-out wreck. [98], Ward praised Kovalev in the post-fight interview, "He's a good fighter, and I have nothing but respect for him. Its what I do, its not who I am. And it continued to happen on and off for the next few years., Ward pointed up at his bedroom window. Everyone likes flash. He's not exciting, after all. He is a great fighter, and when you fight great fighters, you have to raise your game." In an interview with Jones last fall, he told me he was still fighting despite his age because it was Gods will. [93][94] On April 10, Kathy Duva said that there would be no rematch clause in place for a third fight, meaning whoever would win, would not be obliged to fight another rematch. It hurt me so bad my dad was taken like that. Theres a math equation very few people have solved. Ward then would eventually move up to Light heavyweight after getting through some legal issues and surgery. He would simply use his footwork, to get out of range by moving back slightly before pivoting off to right in most cases. The following are Andre Ward's Greatest Hits: 5. When its hard to get out of bed two or three days after a fight and she has to help me? I want to end up in that category.. Every day, Ward said. Give us videos of Floyd throwing money at a bunch of twerking strippers. A devout Christian, he regularly visits places in his area such as schools, prisons, and youth facilities. Yellow Tee $ 38 USD $ 48 USD. Theyd get into a knock-down, drag-out fight. In the fight he would fence with Dawsons southpaw jab, with his own, however, he would use it to condition the southpaw into a rhythm over time by touching w with him. And in a word of grownup problems, its nice to see the grownups take center stage every once in a while. ANDRE WARD MASTER CLASS ON DEFENSE: "KNOW HOW TO USE IT AND WHEN TO USE IT" 157,070 views Jul 5, 2020 4.5K Dislike Share FightHype.com 1.2M subscribers "All fighters throw punches but not. Muhammad Ali, after all, stood for something. Weve spent enough time on the past, Ward said. [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. He may not be as flashy as I was, but I wasnt as flashy as Ali was when I came up either, Jones said. Retained WBA (Super) super middleweight title. Frank Ward told his son hed found it in the street and didnt want anyone to find it. We were able to beat him to the punch, and that's what won us the fight." Ward finished his amateur career with a record of 115 wins and 5 losses.[6]. Learn how to improve your defense in my master class on @ebf_fightschool. [71] Ward spoke to HBO in the post fight interview about fighting Kovalev next saying: "I'm excited, I'm looking forward to it. We all have evidence of that from looking back. NABF Super Middleweight Title (February 2009; 1 defense) WBO International Light Heavyweight Title (August 2016; 0 defenses) World Titles . Thats a defense mechanism Thats how he survived so long. The Las Vegas Sun confirmed the bout will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Somebody in the car recognized me and opened the door and Roy was inside. An injury and eventual surgery to the right shoulder has made Ward even more reliant on the left hand, causing him to even switch to southpaw on occasion to land his power punches. Ward lives in Danville, California. 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. But there was a twist. I give him credit. He would use his feet to move around the ring effectively and determine the distance. Despite this confession, Jones, 47, has now fought more than 13 years since that match. Dave was the only person who refused to smile. So to counteract that and cause damage he would get up on the inside and use this as an opportunity to beat up on them when up close and would neutralize the effectiveness of their own punches. He put my medal on. I took the fight to him and closed the show. but this itself definitely gave Ward an advantage by giving him a much more powerful lead hand earning much respect from opponents. When asked about the potential mega fight against Kovalev, Ward said, "It's never a problem. Ward knew better than anyone what greatness required. In the third round, Ward dropped Dawson with a left hook and dominated the round. Yellow PO Hoody $ 85 USD. Ward is not a brawler, despite all those knockouts. His father remained a functional addict for years, but as his illness worsened the family home was lost. He recalled Hunter telling him, I dont know who you rolling with, but I know this, Gods got his hand on you, son. Some may find that lack of showmanship boring. Thats when Virgil took me in. Then of course create opportunities up top. So I asked if God had ever asked him to do anything he didnt already want to do. Retained WBA (Super), IBF, and WBO light heavyweight titles; Retained WBA (Super) super middleweight title; Home Depot Center, Carson, California, U.S. I did it. Your email address will not be published. link to Andre Ward On 10 Habits To Avoid To Succeed In Boxing, link to How To Box Like Andre Ward | Boxing Style Analysis, These Are the Best Muay Thai Styles to Knockout an