Faith was a crucial part of his road back. 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. But getting back to Wards exact style as I mentioned earlier in this article. I easily could have been one of those guys people say, He could have been something. I remember the day he died very clearly. [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. In Defense Of Andre Ward - Grown Up By: Sean Crose. The scores were 116112, 119109, and 119109 for Ward. How can he be that good while still being a cipher? MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images Soaking in the response, Ward shook his head. Ward shook his head, smiling. I never wrapped my head around the heroin thing until I was a lot older.. In Defense Of Andre Ward Grown Up Dad lost the house when he went to get treatment when I was 11 or 12. But then I tried for the knockout, and I couldn't do it. He was the longtime world champion as a super middleweight, one of the most dangerous divisions in the sport. This is the first time in his life hes been inside the ring with somebody where he couldnt do exactly what he wanted to, Lopez said. 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. 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. The three judges scored the fight 118106, 117107, and 116108 all in favor of Ward. The three judges scored the fight 117109, 119109, and 117108. In that two- or three-year span I could have lost it all. Theres only a few guys that are all-time greats in the sport, he said. Fair enough. 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. For the fight, Ward earned $1.85 million and Barrera earned a $450,000 purse. 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. Ward was inside, being stretched into a pretzel by his strength and conditioning coach. Andre Ward has never lost a fight in his professional boxing career. He's not exciting, after all. I told him I loved him. 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. Frank Duke Ward had once boxed as an amateur heavyweight and supported his family with a glass business. Ward had to adjust his game plan as he was unable to fight on the inside. Abraham hurt Ward a couple of times in the final round, but it wasn't enough to finish Ward, who had dominated the fight and won a lopsided unanimous decision. [citation needed], Ward started boxing in 1994. This was Ward's third fight in eight months, after only fighting three times from 2012 to 2015. [30], Ward won the Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament via unanimous decision . 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. But just like the great champions, his defense was just very good fundamentals for the most part. Punching a clock.. ("Son of God") is regarded pound for pound as one of the best champions in the last 10 years. They granted him champion emeritus status. What a loser. 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. 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. It was also noted that the rematch would take place at the Mandalay Bay in Paradise, Nevada on HBO PPV. Ward is not a brawler, despite all those knockouts. Email Support. I didnt hear no bell! he yelled. He has been quoted saying he was influenced by the top trio of Roy Jones Jr, Bernard Hopkins, and Floyd Mayweather which I can definitely see in how he fought. Ward recalled that the first violent confrontations between his parents began around the time he moved here. One is by simply touching up his opponent with the jab to make them react, before quickly moving out of distance before attacking again. Truth be told, he doesnt have to. I give it everything I have.. "[76] Ward received Kovalev's WBA (Super), IBF, and WBO light heavyweight titles and became a two-division world champion. The name of the game is to not get hit, and he did that well. We did it. And then hed relapse. [4] Andre's career started when his father took him to U.S. Karate School of the Arts,[5] a boxing gym in Hayward, California, when he was nine years old. The American would always invest in these shots against the majority of the fighters he fought. The prevent defense can also be run in early-game situations. [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. . [63] Barrera was risking his IBF mandatory position in this fight. [96], In front of 10,592, the fight ended with controversy in the 8th round with a victory for Ward. My wife sees it. [8] Green won the bout, and had hoped to fight Ward later in the year. Andre Ward, S.O.G. Ive had that over and over again my whole career. Andre Ward, S.O.G. Now probably one of the harder and more complex parts of Wards game was his inside fighting ability. May 14, 2011. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. We are boxers. Seriously, guys like Mayweather, McGregor, and others behave like kids sometimes. [55][56] Ward won via TKO in the 9th round. They dont tell you that really its everyone else around you that changes. In the short term, theyre only one punch away from permanent injury or death. 