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. Ward dominated Ravelo for most of the fight en route to a TKO victory in the eighth round. This project would cement Atlanta as the new Hollywood, making the cost of living in our city outrageous. "[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. Birth Name: Andre Michael Ward Hometown: Oakland, California, USA Birthplace: San Francisco, California, USA Stance: Orthodox Height: 183cm Reach: 180cm Pro Boxer: Record Amateur Boxer: Record Trainer: Virgil Hunter (1994-2017) Manager: James Prince (2004-2017) I easily could have been one of those guys people say, He could have been something. I remember the day he died very clearly. But no doubt he couldve done more often than if he wished to. 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. Understanding that past brings perspective. You have probably seen the beautiful catch and counter before against Barrera, but this was a rare occurrence of Ward standing like this. I loved the swag, the way he dressed, the country accent, what he said, the way he did it his way. [103][104], On August 23, 2017, Ward announced that his contract with HBO had expired, making him a free agent. Some may find that lack of showmanship boring. [44], On May 20, Ward relinquished the champion emeritus title, stating that he did not believe the WBC had the right to strip him of the world title because he was willing and able to defend it within the period specified by the WBC's rules. [50][51] Dan Goossen died of complications from liver cancer in September 2014, leaving the future of Andre Ward's boxing career even further in doubt. But then I tried for the knockout, and I couldn't do it. I didnt want people to grab a hold of that and just run with the typical African-American who came from the ghetto., When I visited Oakland in May, his longtime publicist gave me his gyms address and warned, Theres no signage anywhere, but dont think you are in the wrong place when you arrive.. I feel like a real champion now." Every single time. [55][56] Ward won via TKO in the 9th round. Or of UFC star Conor McGregor gloating essentially for the sake of gloating. I whispered in his ear, Im going to finish what we started. Required fields are marked *. Ward wasnt trying to prove anything, but it was obvious he understood his role as some kind of tuning fork in this boys life. His last professional fight was a light-heavyweight title defense bout against Russian boxer Sergey Kovalev on June 17, 2017. Thats a dangerous place to be. Some may find it hypocritical again, cynics will always be cynical. He and Tiffany now have four children, Andre Jr., 15; Malachi, 13; Amira, 7, their only girl; and Mika, 3. 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. [12] Kessler's WBA super-middleweight championship was also at stake. LINCOLN SQUARE Ald. When I was a kid, the hill nearby and these streets seemed huge. I gotta figure that out.. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Hes a man. But gradually his son discovered the old man had his own kryptonite: He had secretly battled addiction to heroin since before Ward was born. 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. Miranda said of Ward in the post fight, "I thought it was going to be easier, but it was tougher than I was expected. They came over and Ward threw his arm around Dave. [23] Fighting in front of his hometown crowd as part of a dual-site co-main event, Ward didn't land many big shots but repeatedly hit Bika with a stinging left jab that the challenger was unable to counter. Daves father was beaming with approval. Ive taken a lot of punishment. [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. 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. Really down. After a while they couldnt bet against him, so instead they criticized his style. Now another big part of Wards game is of course his defense and counter punching. Boxing is a tough sport, after all, and no one watches it for willowy flights of fancy. But combined with the occasional Philly shell or flashy movement from one of the previous names I just mentioned. On offense, that means running the football so the clock doesn't stop. First time around, the man is world champion, and he's been on top a long time. It wouldve been nice to see Ward box a couple more years, but I have nothing but respect for all he achieved, in particular, his gold at Athens, coming out on top in a competitive super middleweight division and finishing off by defeating the much-feared Kovalev at the time. That doesnt mean these individuals dont like flash. The next day I got the call from my cousin saying my daddy was dead. This was Ward's third fight in eight months, after only fighting three times from 2012 to 2015. Dawson started his career at super middleweight, but hadn't fought at the weight since February 2006. After the bout, Ward gave a victory speech, "I can't believe it, I can't believe it -- it's not so unbelievable that we never thought we were going to win, but now that it's happened, it is unbelievable. Manage Settings Of course Ward, like all conjurers, has been challenged to reveal his secrets. Hes going to remember this for the rest of his life., A minute later, Ward finally called a halt to the sparring session and Dave mocked him for being a quitter. It would give his opponent a false sense of security that he only has one arm available to use, so cant do anything. He would simply use his footwork, to get out of range by moving back slightly before pivoting off to right in most cases. Email Support. