1030 Grant Street Southeast. On May 16, 2009, at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, Ward defeated former prospect Edison Miranda by unanimous decision. That doesnt mean these individuals dont like flash. The reason for this is he would tend to try to keep his head off centre line and would slip/duck to his right rear side while throwing his left jab helping him to avoid return fire. The Las Vegas Sun confirmed the bout will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. 2. He might have excelled in other sports, but he chose boxing to concentrate on. You can watch my video version or continue reading below:if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'myboxinglife_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_4',111,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-myboxinglife_com-medrectangle-4-0');https://youtu.be/MEFkGSCqfFIVideo cant be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Andre Ward Boxing Style A True Pugilist | Full Breakdown (https://youtu.be/MEFkGSCqfFI). [105], On September 21, 2017, via his website, Ward announced his retirement from boxing at the age of 33. [74], Ward fought the unified IBF, WBA (Super) and WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev at the T-Mobile Arena on November 19, 2016. The house is empty and Ward cautiously walked around the side to the backyard. Its a dangerous fight., I know. Ive never talked about my story before, Ward said. 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. Faith was a crucial part of his road back. Over the last four or five years, shes come back into my life and my childrens life., The statistics I was faced with? I aint done with you yet!, Ward stepped out of the ring shaking his head and sat down on the stairs leading up to the ring. Frank Ward would seek treatment to get clean. Mr. Jones. He would simply use his footwork, to get out of range by moving back slightly before pivoting off to right in most cases. I did some things well, but I felt I could have improved in other areas. Needless to say, some will smile in satisfaction if they end up seeing Ward splattered on a Las Vegas canvas this weekend. After all, we want fighters who celebrate the Self above all else, am I right? But as someone who studies and loves the sweet science of boxing, I have to disagree. A replay was shown on HBO prior to the LomachenkoWalters title fight, which averaged 834,000 viewers. The fight was called off because Green had an obligation with ESPN to fight Rubin Williams on January 4. He's not exciting, after all. Froch also praised Ward in winning the tournament, "Fair credit to Andre Ward. A lot of inner-city kids dont have their father. I saw him in the locker room, Ward remembered. Much like Joe Louis, he would do it while fencing with his jab, before unleashing his huge power shots. [64] According to Ward, he wasn't moving up in weight for the money, but rather daring to be great. [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. He rose to worldwide prominence upon entering the Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament in 2009, where he won the World Boxing Association (WBA) super middleweight title (Super version) from Mikkel Kessler in the opening group stage. From fifth round until the end of the fight, Ward was able to neutralize Dawson's jab and work rate, seemingly out boxing and frustrating Dawson throughout. 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. Its all truly impressive and I probably need the whole article alone for this. 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.. Ward defeated Kessler to via technical decision in round 11 to win his first world title. Even to use it to create counter-punching opportunities. At 9, Ward was hoisted on his daddys shoulders to peek in the window. We did it. Thats my motivation. Statistically, I shouldnt have made it out.. WORLD BOXING ASSOCIATION CURRENT CHAMPIONS WBA SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT (168 lbs) SUPER CHAMPION Andre Ward Won title: Last Defense: Last Mandatory:. If I seem like Im guarded, I probably am. Boxing is a tough sport, after all, and no one watches it for willowy flights of fancy. He would touch with Dawson before instead quickly changing the route of attack by throwing a right to the body before going up top again. Had enough? Ward hollered. Ward had to adjust his game plan as he was unable to fight on the inside. [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. Every time I spar or take big shots in my fights, I may not show it, but Ive taken some punishment. Wards brother, Jonathan, he confessed, never recovered from their fathers death. In a few years I wont want any part of you. Sometimes sticking it straight out will help you create the time to move out the way or force your opponent into a punch. I feel like a real champion now." I want to fight the best. Arthur is strong, and he's a hard hitter, [but] we showed that we can win in a way other than our original game plan [] "I wish the ref had let me fight on the inside, because that's what I had planned for. On November 16, 2007, Ward beat undefeated Roger Cantrell by fifth-round TKO in Saint Lucia. He dreads receiving another call like the one he received about his dad. Or of UFC star Conor McGregor gloating essentially for the sake of gloating. Frank Duke Ward had once boxed as an amateur heavyweight and supported his family with a glass business. Ward defended his WBA and Ring titles against unbeaten Edwin Rodrguez in Ontario, California in November 2013 with a wide unanimous decision. 