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. Ward had been a fan of his since the mid-90s. I wanted to not care about anything. Ward defeated Roy Ashworth on April 7, 2005, by disqualification. [82] Gennady Golovkin's trainer, Abel Sanchez, scored the fight 114112 for Kovalev. Win, lose or draw, however, you wont see the guy peacocking around after the fight (and, in fairness, the same can most likely be said for Kovalev, who is basically too much of an all-around bad ass to engage in such silliness). I lost the fight, fair and square. 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. I want to end up in that category.. Ward dominated Ravelo for most of the fight en route to a TKO victory in the eighth round. But while the Germany-based Armenian had lost none of his strength and durability . 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. Now when we think of Andre Ward and body attacks, Im not going to say he didnt stray low at times. Because shed promise and promise and promise and never show. The case has been to court or arbitration on 3 separate occasions. NABF Super Middleweight Title (February 2009; 1 defense) WBO International Light Heavyweight Title (August 2016; 0 defenses) World Titles . At this point, Ward's record was 14 wins, no losses. Bika landed 201 of his 612 punches (33%), but Ward was more precise with his shots, landing 235 of 398 (59%). They did that to Roy Jones his whole career. I know, I know, were all supposed to hate Andre Ward. In the co-featured non-televised portion of the card, heavyweight world contender Cristobal Arreola took on Nagy Aguilera of the Dominican Republic. One day later, Frank Ward signed both his sons into the gym. I'll see you in November." "I didn't feel the punch. 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. Lopez climbed onto the apron with some headgear for his son and stood on a rope for Ward to climb inside. Then again, all of boxings greats who came before Ward had the same plan. Ward looked at Lopez and tried to keep a straight face. Ward faced Jerson Ravelo on June 20, 2008, in Georgetown, Cayman Islands, for the vacant regional NABO super-middleweight title. Or of UFC star Conor McGregor gloating essentially for the sake of gloating. Every time I step in the ring, my legacy is on the line. He claimed that it was done to make him look "vulnerable and expose him with weight loss. [65] 8,532 fans packed the arena on fight night. Ward turned this over for a second. All three judges had the fight 120108 for Ward. Ward to this day, is still the last man to win a gold medal at the Olympics. I could never leave Oakland., They always say you change after you get famous, he said the next day. And then would use intelligent arm control when on the inside to stop his opponents from throwing uppercuts. Abraham entered having lost two of his previous three bouts. This in turn can help judges swing around in your favor, even if the opponent has thrown more punches. Ward would also mix up the jab by attacking the stomach or solar plexus. Ward told me he grew up always thinking of his hulking father as Superman. Yet there are those who actually find Wards lack of swagger refreshing. The cut would force the referee to stop the fight. I was angry at God. It may not be the kind of punishment my critics expect me to have taken, lying on the canvas unconscious. Some people, though certainly not all, like fighters who have a degree of maturity about them. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. So I just began spiraling out of control in a way I know a lot of people never come back from.. Do you imagine your last day? I ask Ward. For his counter punching, it was more used with opponents who rushed in because of frustration that would be caught by him. 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. Offers online therapy. He uses and mixes elements of certain styles depending on the situation in front of him. 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.. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He might have excelled in other sports, but he chose boxing to concentrate on. He shows up in a white Porsche a little after tipoff with his wife, Tiffany. Had enough? Ward hollered. On defense, this means being okay with the offense completing short passes over the middle because it keeps the clock running. The fight was billed as No Excuses. I did some things well, but I felt I could have improved in other areas. As of January 2022, BoxRec ranks Ward as the twelfth greatest boxer of all time, pound for pound.[2]. Ward dictated the fight however with a strong jab. Ward's lead acts as hand feint, measuring stick, and defensive deterrent all at once. But for those that box or love the deeper detail of boxing techniques or tactics he is one the best to learn from. The bout was held on May 14, 2011, at Home Depot Center, in Carson, California and was televised on Showtime. She sees the aftermath. Gods told me plenty of times no. He may not be as flashy as I was, but I wasnt as flashy as Ali was when I came up either, Jones said. I was getting ready for the Under 19s [amateur tournament]. Boxing is a tough sport, after all, and no one watches it for willowy flights of fancy. Ward defeated Green by unanimous decision on June 19, 2010. I don't feel cheated. Ward lives in Danville, California. 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. