BoxRec

Like a Boss wrote:Ward has nothing left to prove

boxing_rocks wrote:

Like a Boss wrote:Ward has nothing left to prove

And what exactly did he prove recently?

boxing_rocks wrote:
And what exactly did he prove recently?

Heretic wrote:Ward knows now that he can't outbox Kovalev. Kovalev is the better long distance boxer. Ward was having real trouble getting trough those straight punches. Kovalev is also good at wrestling. That nullifies most of Wards inside game and headbutting.

Ward knows he cannot look good against Kovalev and there is real chance of getting knocked out in the early rounds. Another close on points win will not do any good for Wards legacy and there would probably be another outcry of robbery if the fight is close one.

If Ward would be confident that he could get more clear victory the next time he would already have signed the date for the rematch. Ward ducking the rematch means he knows there is nothing to exploit in Kovalevs fight style

My guess is there will be no rematch

Like a Boss wrote:

boxing_rocks wrote:

Like a Boss wrote:Ward has nothing left to prove

And what exactly did he prove recently?

Whether you choose to accept the result or not, he recently beat Kovalev.

boxing_rocks wrote:

Like a Boss wrote:

boxing_rocks wrote:
And what exactly did he prove recently?

Whether you choose to accept the result or not, he recently beat Kovalev.

If most of the people don't accept the result, it means he proved nothing.

man wrote:

caldo2025 wrote:When a boxer starts thinking out loud about retirement then they are retired. Lampley has always said this and he's been right on the money in almost all cases.

Ward is done. Let's all move on and be done with it already and think about other fights and boxers. If Ward was going to fight again and give Kovalev his rematch then they wouldn't be wasting time with this non promoting BS. They would be building up the fight right now instead throwing doubt at it. It's over.

Kovalev/Adonis is the fight to make now at LH

sounds reasonable. shame on ward if
he not only denies kova the rematch
but can't stop talking BS about him not
accepting the loss.

so tired of these talking heads.

By Robert Portis · On January 10, 2017

In November boxing got a rare treat: a showdown between two of the very best fighters in the sport, pound-for-pound. And while Kovalev vs Ward didn’t exactly remind anyone of Moore vs Durelle or Ali vs Frazier, it was still a damn good battle: competitive, suspenseful and featuring two very fine performances. Putting aside the controversial decision, which, in the eyes of this pundit, went to the wrong boxer, a rematch makes perfect sense. After all, it was a close fight that elevated the standing of both men, plus the bout’s contract included a rematch clause. Let’s do it again!

But instead of new agreements being set and signed and Mr. S.O.G. and The Krusher getting ready to go back to their respective training camps, Andre Ward is letting everyone know that he’s questioning the need for a second battle and is instead pondering retirement. In fact, he has released a series of statements since the fight which are at times baffling and collectively seem to add up to one of two things: either Ward is negotiating through the media and positioning himself to maximize his bargaining leverage. Or, he really, really, really doesn’t want to fight Sergey Kovalev again.

Then again, maybe he’s just very confused. That can happen when your ego is bigger than an aircraft carrier. As we have discussed in the past.

So, on the one hand, Ward isn’t sure there’s really any need for a return bout. While he appeared very surprised in the ring when the official verdict was announced, Ward now insists that he clearly won and definitively proved himself the better boxer. So why bother doing it again? Yeah, Andre, good point! Why does boxing bother with rematches? Who needs ’em? To think we wasted all that time on Joe Louis vs Max Schmeling II, The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, the Gatti vs Ward trilogy and all those other stupid rivalries. What were we thinking? From now on, one and done!

But in the same breath Ward then says that if everyone just gives him all the credit he feels he deserves (is that even possible?), kisses his ass, hands over the lion’s share of the purse money and genuflects on cue, then a rematch can maybe happen. At least I think that’s what he’s saying here: “I beat the guy nobody said I could beat. My thing is, everybody involved, let’s act like that happened. Then there should be no problems putting together the type of fight and rematch that fans want to see and also benefits me as the champion.”

Most thought Kovalev got the better of it.

Andre, the whole reason the first match was so attractive to fight fans in the first place was because no one really knew who was going to win. This idea that everyone was picking Kovalev to beat you is just that, an idea, in your brain and nowhere else. Because a quick check of actual betting odds from before the match shows you were in fact favored to prevail. So why this bullshit about “nobody” thinking you could win and demanding everyone treat you a certain way? Why not just be more blunt and honest and shout, “Show me the money!” Wouldn’t that make things simpler for everyone?

But now comes word that even a massive payday and the requisite amount of butt kissing is not going to be sufficient, that in fact Ward is wondering if it’s time to call it a career and say goodbye to boxing entirely. To which I say, “Can I have the privilege of fetching your coat and showing you to the door, Mr. Ward?”

Because, in all seriousness, should Andre Ward actually decide to retire (which he won’t, of course), what does boxing really lose? Look at the man’s record. Would we notice a huge difference if he wasn’t around? Would there be a yawning vacuum at the center of our sport, a gaping hole in the heart of boxing, if he never fought again? Would fight fans be suffering bouts of S.O.G. withdrawal and demanding that HBO and Jay-Z stop everything else they’re doing and bring him back for the legions of fans that can’t wait to see him perform again? I kinda doubt it.

Ward seemed as surprised as anyone that he got the decision.
Consider the fact that since January of 2012, Ward has competed a grand total of six times. Six fights in five years. And of those six fights, only two could be said to be of great interest to sports fans, those being his matches with Chad Dawson, in September of 2012, and Kovalev. In terms of genuine drama and excitement, that’s all that Ward has delivered for us. Six fights. In five years. Take a second and let that sink in. And consider that just a few days ago this website celebrated an all-time great champion who once fought 27 times in a single year!

I don’t know about you, but I’m more than a bit tired of these entitled talents like Andre Ward acting as if they are God’s gift to the sport, like fight fans should get down on their knees every day and thank the good lord above that they are still choosing to put their talents to use within the squared circle. Aren’t you? Sometimes it seems like they’re in a competition to see who can clown boxing fans more, or who can make the most money with the fewest number of fights.

These diva boxers like Ward have, arguably, done more damage to boxing the last decade or so than anything else as they have propagated the idea that it’s okay for champions to hold out for huge paydays while competing no more than twice a year and facing the least deserving opponents they can get away with. Witness Cotto, he of the pink crocs, now taking on James Kirkland of all people and trying to convince us it’s a pay-per-view worthy match. This crap has got to stop.