Andre Ward: I Feel A lot Stronger at 175-Pounds!

By Keith Idec

Andre Ward is completely comfortable with becoming a full-fledged light heavyweight.

The 32-year-old Ward (28-0, 15 KOs) feels fresher and stronger, and believes that’ll help him when he faces a bigger, supposedly stronger Sullivan Barrera (17-0, 12 KOs) in a 12-round, 175-pound fight March 26 in Oakland, California (HBO). The most Ward has weighed for any of his 28 professional fights is 171¾ pounds, and that was for his last appearance, a ninth-round stoppage of England’s Paul Smith (35-6, 20 KOs) on June 20 in Oakland.

“I get to eat more,” Ward said during a conference call. “You definitely feel stronger when you don’t have to strip extra pounds off. That’s kind of a no-brainer. I still feel like I have my speed, I still feel like I have all the things that made me who I was at super middleweight. But I also feel a lot stronger at 175. And to be honest, I’m a lot happier. I didn’t have to kill myself per se to make weight, but making 168 is not an easy thing to do. That last week is always difficult.”

Except for one fight at a catch weight, Ward was exclusively a super middleweight for eight years, until the Smith fight. As the 2004 Olympic gold medalist aged, it became increasingly difficult to get down to the 168-pound limit.

“I think any fighter,” Ward said, “whether they really struggle to make weight or if they just have to cut a few pounds, it’s not a normal thing to do, to deplete your body in the gym and on the road, and train hard and not put back [into your body] what you’re supposed to put back. So I’m definitely happier. I feel very strong and I still maintained all the things that made me who I was at [168].”

Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, N.J., and BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.