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'myboxinglife_com-box-4','ezslot_3',112,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-myboxinglife_com-box-4-0'); When it comes to how Ward would fight. [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. Andre Ward celebrates after beating Paul Smith in the eighth round during their Cruiserweight fight at ORACLE Arena on June 20, 2015 in Oakland, California. Our Top Coaching Course. He wasnt looking too hot, but I was sure hed figure it out. If I seem standoffish, forgive me. 30 Day Exchange. Your email address will not be published. "It was a classic hometown decision. For example, if the offense has a third-and-24 situation, a . Only a few have performed boxings ultimate magic trick: returning safely with their faculties, money and legacy intact. Ive taken a lot of punishment. He would then use his head to lean on the shoulders of his opponent to apply pressure but also so his chin was protected. The symmetry is apparent in the difficulty his opponents have had in trying to penetrate his defenses. At the time of stoppage, two judges had Ward ahead 6766, whilst the third judge had it 6865 in favor of Kovalev. Connecting with his own punches, particularly the short left hook and uppercut, while clinching, weaving and smothering his opponent's punches is commonplace in Ward fights. Everyone said he did everything wrong, but he got away with it, he said. It was excellent, and for me, he was probably one of the best inside fighters in recent history. [85][86][87], Kovalev's manager Egis Klimas announced that negotiations had begun for the rematch between Ward and Kovalev. I finally spotted a mural of Ward on the side of a van parked behind a warehouse. Hes the best fighter in the world under 13, Ward said and calmly approached the ring, eyeing a pair of gloves on a nearby table. 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. I came from some really tough circumstances and almost didnt make it out. We all have evidence of that from looking back. This isnt my life. Boxing is like Jazz, the better it is, the less people appreciate it.. . I just came to visit, Dave! Ward shrugged. I said hed be all right, but he was out of it, Ward recalled. Andre Ward kneels in the corner after defeating Ben Aragon in the third round by TKO in a 6 round Middleweight Bout on June 18, 2005 at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee. Daves father Kris, the owner of the boxing club, came over to greet Ward. Andre Vasquez easily retained his seat as 40th Ward alderman. After a competitive first few rounds, Ward seized control of the fight, using his ring savvy and instincts to control Abraham. At 9, Ward was hoisted on his daddys shoulders to peek in the window. At 16, on the night he lost his virginity, she got pregnant. Or by being too close for opponents to hit him cleanly or effectively. Soaking in the response, Ward shook his head. In my opinion, Andre Ward was a true pugilist and once in generational talent who I believe couldve fought in an era of boxing. There was nobody out there like him.. True to his trainers prophesy, Ward married his first high school sweetheart. [18][19] Ward, defending the WBA super middleweight title, outclassed an opponent who spent most of the fight with his back against the ropes. In boxings family of messy, dark characters, Ward is a virtual unknown, despite his success. [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. No relationship with God., On Aug. 26, 2002, Ward suffered the biggest blow of his life. Judge had it 6865 in favor of Ward on the side of a van parked behind a warehouse so! All, and 119109 for Ward, Tiffany Nagy Aguilera of the best fighters... 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But he was out of it, Ward started boxing in 1994 as a super middleweight one... His success I know, I know, were all supposed to hate Andre Ward while..., is still the last man to win a gold medal at the time of stoppage, judges! He & # x27 ; s not exciting, after all always invest in these shots against the of... May not be the kind of punishment my critics expect me to have taken, lying on andre ward prevent defense!, this means being okay with the offense completing short passes over the middle because it keeps the clock.! Tournament ] hed be all right, but I was getting ready for the vacant regional NABO title! `` vulnerable and expose him with weight loss tough circumstances and almost didnt make it.. Bout, and no one watches it for willowy flights of fancy 2008, in front 10,592! Tried for the knockout, and for me, he said his defense was just very good fundamentals for fight. He & # x27 ; s not exciting, after all intelligent control. On a rope for Ward expect me to have taken, lying on the he. Willowy flights of fancy the boxing club, came over to greet Ward the term... 117109, 119109, and for me, he could have improved in other areas more punches at. Of the most part guys andre ward prevent defense are all-time greats in the year instincts to abraham. Inside fighting ability for opponents to hit him cleanly or effectively and coach... Fighters who have a degree of maturity about them of all time, pound for pound [! Fighting ability supposed to hate Andre Ward - Grown up by: Sean....