First up, Ward would like to fight on the inside at different points in the fight against specific fighters in his career. I give it everything I have.. The fight took place on May 14, 2011, at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. How do you think I survived? He had the tuxedo robe. No warning. Boxing is a tough sport, after all, and no one watches it for willowy flights of fancy. I respect him as a champion. I came from some really tough circumstances and almost didnt make it out. 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. They did that to Roy Jones his whole career. Atlanta, GA 30315. You aint gonna get away with anything. His pastor, former NFL running back Napoleon Kaufman, has played one of the biggest roles in Wards life since he got his life back on track after his fathers death. Ward overcame a rocky second round, in which he was hurt by a left hook, to win by unanimous decision. 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!. Ill never forget that day. We told you this is what we wanted to do. Andre Ward On 10 Habits To Avoid To Succeed In Boxing. He and Tiffany now have four children, Andre Jr., 15; Malachi, 13; Amira, 7, their only girl; and Mika, 3. Along with his older half-brother, Jonathan, Ward was raised by his white father in Hayward and North Oakland. Hed be fired up and then be a zombie. When Ward was 12, he found a needle in his fathers room and naively brought it to him asking where it might have come from. WBA super middleweight title. The fight should have continued. The fight was called off because Green had an obligation with ESPN to fight Rubin Williams on January 4. In three years I wont be able to do that with him again, he said. I feel like a real champion now." [105], On September 21, 2017, via his website, Ward announced his retirement from boxing at the age of 33. What you waiting for? Dave hollered, the voice like his physique still untouched by puberty. Andre Ward was created with an Irish American father along with an African-American mother. Ward stated his only regret was that he wasn't able to stop Green, who turned up to survive. [45] Ward was praised for standing up to the WBC. In Defense Of Andre Ward Grown Up Mr. Jones. The injury was more severe than originally thought and led to the cancellation of the fight as well as the subsequent retirement of Pavlik. I'm finished. I wanted to be a kid. You gonna get in here or what? the boy yelled. He attributes his self-described "formless" style to years of studying Roy Jones Jr., Bernard Hopkins, and Floyd Mayweather Jr.[112] Ward also makes effective use of the jab to the body while out of punching range. The American had an illustrious Amateur and Professional career winning multiple titles at all levels. Id see kids in school and that was the void that I had. I can work with that.. It was quite hard to hit him. I want to end up in that category.. Staying too long can lead to other ominous destinations: dementia, slurred speech, detached retinas, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Parkinsons disease. But more importantly, accurate hard-landed punches will more likely hurt your opponent than hitting gloves/arms. Frank Ward told his son hed found it in the street and didnt want anyone to find it. This type of defense is typically used before halftime or the last play of the game. So I just began spiraling out of control in a way I know a lot of people never come back from.. For a 32-year-old world champion and the last American male boxer to win a gold medal at the Olympics back in 2004, youd expect at least a few barrels of ink had been spilled connecting the dots of his biography. If I seem standoffish, forgive me. But he moved up to light heavyweight last year so he could face Kovalev, a fearsome puncher, who is 30-0-1 with 26 knockouts and in 2011 beat an opponent so badly that he died shortly after the bout. Abraham entered having lost two of his previous three bouts. I think Im the same shy guy Ive been all my life.. 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. Theres charm in his smile and a warm handshake. He claimed that it was done to make him look "vulnerable and expose him with weight loss. Look, its obvious Ward is far from perfect just like the rest of us. Dirrell's trainer and uncle Leon Lawson Jr., told ESPN that Dirrell had neurological problems. In boxings family of messy, dark characters, Ward is a virtual unknown, despite his success. Theres a math equation very few people have solved. The fight was announced in June, with a rematch clause, and both fighters retained their undefeated records through interim bouts. Retained NABF and NABO super middleweight titles. The name of the game is to not get hit, and he did that well. He lived with his wife nearby.. Ward made his pro debut on December 18, 2004, by scoring a second round TKO over Chris Molina. Or by being too close for opponents to hit him cleanly or effectively. Like Joe Louis, he lost his first amateur contest. Maybe Ward has one more profound trick up his sleeve: rising to the top of his craft and claiming a happy ending, not just as his reward, but as a central part of his legacy. Im on a mission. [103][104], On August 23, 2017, Ward announced that his contract with HBO had expired, making him a free agent. Then he grinned and began nodding. ("Son of God") was regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound champions in his era as a pro. Dawson was coming off a big win against future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins in April. 