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Ive boxed for over 20 years. Ward earned a purse of $850,000 compared to the small amount of $30,000 earned by Brand. Ward showed he had an inside game as well as an outside game. He claimed that it was done to make him look "vulnerable and expose him with weight loss. While others sought the limelight, he resisted it, closely guarding his privacy and a family story that could rival any of his predecessors for pathos. Ward dictated the pace for the vast majority of the bout, showcasing good strength and ring generalship against Barrera. There were 40% fewer dementia diagnoses among people who took vitamin D supplements in a study. When asked about the potential mega fight against Kovalev, Ward said, "It's never a problem. So I just began spiraling out of control in a way I know a lot of people never come back from.. Ive never talked about my story before, Ward said. I want to end up in that category.. Dad lost the house when he went to get treatment when I was 11 or 12. ("Son of God") is regarded pound for pound as one of the best champions in the last 10 years. "[76] Ward received Kovalev's WBA (Super), IBF, and WBO light heavyweight titles and became a two-division world champion. Needless to say, some will smile in satisfaction if they end up seeing Ward splattered on a Las Vegas canvas this weekend. I didnt hear no bell! he yelled. On May 16, 2009, at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, Ward defeated former prospect Edison Miranda by unanimous decision. Punching a clock.. Ward told me he grew up always thinking of his hulking father as Superman. Having your legacy, finances, and faculties intact. The fight went to the scorecards and Ward was far ahead by scores of 9892, 9892, and 9793 at the time of the stoppage. We wanted to fight on the inside and on the outside, and we pulled it off tonight. The name of the game is to not get hit, and he did that well. On the other side was Wards white, custom-built truck, the license plate reading SOG (son of God). 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. Then he grinned and began nodding. Thats when Virgil took me in. I wanted to not care about anything. From beginners to champions, learning defense takes time. Andre is the champion. 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. He was the longtime world champion as a super middleweight, one of the most dangerous divisions in the sport. On February 5, 2005, Ward fought in his second pro fight against Kenny Kost. I'm finished. In 2016, following a long period of sporadic in-ring activity, Ward moved up to light heavyweight and won the WBA (Undisputed version), International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) titles from then-undefeated Sergey Kovalev. 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. Your email address will not be published. I've always fought the best. Sergey Kovalev, he's a great champion." [72] Ward landed 190 of 490 punches thrown (39%), and Brand landed 45 of 285 (16%). If I seem standoffish, forgive me. What you waiting for? Dave hollered, the voice like his physique still untouched by puberty. [75], After being knocked down in the second round, he won a controversial decision with all three judges scoring the fight 114113 in favor of Ward. So I asked if God had ever asked him to do anything he didnt already want to do. However, from this one fight alone, we are able to look back to see the intelligent tactics Ward used. Andre Ward saw some improvement in Efe Ajagba on Saturday night. This earned Ward the Comeback of the Year award by The Ring. [71] Ward spoke to HBO in the post fight interview about fighting Kovalev next saying: "I'm excited, I'm looking forward to it. but this itself definitely gave Ward an advantage by giving him a much more powerful lead hand earning much respect from opponents. He put my medal on. Ward remembered seeing his father retire to his room after work and transform himself into a glassy-eyed, entirely different person. After Kovalev, some will give me my just due, others will say I just outboxed him. Ward noticeably stiffened, but signed the merchandise before kissing his aunt on the cheek. Kovalev is an absolute device of destruction in the ring. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Interest-Based Ads | EU Privacy Rights | Cookie Policy | Manage Preferences. I was walking back to the hotel where everybody was staying and I saw a Rolls-Royce. Lopez climbed onto the apron with some headgear for his son and stood on a rope for Ward to climb inside. Andre Ward, perhaps the best prizefighter in the world, inherited the mantle from a line of leading men. For the loss, Dawson earned $600,000, whilst Ward had a total $1,367,500 purse. This isnt to say theyre bad men at heart. 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. In boxings family of messy, dark characters, Ward is a virtual unknown, despite his success. 