BoxRec

He already completely embarrassed Kessler so u can take him off the list btw.

hurricanemitch14 wrote:The names and money is at 168 plus hes pretty much been out of action for 2 yrs. He hasnt fought anybody.


At least 3 of the 1st batch have single digit pro fights. Yea Ward/fans is gonna pumped having p4p Ward vs a euro dude that 1 nobody knows 2 nobody can pronounce 3 is like 7-0. Thats pretty much all u named so unless Ward relocate to Europe or those guys become a sensation over in the states why would he. Complete arrogance to start throwing a 7-0 guy at a top 3 p4p fighter.

168 ain't exactly bursting with names and money for him at this point.

hurricanemitch14 wrote:He already completely embarrassed Kessler so u can take him off the list btw.

Kessler wasn't expecting all those deliberate head butts and other illegal tactics.

Then WBC champion Kessler fought Ward in Oakand, but Ward won't fight Froch in Nottingham.

Ward is no ring warrior like Kovalev.

Freedom2013 wrote:

hurricanemitch14 wrote:He already completely embarrassed Kessler so u can take him off the list btw.

Kessler wasn't expecting all those deliberate head butts and other illegal tactics.

Then WBC champion Kessler fought Ward in Oakand, but Ward won't fight Froch in Nottingham.

Ward is no ring warrior like Kovalev.

I do not agree.Ward won the first fight convincingly.He is in the drivers seat he can demand location.
Ward has no obligation to travel to Froch's backyard.

bnovelist wrote:Ward walks around at 185lb and fought at light heavy in the olympics. Just go ahead and say it he has none zero interest in the likes of Kovalev or

Stevenson. He'll move up in a couple of years after they are battle worn watch lol. Let him keep at low profile at 168lb

Boxing lesson... light heavy in Olymics = the same weight as supper mid as a pro

Freedom2013 wrote:

hurricanemitch14 wrote:He already completely embarrassed Kessler so u can take him off the list btw.

Kessler wasn't expecting all those deliberate head butts and other illegal tactics.

Then WBC champion Kessler fought Ward in Oakand, but Ward won't fight Froch in Nottingham.

Ward is no ring warrior like Kovalev.

I can just smell the racism in this post.

ikorolev wrote:

koolkc107 wrote:

tiny_acres wrote:I am amazed that certain fighters are expected to move up in weight.And others get a pass.

One fighter is going on and on about how nobody at his weight will fight him; this while being called out by numerous fighters right above and right below his weight class who are simply trying to get him to in fact do what he says he is able to do.

Namely, fight anyone from 154 to 175.

To my recollection, the other fighter has never made such a claim.

You are a f4cking liar. Golovkin said that he would fight at 154 or 168 (not 175) if it is a PPV fight. Did he decline any such offer ?

No, you are f4cking myopian about Golovkin.

It's common knowledge that he and his trainer were making this claim as far back as 2012 and maybe further.

Anything to get more attention, I guess.

They were calling out Floyd and Pac, Quillen, JCC, Ward, Froch and even 175 pounders BHop and Kovalev.

Then, when some of those guys started trying to say "hells yeah, let's do this!", all of a sudden they started talking about "taking care of business in division".

No shame in admitting the risk/reward dynamic also changed for GGG...except they wont.

In 2012, they were desperate. Situation drastically changed after a few HBO fights, so their position changed. What is so f4cking unclear ? Why would you need to mention what they said in a totally different situation, while they keep repeating the same thing for at least a year: they will go to 154 or 168 for PPV fights only.

danconnollyeire wrote:

bnovelist wrote:Ward walks around at 185lb and fought at light heavy in the olympics. Just go ahead and say it he has none zero interest in the likes of Kovalev or

Stevenson. He'll move up in a couple of years after they are battle worn watch lol. Let him keep at low profile at 168lb

Boxing lesson... light heavy in Olymics = the same weight as supper mid as a pro

Absolutely not true:

Middleweight (165 pounds)
Light heavyweight (178 pounds)

tiny_acres wrote: Ward won the first fight convincingly.He is in the drivers seat he can demand location.
Ward has no obligation to travel to Froch's backyard.

Absolutely, he has no obligation, but in order to demand location, he needs to be an A side which is not the case unless RN will want to lose money.

ikorolev wrote:In 2012, they were desperate. Situation drastically changed after a few HBO fights, so their position changed. What is so f4cking unclear ? Why would you need to mention what they said in a totally different situation, while they keep repeating the same thing for at least a year: they will go to 154 or 168 for PPV fights only.