Opponent, Andre Ward Boxing Style A True Pugilist | Full Breakdown (https://youtu.be/MEFkGSCqfFI), Andre Wards 10 habits to bad avoid in boxing. Andre Ward, perhaps the best prizefighter in the world, inherited the mantle from a line of leading men. On November 19, Ward will challenge Sergey Kovalev . Yes, he did punch me, but he didn't hurt me. Ward would also mix up the jab by attacking the stomach or solar plexus. . How many people walk away with all three? And the fact that Ward sticks to what he does best winning rather than gloating, speaks volumes. Daves father Kris, the owner of the boxing club, came over to greet Ward. Faith was a crucial part of his road back. [8] Green won the bout, and had hoped to fight Ward later in the year. Ward was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2021, his first year of eligibility.[3]. Andre Vasquez easily retained his seat as 40th Ward alderman. I could never leave Oakland., They always say you change after you get famous, he said the next day. Location. He retired with an undefeated record and held multiple world championships in two weight classes, including unified super middleweight titles between 2009 and 2015, and unified light heavyweight titles between 2016 and 2017. A lot of inner-city kids dont have their father. A right hand from Ward had Kovalev in trouble, which was followed by several body shots, including a low blow. Im trying to shake those ghosts.. Barrera was also dropped in the eighth round from a body shot, but referee Raul Caiz Sr. saw it as a low blow and as a result deducted a point from Ward. Sergey Kovalev, he's a great champion." [43], On March 23, 2013, the WBC stripped Ward of the WBC super-middleweight title belt for being inactive for a long period of time, and for failing to face a mandatory challenger. [40][41], The fight was watched by an average 1.3 million viewers on HBO. Kovalev is an absolute device of destruction in the ring. I also have a lot of reason to be. His last task and final opponent may be breaking free from that bitter inheritance. [10][11], Ward's first fight in the tournament took place in his hometown of Oakland, California, against Ring Magazine #1 ranked and joint tournament favorite Mikkel Kessler (42-1, 32 KO) on November 21, 2009. Every time I spar or take big shots in my fights, I may not show it, but Ive taken some punishment. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'myboxinglife_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_9',116,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-myboxinglife_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0'); Some of the greats such as Floyd and or more recently Canelo Alvarez have always been more calculated when they throw punches and would always rather get much cleaner damaging shots. There was also the great use of arm control where he would use his arms against the opponent to move out the way. [111] A natural left-handed fighter who boxes in an orthodox stance, Ward's best punches typically come from the lead left, including a sharp, piston-like jab, which he shoots to the body as well as the head. How can he be that good while still being a cipher? WBA super middleweight title. This pattern was repeated for many years over the course of Wards adolescence. Lopez climbed onto the apron with some headgear for his son and stood on a rope for Ward to climb inside. Ward stated his only regret was that he wasn't able to stop Green, who turned up to survive. I'm finished. Not every round, but I thought I was doing very good. Id given my whole life to boxing and I was burned out, he recalled. Ward is now a retired and former world champion boxer from Oakland, California. [54] Roc Nation did reach out to HBO, where Ward had worked as an analyst previously, but upon hearing his opponent, they passed on the opportunity to showcase Ward's long-awaited return. Fair enough. His little boys were sitting there close to me and they went crazy. [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. She sees the aftermath. He was ready to step up to his biggest challenge against big American puncher Allan Green (25-1, 18 KOs), with the fight scheduled to take place on February 2, 2008, on HBO. [30], Ward won the Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament via unanimous decision . [63] Barrera was risking his IBF mandatory position in this fight. Ward won all 12 rounds on one judges scorecard and was ahead 118110 on the other two. [39], The fight ended in round ten with a technical knockout victory for Ward when Dawson asked the referee for the fight to be ended with the words: "It's over. "It was a classic hometown decision. Continue with Recommended Cookies. For the most part, I grew up middle-class. 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. In an article, which appeared at FoxSports.com, boxing writer Zachary Alapi speculates that Ward is one of the best in-fighters in boxing, being "merciless when it comes to wrestling in the clinch while simultaneously throwing punches to prevent a break, Ward is also willing to fight dirty if he has to.