If Ward retires NOW, how will he be remembered?

[tigermoth87]

A very boring fighter, a blatant cheat who got a gift decision vs Kovalev, never travelled outside of the states, had every advantage given to him by dodgy refs (Why he wasn't DQ'd or at least had some points deducted vs Kessler is beyond me) and judges but who had a lot of talent and has a cracking resume.

[caldo2025]

Andre Ward hasn’t retired and the terms of the rematch haven’t been finalised yet.

The Ward-Kovalev bout only achieved a modest amount of PPV buys, but the S.O.G. is going to try to force Roc Nation to supply another guaranteed fight purse of $5m in order for the rematch to “make sense.”

I suspect Ward will “retire” if he’s asked to fight Kovalev for a smaller purse than the one he received last month.

The threat of retirement could just be a negotiating ploy to force HBO & Roc Nation to stump up the necessary funds. Also, as per the Fury-Klitschko situation, retirement was one way to avoid the adhering to the terms stipulated in the rematch clause.

Kathy Duva has confirmed that Roc Nation have already been discussing dates for the rematch with HBO for April or June. So there’s no reason to believe that Ward won’t face Kovalev again if his payday demands are met.

Do you also believe the stripper the other night when she told you how handsome you were? Gullible much? The guy is a scumbag, plain and simple. He's proved already that he doesn't honor contracts but expects everyone else to. Ward used the rematch clause to his advantage in initial negotiations fully knowing that he would not honor it. That's Andre Ward. POS, not SOG.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Ward wasn't a mandatory to the best of my knowledge. The rematch clause would be for kovalev.

[lefty]

Remembered by whom; somebody of sound mind or somebody in the grips of Alzheimers? That's important in answering this question!

[Enlightened-One]

Andre Ward hasn’t retired and the terms of the rematch haven’t been finalised yet.

The Ward-Kovalev bout only achieved a modest amount of PPV buys, but the S.O.G. is going to try to force Roc Nation to supply another guaranteed fight purse of $5m in order for the rematch to “make sense.”

I suspect Ward will “retire” if he’s asked to fight Kovalev for a smaller purse than the one he received last month.

The threat of retirement could just be a negotiating ploy to force HBO & Roc Nation to stump up the necessary funds. Also, as per the Fury-Klitschko situation, retirement was one way to avoid the adhering to the terms stipulated in the rematch clause.

Kathy Duva has confirmed that Roc Nation have already been discussing dates for the rematch with HBO for April or June. So there’s no reason to believe that Ward won’t face Kovalev again if his payday demands are met.

Do you also believe the stripper the other night when she told you how handsome you were? Gullible much? The guy is a scumbag, plain and simple. He's proved already that he doesn't honor contracts but expects everyone else to. Ward used the rematch clause to his advantage in initial negotiations fully knowing that he would not honor it. That's Andre Ward. POS, not SOG.

It’s good to see you weaken your own argument using weak logic and childish insults.

[caldo2025]

Andre Ward hasn’t retired and the terms of the rematch haven’t been finalised yet.

The Ward-Kovalev bout only achieved a modest amount of PPV buys, but the S.O.G. is going to try to force Roc Nation to supply another guaranteed fight purse of $5m in order for the rematch to “make sense.”

I suspect Ward will “retire” if he’s asked to fight Kovalev for a smaller purse than the one he received last month.

The threat of retirement could just be a negotiating ploy to force HBO & Roc Nation to stump up the necessary funds. Also, as per the Fury-Klitschko situation, retirement was one way to avoid the adhering to the terms stipulated in the rematch clause.

Kathy Duva has confirmed that Roc Nation have already been discussing dates for the rematch with HBO for April or June. So there’s no reason to believe that Ward won’t face Kovalev again if his payday demands are met.

Do you also believe the stripper the other night when she told you how handsome you were? Gullible much? The guy is a scumbag, plain and simple. He's proved already that he doesn't honor contracts but expects everyone else to. Ward used the rematch clause to his advantage in initial negotiations fully knowing that he would not honor it. That's Andre Ward. POS, not SOG.

It’s good to see you weaken your own argument using weak logic and childish insults.

I don't think that message was worth using the laughing face emoji. I'm not a big user of emoji's but your message up there was better suited for maybe a or possibly a but definitely not funny enough for the I mean look how hard that guy is laughing right there. There's no way he'd laugh that hard at that.

[lazboy]

This soundbite from Ward is just ridiculous. What the heck is he even talking about? It has to make sense? The terms of the rematch were already negotiated per Duva. So what needs to make sense, Andre? You dodgy prick ya. Look, i'd be scared of another 36 minutes with that animal too but be a man.