Ok, let's go with your interpretation of things for arguments sake.

How does this relate or compared to Ward who has never seriously considered fighting at any weight other than 168?

You cannot compare the two because one guy has made it clear that not only is he content where he is but that he thinks there are quite a few good fights still to be made at 168.

GGG,on the other hand, can't seem to get thru an interview without talking about fighting out of division.

The two are simply not the same.

fergusg wrote: "Ward can return luster to USA boxing" (article written in 2004)

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/o ... xing_x.htm

What defines Ward is his bold decision to fight as a light heavyweight. He's really a natural middleweight, the lighter, 165-pound division he intends to enter when he turns professional after the Olympics.

Boxers seldom elect to fight above their optimal weight, and Ward's decision to be a light heavyweight stems from a deal he made years ago with his cousin, middleweight DonYil Livingston.

"We made a pact we wouldn't fight each other," Ward says of Livingston, who was the USA's third-ranked middleweight in 2002. To avoid the potential conflict, he moved up and took his chances. He remained a light heavyweight even though Livingston didn't contend for the Athens Olympics.

Simply put, Andre Ward was never a legitimate light heavyweight - he merely fought in that division out of loyalty for his cousin!

I have tears in my eyes Such a nice man. Moving up a division to please his cousin who doesn't even fight

In amateurs, they have to fight at a higher weight, because they need to make that weight for longer periods of time. Simple as that. 168 was and maybe still is his optimal weight in professional boxing where he can make it a day before a fight and then rehydrate. There is no way he could go lower now without bad effects, so no catch weight with Golovkin is possible.

If Andre Ward is too small for 175, why won't he fight GGG at 160?

Where would Ward have fought during most of boxing history, when there was no 168 division, just 160 and 175? Bernard Hopkins says "168 is a division light heavyweights hide in".

Middleweight Harry Greb fought light heavyweights and even heavyweights. Sam Langford weighed only 157 pounds when he fought the natural heavyweight Jack Johnson.

But those guys were ring warriors, while Ward is a insecure prima donna.

hurricanemitch14 wrote:The names and money is at 168 plus hes pretty much been out of action for 2 yrs. He hasnt fought anybody.


At least 3 of the 1st batch have single digit pro fights. Yea Ward/fans is gonna pumped having p4p Ward vs a euro dude that 1 nobody knows 2 nobody can pronounce 3 is like 7-0. Thats pretty much all u named so unless Ward relocate to Europe or those guys become a sensation over in the states why would he. Complete arrogance to start throwing a 7-0 guy at a top 3 p4p fighter.

Why doesn't Ward just move up for one fight with Kovalev, kind of like how Dawson moved down to fight Ward? If Ward would embarrass everyone at 168 like you continually say I don't see why you're not calling to see him test himself against a dangerous LHW like Kovalev, just as how you call for GGG, someone who isn't a big MW and recently weighed only 165 a month ahead of a bout, to move up for greater tests.

Also, I'd say that 7-0 guy is a tougher opponent than Marco Antonio Periban, who has a single win in his last five fights and not too long ago was quickly stopped by James Degale. Andre must be having a tough time finding decent opponent, or maybe now that he's in a position to do so he prefers to be paid well to fight opponents who extremely overmatched and have no business facing someone of that caliber!

too much BS going around in the sport as of late

From Ward's Twitter:

I'm Coming Home!! June 20th in Oakland, Cali. Details to follow. #SOG #RocNationSports #Oracle #OracleArena

crusader wrote:Why doesn't Ward just move up for one fight with Kovalev, kind of like how Dawson moved down to fight Ward? If Ward would embarrass everyone at 168 like you continually say I don't see why you're not calling to see him test himself against a dangerous LHW like Kovalev, just as how you call for GGG, someone who isn't a big MW and recently weighed only 165 a month ahead of a bout, to move up for greater tests.

Also, I'd say that 7-0 guy is a tougher opponent than Marco Antonio Periban, who has a single win in his last five fights and not too long ago was quickly stopped by James Degale. Andre must be having a tough time finding decent opponent, or maybe now that he's in a position to do so he prefers to be paid well to fight opponents who extremely overmatched and have no business facing someone of that caliber!

GGG doesn't have the same problem as Ward, there are many willing to face Ward at 168 but none of 3G's best comp are willing to face him, therefore he should move up to test himself and stop talking about his only a MW when the bigger guys call him out and then be willing to drop to 154 for Floyd and Manny.