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. Yet there are those who actually find Wards lack of swagger refreshing. Andre Michael Ward (born February 23, 1984) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 2004 to 2017. [13] The fight was stopped in round 11 due to cuts on Kessler's face caused by what was deemed unintentional headbutts by Ward. Andre Ward walks to the ring prior to his bout against Carl Froch of England during their WBA/WBC Super Middleweight Championship bout at Boardwalk Hall on December 17, 2011 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Somebody in the car recognized me and opened the door and Roy was inside. [38] The fight, billed as "Ward vs. Dawson World Champions Made In America'' took place at 168lbs for Ward's super middleweight titles. Theres a rickety wooden deck built over a carpet of brick and as he climbed the lone step, the wood creaked under his sneakers. [12] Kessler's WBA super-middleweight championship was also at stake. [30], Ward won the Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament via unanimous decision . Ward noticeably stiffened, but signed the merchandise before kissing his aunt on the cheek. Ward wants to cheer on his friend Curry. He very much has a misunderstood boxing style which is a combination of many styles into one. Ward defeated Green by unanimous decision on June 19, 2010. This Man DOMINATED Boxing's TOUGHEST Tournament | Andre Ward Motivedia - Boxing 1.09M subscribers 646K views 4 months ago A warrior who would push every boundary and dig into every reserve to. I gotta figure that out.. Abraham didn't believe he had lost the fight with such wide scores. This pattern was repeated for many years over the course of Wards adolescence. Now throughout his career, he had one notable but convincing win against Chad Dawson, who was a natural Light Heavyweight and former world champion who had dropped down in weight at the time to fight Ward. Muhammad Ali, after all, stood for something. In the co-featured non-televised portion of the card, heavyweight world contender Cristobal Arreola took on Nagy Aguilera of the Dominican Republic. Ward remembered seeing his father retire to his room after work and transform himself into a glassy-eyed, entirely different person. I'm done." Ward showed he had an inside game as well as an outside game. Making him one of the best technical fighters there has been in the modern era. They dont tell you that really its everyone else around you that changes. 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. I remember once she stabbed him. [63] Barrera was risking his IBF mandatory position in this fight. Im chasing greatness. but this itself definitely gave Ward an advantage by giving him a much more powerful lead hand earning much respect from opponents. Ward reiterated how the events of the evening unfolded, "I got off the canvas against the hardest puncher in the division and smiled. [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. This earned Ward the Comeback of the Year award by The Ring. [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. In 2015, Ward made his acting debut in the American sports drama film and Rocky franchise spin-off, Creed, as the light heavyweight boxer Danny "Stuntman" Wheeler. Over the first seven rounds, Ward outboxed Froch, successfully using his jab to neutralize Froch and beating Froch to the punch from a distance and at close range. Yet his role in boxing was never descended from Muhammad Alis brash hero, Mike Tysons villain, or Floyd Mayweather Jr.s Money-obsessed anti-hero. Despite the knockdown, Ward went on to win by unanimous decision.[7]. Andre Ward has never lost a fight in his professional boxing career. 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. Yes, he did punch me, but he didn't hurt me. May 14, 2011. Kovalev is a defining moment, Ward said softly. An MRI later revealed that Ward injured his lead left hand on which he relied for landing hooks to Froch's head. Email Support. [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. I want to fight the best. I wanted to not care about anything. The worst-case scenario in my world happened. His dad died suddenly of a heart attack. 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. I've got to go look at the tape. Its just that they like something more than mere showiness. Ward turned this over for a second. Ward went on to dominate the rest of the fight. Soaking in the response, Ward shook his head. Ward ended his career undefeated with 32 wins, 16 of which came inside the distance. I was different. However, Wards footwork was exceptional at controlling his opponent. 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. 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. We are a top boxing blog that brings you personal coverage on equipment reviews, training tips, fighter analysis, nutrition, news and motivation.I created Boxing Life simply because of a passion for the sweet sciencethe sport of boxing. This in turn can help judges swing around in your favor, even if the opponent has thrown more punches. I was numb. I didnt hear no bell! he yelled. Yet others will actually be happy to see a well known individual acting over the age of seventeen. He said, "We're going to the final, baby. Ward was winning every round at the time of stoppage 8072 on all three judges' scorecards. Ive never talked about my parents before and some of their struggles. Dave was the only person who refused to smile. 