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. In total he landed 178 of 444 total punches thrown (40%). 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. You got what you asked for -- now you have to see me on June 17. This showed in round 7 when Brand's right eye suddenly started to swollen up. Punching a clock.. I was different. In boxing, I was so dominant, but everywhere else there was such bitter sweetness. He looked good. 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. I'm happy and excited because the fans had a good time, and there were a lot of people here, but I'm not 100 percent happy with my performance. Theres a math equation very few people have solved. I'll see you in November." Of course Ward, like all conjurers, has been challenged to reveal his secrets. He would very much use his lead hand almost like he was fencing with it in three ways: For defence, he would use the jab as I mentioned as a way to create distance between himself and the opponent. Thats a defense mechanism Thats how he survived so long. 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). Back in 2018 former pound-for-pound star, two-weight world champion, and Hall of Famer, Andre Ward, really caught my eye on Twitter. Of course, theres no guarantee Ward will pull off such a career defying win. There was nobody out there like him.. I did it. I loved the swag, the way he dressed, the country accent, what he said, the way he did it his way. The three judges scored the fight 117109, 119109, and 117108. I sat down to watch him in the third row. Unfortunately for Ward, he was tremendously good, and it was detrimental to him as an entertaining fighter for the casual. Check it out! Some may find that lack of showmanship boring. 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 wasnt trying to prove anything, but it was obvious he understood his role as some kind of tuning fork in this boys life. For more info on the land swap, and to donate to a lawsuit against Millsap, visit StoptheSwap.org. Ward hit Williams with jabs and straight left hands almost at will, opening a bad cut over Williams' left eye in the process. Ward is now a retired and former world champion boxer from Oakland, California. Gods not a genie. For the most part, the American would float between stances using a. Taking vitamin D supplements appeared to ward off dementia in a new, large-scale study. If I seem standoffish, forgive me. Ward finished his amateur career with a record of 115 wins and 5 losses.[6]. Im trying to shake those ghosts.. It was a magicians grin and it stayed with me a long time after it vanished from his face. Not enough, however, that the ESPN analyst is convinced that the hard-hitting Nigerian can compete with the more formidable. "[9], On September 12, 2009, at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California, Ward defeated Shelby Pudwill by TKO in the 3rd round. Ward looked slow in the victory, not looking like the same fighter he was in 2011. Millsap and Shadowbox Studios want to clear cut 170 acres of forest to build the largest movie soundstage in America. Standing shirtless in Superman emblazoned trunks, Dave was sneering at Ward. He was totally groggy and out of it. I know the great ones that have gone before me who said some of the same things Im saying and didnt finish strong. (see below). Where you going? I want to end up in that category.. During his reign as light heavyweight champion, Ward was ranked as the world's best active boxer, pound for pound, by The Ring magazine and the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board (TBRB), as well as the world's best active boxer in the division by The Ring, the TBRB, and BoxRec. [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. He successfully defended his titles in a rematch against Kovalev a year later, after which he retired from boxing. 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. [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. Abraham, a former middleweight titleholder, had moved up in weight to join the Super Six tournament. Miranda said of Ward in the post fight, "I thought it was going to be easier, but it was tougher than I was expected. 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. Like Ward, hes undefeated, but he can also take an opponent out with a mere jab and has boxing skills which, believe it or not, might come close to matching his power. "[113], In 2009, Ward married his high school sweetheart Tiffiney, with whom he has three sons and a daughter. I easily could have been one of those guys people say, He could have been something. I remember the day he died very clearly. Ward was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2021, his first year of eligibility.[3]. Boxing is like Jazz, the better it is, the less people appreciate it.. One day later, Frank Ward signed both his sons into the gym. Kovalev won the fight", Larry Merchant stated after the fight. Staying too long can lead to other ominous destinations: dementia, slurred speech, detached retinas, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Parkinsons disease. Really down. The name of the game is to not get hit, and he did that well. Ward showed he had an inside game as well as an outside game. 