Comments Thread For: What Now For Andre Ward?: Review and Ratings Update

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

What does Andre Ward do now?

While he hasn’t unified all the belts at Super Middleweight, he’s got two (WBC/WBA) and the lineal crown. The other two belts (IBF, Carl Froch; WBO, Arthur Abraham) belong to men he beat decisively in consecutive fights prior to last Saturday.

He’s already beaten to of the better fighters in the still relatively short history of the Super Middleweight division (Froch and Mikkel Kessler). Now he owns a one sided walloping of the best fighter one division north of him, and he hasn’t even moved up the scale yet.

At 25-0, based on what he’s done in the ring, he’s already in the conversation with the best who ever competed at Super Middleweight, in the conversation with Roy Jones, James Toney, and Joe Calzaghe. Barring a wild loss no one sees coming, he’s likely to stay in that conversation. [Click Here To Read More]

[Mick Higgs]

The only way Ward could make money in re-matche's with Froch & Ward would be to travel to Denmark or the UK, which I really can't see happening. Hopefully George Groves & Thomas Oosthuizen will be ready for him in 2-3 years.

[Bushbaby]

As a Ward fan, all I see form him lately is recycled names. He basically cleaned out 168, time to move on. The Dirrel brothers are all that's left if they're worth anything.

[TyrantT316]

As a fan of Ward, I hope he's not automatically in a position where he's accomplished so many big wins in a short period of time, that they will be minimized compared to what he does from here on out since he's so young.

The man is only 28 years old and in boxing that means he's simply in his prime and has another 6-7 top years left and up to 10 competitive years left...that's a lot of time left when you're already NOW considered one of the best fighters in recent memory, in the 168lb conversation with Jones, Tony, Calzaghe, Froch...

Another big win or a couple years as a dominant champion, he's already in HOF territory so early.

I just hope fans respect that.

[oldtimer]

Ward is so far ahead of anyone else at 168 right now that there just does not seem to be any worthwile fights for him there anymore.
If Chavez jr can get past Martinez and then move up, that would certainly generate some interest. (Cant see Martinez doing the same being a small middleweight as is)


Otherwise perhaps if Rodriguez, Groves, Oosthuzen and Dirrel were to to get a few wins against each other, or other highly ranked smw opposition, we could see a decent challenger emerging.
Also a fight with Pavlik might fill a few seats.

I'm not sure there would be that much inerest in rematching guys he has already dominated. Of course if Bute somehow upsets Froch in their rematch then Ward/Bute makes sense.


Ward's best bet right now is probably to move up to LHW and go after more title's.

[JmH Reborn]

Well I think Froch is certainly a viable rematch after he took out who was at the time considered on par with Andre Ward. So I think that rematch has meaning. Froch created that meaning.

I would love to see a Chavez Jr fight after Jr. beats Martinez (hopefully my wife does not ever read that sentence).

Outside of those two, I would see no problem with him staying at 168 and creating an ever-lasting legacy. You don't have to jump from division to division to be among the greatest.

[nycsmooth]

no1 out there has the skills 2 beat Ward, Kessler/froch forget it, just b a payday for them...Dirrell needs more quality wins instead of flapping his mouth...JCC jr would b the $$ bout, IMO, but it would b a slaughter, doubt GBP lets this happen...

[oldtimer]

Well I think Froch is certainly a viable rematch after he took out who was at the time considered on par with Andre Ward. So I think that rematch has meaning. Froch created that meaning.

I would love to see a Chavez Jr fight after Jr. beats Martinez (hopefully my wife does not ever read that sentence).

Outside of those two, I would see no problem with him staying at 168 and creating an ever-lasting legacy. You don't have to jump from division to division to be among the greatest.

It depends on whether you feel that Froch was way better against Bute then he was against Ward, or if Bute was just not as good as everyone thought.
Frankly I think the latter is probably more likely.
No question Froch is world class and he came into the Bute fight in superb shape and hungry, but you could say the same thing about any of his last 8 fights at least. Froch just looked way better against weaker opposition who allowed him to get his shots off.

Having said that though, I guess there will definately be some interest from the Ward camp for the IBF strap. Would be nice if Froch can step up a notch and be more competetive if a rematch does materialise.

[flint]

chavez jr will flat out duck ward. she only wants to fight smaller boxer. julia chavez jr is worse champion in mexican boxing history.

[AntonTheMeh]

chavez/martinez winner imo unless cotto plans on fighting the winner.