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.. I was walking back to the hotel where everybody was staying and I saw a Rolls-Royce. Brin-Jonathan Butler has had his work published in ESPN The Magazine, Esquire, Harper's, The Paris Review, Salon, and Vice. In an interview with Jones last fall, he told me he was still fighting despite his age because it was Gods will. On February 5, 2005, Ward fought in his second pro fight against Kenny Kost. The event produced a live gate of $3.3 million from 10,066 tickets sold, including complimentary tickets, the full attendance was announced as 13,310. For the most part, the American would float between stances using a. It just means Ward doesnt have a desire to exert all his energies exalting his own awesomeness. I lost the fight, fair and square. 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. I thought he was taking sleeping pills. Retained WBA (Super), IBF, and WBO light heavyweight titles; Retained WBA (Super) super middleweight title; Home Depot Center, Carson, California, U.S. I know Im very guarded. We wanted to fight on the inside and on the outside, and we pulled it off tonight. Hed follow alongside me in his truck. But in the case of this article, Ill focus on his final fight, here you can see Ward attacking Kovalev to the body relentlessly. 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. The American finally decided to hang up the gloves in 2017 after retaining his world title belts against Sergey Kovalev in his rematch. Jones asked Wards permission to wear his Olympic gold medal into the ring. And then would use intelligent arm control when on the inside to stop his opponents from throwing uppercuts. However as his left hand was naturally stronger, Ward would on occasion turn southpaw on occasion against some opponents. [83] CompuBox stats showed that Kovalev landed more punches, 126 of 474 punches; Ward landed 116 out of 337 thrown He successfully defended his titles in a rematch against Kovalev a year later, after which he retired from boxing. How can he be that good while still being a cipher? And in a word of grownup problems, its nice to see the grownups take center stage every once in a while. No relationship with God., On Aug. 26, 2002, Ward suffered the biggest blow of his life. 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. I have respect for him." In total he landed 178 of 444 total punches thrown (40%). [77], Boxing experts have claimed that the judging was unfair. Of course, theres no guarantee Ward will pull off such a career defying win. [69], On June 28, 2016, Roc Nation Sport confirmed that Ward would fight once more before his mega fight with Kovalev on July 30 against 39 year old Colombian boxer Alexander Brand (25-1, 19 KOs). Tyson plunged into economic and existential free fall. I know, I know, we're all supposed to hate Andre Ward. Id given my whole life to boxing and I was burned out, he recalled. But no doubt he couldve done more often than if he wished to. Im going to win a gold medal and be a great man one day. But to see how cold and hard his body was, its something you can never forget.. The American would always invest in these shots against the majority of the fighters he fought. 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. 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). "[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. 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. Home Depot Center, Carson, California. I give him credit. A new study of more than 12,000 participants found a link between taking vitamin D supplements and living dementia-free longer. Then of course create opportunities up top. Not every round, but I thought I was doing very good. 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. He elevated in California, anf the husband elevated to get great friend with boxer Andre Dirrell while he was just 17. Indeed, he has not lost a fight since 1998, when he was 13. 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. Im going to give you a glimpse into boxings future.. Now when we think of Andre Ward and body attacks, Im not going to say he didnt stray low at times. Perhaps worse still, hes openly religious and takes the whole appearing humble thing seriously. It wasnt too often you would see ward stand toe to toe in this stance. No fighter today more skillfully solves boxings best crosswords in blood than Ward, who is 29-0 as a professional with 15 knockouts. I've always fought the best. His aunt talked about Andres grandfather being a World War II veteran and the Guess Whos Coming To Dinner moment when Frank brought his African-American wife to the family dinner table. He was totally groggy and out of it. Every stitch of clothing he was wearing was from his Michael Jordan clothing line, a sponsor since he turned professional after the Olympic gold. I know, I know, were all supposed to hate Andre Ward. As I mentioned earlier he would keep his head usually off centre line to his right, but would also sometimes change the level he would throw the punch. Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, California, U.S. All three judges scored the fight lop-sided 120108 for Ward, who said post-fight of his win, "This means a lot to me. 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. , heavyweight world contender Cristobal Arreola took on Nagy Aguilera of the fighters he fought a fight in his and... 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