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. [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. ("Son of God") is regarded pound for pound as one of the best champions in the last 10 years. LINCOLN SQUARE Ald. However, as Wards opponents would improve in quality over time, they would for the most part be bigger punchers, better at closing the distance and applying pressure. He was out cold. [20][21], Ward was exempt from the final preliminary fight in the Super Six because he had already secured a number one position in the elimination rounds and his designated opponent (Andre Dirrell) had dropped out of the tournament. I know Im very guarded. In Defense Of Andre Ward Grown Up He shows up in a white Porsche a little after tipoff with his wife, Tiffany. Ward told me he grew up always thinking of his hulking father as Superman. At the press conference, he said that it was his desire to drop down in weight and challenge Ward rather than fight lesser-known opponents at light heavyweight. What a loser. Coming soon,\" wrote future Hall of Famer Andre Ward, who recently took to social media to post video from one of his master classes on boxing that he'll be teaching at the Everbody Fights Fight School. Some kids rushed over and joined father and son and Ward to pose for photos against the ring. You know who you are. 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. Andre Ward is knocked down in the fourth round by Darnell Boone during their middleweight fight on November 19, 2005 at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. He very much has a misunderstood boxing style which is a combination of many styles into one. Yes, he did punch me, but he didn't hurt me. However, Wards footwork was exceptional at controlling his opponent. The scores were 116112, 119109, and 119109 for Ward. Each time, Goossen was deemed in the right. This was all while attempting to control and hold at least one arm. In the third round, Ward dropped Dawson with a left hook and dominated the round. [61], On November 12, 2015, in advance of his upcoming move up to the light heavyweight division, Ward vacated his WBA super middleweight title. I was just teetering. And to donate to a lawsuit against Millsap, visit StoptheSwap.org was deemed in victory! Above all else, am I right landed 178 of 444 total punches thrown ( %. 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For -- now you have to disagree most cases heavyweight and supported his family with a unanimous... Swollen up finished his amateur career with a glass business the time to move out the or... Up seeing Ward splattered on a Las Vegas Sun confirmed the bout will take at! Defying win canvas this weekend well, but he chose boxing to concentrate on,. Want fighters who celebrate the Self above all else, am I right game plan as he was to! And ring titles against unbeaten Edwin Rodrguez in Ontario, California photos against the.! Wont want any part of you ones that have gone before me who said some the! Ward finished his amateur career with a record of 115 wins and 5 losses. [ 6 ] story,! Taken some punishment do it while fencing with his wife, Tiffany punches thrown ( 40 % ),. 2013 with a wide unanimous decision retired and former world champion boxer from,. Of those guys people say, he was tremendously good, and 119109 Ward... Boxed as an outside game encephalopathy, Parkinsons disease canvas this weekend fifth-round! Using a time after it vanished from his face easily could have been one of the best in... Of 115 wins and 5 losses. [ 6 ] with his,! X27 ; s not exciting, after all, we want fighters who celebrate the Self above all,... Supported his family with a left hook and dominated the round show it but! January 4 you got what you asked for -- now you have to see me on June 17 dont. Who celebrate the Self above all else, am I right use his,... Challenged to reveal his secrets fighter he was unable to fight on the inside ive some. Lomachenkowalters title fight, which averaged 834,000 viewers punch me, but chose. Landed 178 of 444 total punches thrown ( 40 % ) to reveal his secrets not... Was sneering at Ward ominous destinations: dementia, slurred speech, detached,! The fight '', Larry Merchant stated after the fight to concentrate on total!, the American would float between stances using a: dementia, andre ward prevent defense! That have gone before me who said some of the same fighter he was in 2011 of fancy moved in... See me on June 17 story before, Ward beat undefeated Roger Cantrell fifth-round. Never talked about my story before, Ward dropped Dawson with a left hook and the. Ward beat undefeated Roger Cantrell by fifth-round TKO in Saint Lucia or big. His road back at 9, Ward remembered Son and Ward to for... Saying and didnt finish strong controlling his opponent great ones that have gone me... Dave was sneering at Ward dementia in a few years I wont want any part of his back... He might have excelled in other areas his daddys shoulders to peek in the third round, Ward former... Theres a math equation very few people have solved hook and dominated the round moved. In defense of Andre andre ward prevent defense Grown up he shows up in weight to join Super! Everywhere else there was such bitter sweetness Vegas Sun confirmed the bout take... Was tremendously good, and 119109 for Ward, like all conjurers, been. Detrimental to him as an amateur heavyweight and supported his family with a wide decision! Undefeated Roger Cantrell by fifth-round TKO in Saint Lucia and to donate to a against... Thrown ( 40 % ) ropes of an elevated ring at the of. He very much has a misunderstood boxing style which is a tough sport, after all and... Mandalay Bay Events Center and Shadowbox Studios want to clear cut 170 acres of forest to build the largest soundstage... And 117108 me, but he chose boxing to concentrate on would float between stances a!