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. "[32][33][34], Ward won the vacant Ring and lineal super middleweight titles with his Super Six World Boxing Classic win against Froch, despite some independent sources rating then-undefeated IBF champion Lucian Bute at number one or two at the time. An MRI later revealed that Ward injured his lead left hand on which he relied for landing hooks to Froch's head. Andre Ward has never lost a fight in his professional boxing career. On November 19, Ward will challenge Sergey Kovalev . He dreads receiving another call like the one he received about his dad. On my final night with Ward, he had two places to show me before we parted ways. The fight should have continued. [28], In the post fight interviews, Abraham said through a translator, "I started well, and I thought I did good the first three rounds He didn't hit me, and I was blocking a lot of his shots. [35] The fight peaked at 580,000 viewers on Showtime. But he paused after putting his key in the ignition. True to his trainers prophesy, Ward married his first high school sweetheart. Mr. Jones. [105], On September 21, 2017, via his website, Ward announced his retirement from boxing at the age of 33. But at the time, even with the possibility of the Olympics just a few years away, Wards commitment to boxing began to unravel. In the co-featured non-televised portion of the card, heavyweight world contender Cristobal Arreola took on Nagy Aguilera of the Dominican Republic. Each time, Goossen was deemed in the right. 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. Ward once described his style as formless and is no doubt inspired by what Bruce Lee said, Be shapeless, formless, like water. Ward shook his head, smiling. Ward made his pro debut on December 18, 2004, by scoring a second round TKO over Chris Molina. He elevated in California, anf the husband elevated to get great friend with boxer Andre Dirrell while he was just 17. Its what I do, its not who I am. I think Im the same shy guy Ive been all my life.. [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. Every time I spar or take big shots in my fights, I may not show it, but Ive taken some punishment. [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. Thats my motivation. But he didnt die with a needle in his arm, Ward quickly added. If he wins as expected, Ward is slated to fight Russian light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev in Las Vegas on Nov. 19, in what many believe could be professional boxings best fight in well over a decade. I could not have done this without you." As an amateur boxer, Ward won the light heavyweight gold medal at the 2004 Olympics and turned professional later that year. Ward had been a fan of his since the mid-90s. Ward still has a copy of the sign-up sheet. Andre Michael Ward (born February 23, 1984) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 2004 to 2017. WORLD BOXING ASSOCIATION CURRENT CHAMPIONS WBA SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT (168 lbs) SUPER CHAMPION Andre Ward Won title: Last Defense: Last Mandatory:. [64] According to Ward, he wasn't moving up in weight for the money, but rather daring to be great. Ward landed 166 from 463 thrown (36%) whilst Barrera landed 111 of 722 punches thrown (15%). There was nobody out there like him.. Ward later admitted it was his toughest fight to date, since he became professional. How many times did they bet against Floyd? On Aug. 6, Ward will face Colombian Alexander Brand at Oracle Arena in Wards hometown of Oakland, California. On defense, this means being okay with the offense completing short passes over the middle because it keeps the clock running. With all precincts reporting Tuesday night, Vasquez held 78.06 percent of the vote to challengers Christian Blume's 15.14 percent and Jane Lucius' 6.6 percent. Not every round, but I thought I was doing very good. Over the last four or five years, shes come back into my life and my childrens life., The statistics I was faced with? It was also noted that the rematch would take place at the Mandalay Bay in Paradise, Nevada on HBO PPV. Earned a purse of $ 30,000 earned by Brand a problem to say theyre bad men at heart I! Inside and on the other side was Wards white, custom-built truck, the man is champion... 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A Rolls-Royce only has one arm available to use, so instead criticized! Interest-Based Ads | EU Privacy Rights | Cookie Policy | Interest-Based Ads EU! Aguilera of the bout, showcasing good strength and ring generalship against,! Medal at the Mandalay Bay in Paradise, Nevada on HBO PPV Froch... Nevada on HBO PPV range by moving back slightly before pivoting off to right in most cases however, this! Him.. Ward later admitted it was done to make him look `` vulnerable expose. To get out of range by moving back slightly before pivoting off to right in most cases entirely different.... And Ward threw his arm, Ward won via TKO in the ring alone! Not get hit, and he did that well cousin saying my daddy was dead powerful lead earning! His second pro fight against Kovalev, some will give me my just due, others will I! Ward is a tough sport, after all, and faculties intact course his defense and counter punching | Policy! 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There was nobody out there like him.. Ward later admitted it was done to make him ``! But he didnt die with a needle in his arm around Dave # x27 ; t stop just 17,...
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