I'm sure that the rematch clause was a big factor in initial negotiations and I'd almost guarantee that Kovalev made some concessions based upon Ward's agreeing to the clause being in effect. Ward had no intentions of honoring from the start but he used to gain more leverage and money. That tells you all you need to know about this guy. I'll remember him as a great commentator because as a boxer he couldn't break a paper bag and his fights were like NyQuil. That should be his new nickname, NyQuil instead of SOG. I'm sure God's not happy about Ward assuming that position.

LOL about his nickname and god haha. Genuinely laughing.

[Asterix]

Ward will barely be remembered. Such a quiet and boring career, despite beating some really good boxers.

[Enlightened-One]

If Ward retires NOW, how will he be remembered?

• Undefeated for almost twenty years (since he was about 12 years old) and was never beaten as a pro
• One of the greatest super-middleweights in history
• Rated as one of the top 25 greatest boxers in the last 25 years by Boxing News & ESPN
• Dead-cert first ballot future Hall-of-Famer
• 2004 Olympic gold medallist
• One-time unified WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine super middleweight champion
• Former fighter of the year (as rated by BWAA, ESPN, Sports Illustrated & The Ring)
• Winner of the super middleweight “Super Six” tournament
• Top-five pound-for-pounder for more than five years
• WBA, WBO & IBF 175lb champion and also the current top-ranked light heavyweight by The Ring
• Defeated multiple future Hall-of-Famers likes Carl Froch and Sergey Kovalev
• If he does retire now, he does so reaching the pinnacle of the sport, at the top of his game, leaving fight fans wanting to see more

[Tanzio]

He will be remembered as one of the best boxers of his era.

[zorndeslammes]

Cleaned out one division (168), cherry picked his way to the agreed upon Light Heavyweight crown in a very, very close fight, but didn't remotely clean the division out. Beat two Hall of Very Good fighters (Kessler and Dawson), one potential HOF fighter (Kovalev), and one sure thing HOF fighter (Froch). For all the slag there is to throw at the likes of Roy Jones Jr. for the way he conducted his career and the guys he didn't fight, the combination of activity and long term risks he took will weigh far greater than that of Ward were he to step away forever now. Ward wasted years doing literally nothing.

[TheGman]

Do you also believe the stripper the other night when she told you how handsome you were? Gullible much? The guy is a scumbag, plain and simple. He's proved already that he doesn't honor contracts but expects everyone else to. Ward used the rematch clause to his advantage in initial negotiations fully knowing that he would not honor it. That's Andre Ward. POS, not SOG.

It’s good to see you weaken your own argument using weak logic and childish insults.

I don't think that message was worth using the laughing face emoji. I'm not a big user of emoji's but your message up there was better suited for maybe a or possibly a but definitely not funny enough for the I mean look how hard that guy is laughing right there. There's no way he'd laugh that hard at that.

^now this is worth----->
|

[lazboy]

If Ward retires NOW, how will he be remembered?

• Undefeated for almost twenty years (since he was about 12 years old) and was never beaten as a pro
• One of the greatest super-middleweights in history
• Rated as one of the top 25 greatest boxers in the last 25 years by Boxing News & ESPN
• Dead-cert first ballot future Hall-of-Famer
• 2004 Olympic gold medallist
• One-time unified WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine super middleweight champion
• Former fighter of the year (as rated by BWAA, ESPN, Sports Illustrated & The Ring)
• Winner of the super middleweight “Super Six” tournament
• Top-five pound-for-pounder for more than five years
• WBA, WBO & IBF 175lb champion and also the current top-ranked light heavyweight by The Ring
• Defeated multiple future Hall-of-Famers likes Carl Froch and Sergey Kovalev
• If he does retire now, he does so reaching the pinnacle of the sport, at the top of his game, leaving fight fans wanting to see more

Yea this is what would be written in the history books. All true, all facts. I wonder though, if that "controversial decision" will be significant enough to be written about throughout the years. It was a significant boxing event in itself given the p4p status of both.

[Tony1244]

I'd say Calzaghe and RJJ are Super Greats.

Ward and Kovalev are merely Great, or at least damn good.. The fight was close. Everyone relax. Geez. Ward does not have a fan-friendly style. He's not Mr. Personality, but either are most people.

He is, as others alluded to, a top 25 great of recent memory.

[zorndeslammes]

Legit question: is Andre Ward significantly greater than Winky Wright or Marco Antonio Barrera, and if so, why? I thought about it a little, and I'm not entirely convinced.