You cannot even compare these two circumstances.

If someone calls for GGG to move up because there are no tests for him at 160 by the same logic they should call for Ward to move up and face Kovalev when they believe Ward would embarrass everyone at 168, unless they don't believe that Ward would be more challenged by Kovalev than by who he'd likely face at 168.

Ward wouldn't even have to campaign at 175....he could just temporarily move up to face Kovalev like Dawson moved down to face him.

crusader wrote:If someone calls for GGG to move up because there are no tests for him at 160 by the same logic they should call for Ward to move up and face Kovalev when they believe Ward would embarrass everyone at 168, unless they don't believe that Ward would be more challenged by Kovalev than by who he'd likely face at 168.

Ward wouldn't even have to campaign at 175....he could just temporarily move up to face Kovalev like Dawson moved down to face him.

Ok, I'll buy that but what's wrong with a fighter doing the MHH and staying at his own weight class while never moving up and being totally dominant over all comers??

GGG has yet to dominate his entire weight class (though not his fault, well kind of.....there all scared to death to face him, lol).

I don't think there's anything wrong with that and since GGG is clearly not a big MW I wouldn't be too bothered if he never moved up. Likewise, while I'd like to see Ward fight Kovalev I don't have a major problem with him staying at SMW since he doesn't appear to be big for that weight either and I don't think his body is forcing him to move up. I'm just pointing out that if someone states repeatedly that GGG should move up because no one at 160 will test him they should apply the same logic to Ward if they think that Kovalev would test him while the opposition at 168 wouldn't.

crusader wrote:I don't think there's anything wrong with that and since GGG is clearly not a big MW I wouldn't be too bothered if he never moved up. Likewise, while I'd like to see Ward fight Kovalev I don't have a major problem with him staying at SMW since he doesn't appear to be big for that weight either and I don't think his body is forcing him to move up. I'm just pointing out that if someone states repeatedly that GGG should move up because no one at 160 will test him they should apply the same logic to Ward if they think that Kovalev would test him while the opposition at 168 wouldn't.

Again, I don't think the circumstances are comparable, GGG's problem is that they are all avoiding him, Ward doesn't have that problem and while it is apparently clear that Andre has pretty much dominated and cleaned out the division (barring a few that we are mostly sure he'd beat) seeing that he has no real/valid challenges that threatens his supremacy I see no reason for him not to move up and seek out Kovalev, Stevenson or even Pascal.

GGG on the other hand should move up too because those guys are clearly scared to face him.

ESPN says Andre Ward could be fighting on BET as part of a timebuy series RocNation is doing with them against either Paul Smith or Marco Periban. What a joke.

KBB wrote:

crusader wrote:I don't think there's anything wrong with that and since GGG is clearly not a big MW I wouldn't be too bothered if he never moved up. Likewise, while I'd like to see Ward fight Kovalev I don't have a major problem with him staying at SMW since he doesn't appear to be big for that weight either and I don't think his body is forcing him to move up. I'm just pointing out that if someone states repeatedly that GGG should move up because no one at 160 will test him they should apply the same logic to Ward if they think that Kovalev would test him while the opposition at 168 wouldn't.

Again, I don't think the circumstances are comparable, GGG's problem is that they are all avoiding him, Ward doesn't have that problem and while it is apparently clear that Andre has pretty much dominated and cleaned out the division (barring a few that we are mostly sure he'd beat) seeing that he has no real/valid challenges that threatens his supremacy I see no reason for him not to move up and seek out Kovalev, Stevenson or even Pascal.

GGG on the other hand should move up too because those guys are clearly scared to face him.

I'd like to see them fight certain opponents from the divisions above and it makes sense in several respects, but I don't take major issue with them not doing so because their bodies seem to be naturally suited to their current weight classes and a large aspect of their dominance is them being so good. There are some differences between the cases but to me those aren't large enough to make it consistent for someone to make demands for one guy to move up because he isn't challenged while not making the same demands of the other fighter when they clearly have a realistic opponent in the division above who is significantly more dangerous than the likes of Edwin Rodriguez, Tommy Ooz, Paul Smith, and Marco Antonio Periban, as well as better opponents who probably aren't possible due to promotional differences.

The only reason for both of them to take fights at higher weight classes at this time would be for big money. So, somebody needs to throw big money on the table for Ward. I don't see Main Events or Stevenson's promoter doing that ...

Stevenson dont want Kovelev or Ward. He needs to stick to guys like Karpency.