[boxing_rocks]

If Ward retires NOW, how will he be remembered?

• Defeated Sergey Kovalev

No, he did not

• If he does retire now, he does so reaching the pinnacle of the sport, at the top of his game, leaving fight fans wanting to see more

No, thank you. Please join Floyd and hopefully Wlad in a company of retired borefest masters.

[Lackeos]

Andre Ward has been top 5 p4p for at least 5 years, and intermittently gets considered as top 2 p4p. That almost rivals the p4p supremacy of someone like Hopkins, Pacquiao, or JMM. It is way more extensive than the short reigns of Calzaghe or Winky Wright. It's similar to the reign of Felix Trinidad, without the couple of losses at the end of Trinidad's career.

[lazboy]

If Ward retires NOW, how will he be remembered?

• Defeated Sergey Kovalev

No, he did not

• If he does retire now, he does so reaching the pinnacle of the sport, at the top of his game, leaving fight fans wanting to see more

No, thank you. Please join Floyd and hopefully Wlad in a company of retired borefest masters.

Most of what you post I agree with. I agree mayweather should stay retired. His last 3 performances were lackluster. He's lost the passion but he was in some entertaining fights imo. Cotto and maidana 1 were awesome. Canelo heated up and was great to watch from a boxing clinic skill point of view. Hatton good fight, great ending. Ortiz was interesting enough. His early pretty boy fights, when he was under roger and threw more, done entertaining fights there. overall...he's more entertaining than boring but his last three fights...terrible.

[Enlightened-One]

If Ward retires NOW, how will he be remembered?

• Defeated Sergey Kovalev

No, he did not

• If he does retire now, he does so reaching the pinnacle of the sport, at the top of his game, leaving fight fans wanting to see more

No, thank you. Please join Floyd and hopefully Wlad in a company of retired borefest masters.

Everything I said was technically accurate and fight fans do want to see more of Andre Ward, even if some of them only yearn to grant Kovalev an opportunity to avenge his sole defeat.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Legit question: is Andre Ward significantly greater than Winky Wright or Marco Antonio Barrera, and if so, why? I thought about it a little, and I'm not entirely convinced.

I'd rate him slightly greater than winky and mab significantly greater than ward.

[jezzamundo]

Andre Ward has been top 5 p4p for at least 5 years, and intermittently gets considered as top 2 p4p. That almost rivals the p4p supremacy of someone like Hopkins, Pacquiao, or JMM. It is way more extensive than the short reigns of Calzaghe or Winky Wright. It's similar to the reign of Felix Trinidad, without the couple of losses at the end of Trinidad's career.

Although he was inactive for a good part of that time, so it would have been reasonable to have removed him from the p4p Top 10 from late 2014 up until the Kovalev fight.

If Ward retired now, he would probably be a first ballot HOFer, but just barely. Looks at the Ring Magazine p4p rankings, he was #10 in 2011, #2 in 2012, #2 in 2013, #2 now and I can't find the rankings for 2014 and 2015.

If Andre Ward retired today, he would be remembered as a waste of talent, who wasted his prime years and retired after winning a dubious (though IMO fair) decision. If he can clearly beat Kovalev in a rematch, then beat Stevenson, Beterbiev and GGG, he would have a rock solid resume - better IMO than that of Roy Jones - and will have all but erased the memory of the years of relative inactivity.

[jezzamundo]

Legit question: is Andre Ward significantly greater than Winky Wright or Marco Antonio Barrera, and if so, why? I thought about it a little, and I'm not entirely convinced.

I'd rate him slightly greater than winky and mab significantly greater than ward.

I'd also put him between Winky and MAB, but I think he has the time and ability to surpass MAB.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Legit question: is Andre Ward significantly greater than Winky Wright or Marco Antonio Barrera, and if so, why? I thought about it a little, and I'm not entirely convinced.

I'd rate him slightly greater than winky and mab significantly greater than ward.

I'd also put him between Winky and MAB, but I think he has the time and ability to surpass MAB.

It's possible. Unlikely IMO.

[Ettt9350]

Second best super-middle behind Calzaghe for me.

No Jones?

Jones is just behind them both at third for me because he did not have as many big wins in the division as Calzaghe and Ward did. Jones is undoubtedly the best fighter of the three however.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Second best super-middle behind Calzaghe for me.

No Jones?

Jones is just behind them both at third for me because he did not have as many big wins in the division as Calzaghe and Ward did. Jones is undoubtedly the best fighter of the three however.

Toney is undoubtedly the best win any of them had.