by David P. Greisman

Eddie Mustafa Muhammad (Ward): “I know Carl Froch and I know Andre. I think Andre is the best ‘68-pounder in the world. I don’t think nobody is going to beat Andre. He has his game plan on. He has great people around him. Andre can do it all. He can box. If it’s neccessary, he’ll stand there and punch with you, and hit and don’t get hit. He’s a great fighter.

“And we haven’t seen the greatness yet. Andre is still a baby. I think he’ll decision Froch. Both of these guts are rugged type individuals. Carl Froch is a rugged type of fighter. He’s going to bring his A-game and Andre Is going bring his A-game.  I think Andre is going to be too fast for him and out-box him and just beat him to the punch all day.”

John Scully (Ward): “That’s a very tough fight. I like both guys. I think Froch is a very good fighter, but I think that Andre Ward, he’s got that something special about him. One thing a lot of people have been saying is he knows how to win. He knows how to dig down, and he can fight, he can bang, he can punch, he can box.

“I think with his youth and the momentum that he has right now — being undefeated and coming into his own as a pro, — I’m going to go with Andre Ward to win a decision in a good fight, probably in a very competitive fight.”

Henry Ramirez (Ward): “I’m going with Andre Ward. I like Andre Ward to out-box Froch over 12 rounds, to out-fight him on the inside, use his smarts, his underrated toughness and his craftiness. I think it’ll be a hell of a fight, though, because Froch is just a rugged, ballsy-type guy who comes to fight. I think it’s going to be a great fight. I just think that Andre Ward, the difference in hand speed, and just all the little things, all the little nuances that Andre Wards does, I think he’ll win a decision.”

Kevin Cunningham (Ward): “Andre Ward is probably one of the best fighters in the world right now. I see Andre Ward winning this fight by unanimous decision. He has an excellent knack for adjusting to what’s in front of him. I think he’s going to go out and make the necessary adjustments. And once he makes that adjustment, he’s going to dominate the fight for 12 rounds and win the unanimous decision.

“With that being said, Carl Froch has a herky-jerky style, and he’s good at what he does, and he could be tricky. So it’s not that it’s going to be an easy fight, but I think Andre Ward will make the necessary adjustment and win.”

Ronnie Shields (Ward): “Man, let me tell you something. I’ve been watching Andre Ward for a very, very long time. I’ve watched Carl Froch only a few times. Carl Froch, man, he is a beast. He is a really, really good fighter. But I don’t think anybody’s going to beat Andre Ward, man. I think Andre Ward’s going to be one of those guys that go undefeated through his whole career. Unless he fights one of my guys. I’m just kidding.

“I learned a lot when I had Sakio Bika fight him. Andre Ward, he’s not the strongest guy in the world and he’s not the hardest puncher in the world, but he has skills out of this world.

“I’ve seen him fight guys that were so strong like that kid [Edison] Miranda. When he first fought Miranda, I really thought Miranda was going to beat him, that Miranda might be too strong for him. Because Andre, when he first started as a professional, he was getting dropped a lot. I was saying, if this kid ever hit him, man, it’s going to be all over, but he proved to me in that fight, and that’s when I said nobody’s going to beat him.

“Look, Miranda can punch with both hands, and he beat Miranda like he wasn’t even a contender. And when I had Sakio Bika fight him, I thought the fight was a lot closer than what the judges had, but at the same time Sakio hit him with some good shots and he took them shots. I think it all has to do with the weight. At the beginning he was just too light. When they moved him up to 168, I really think that that’s the weight for him. I think he’s going to even be a better light heavyweight.

“In this fight, I have to go with Andre Ward, because I think he can box, and if he ahs to sit there and go toe to toe with you, you know what, he’s not afraid to do it. I just think he’s the better fight. I think it’s a 12-round decision. I don’t think either one of these guys can really hurt the other enough to knock him out. But I really and truly believe that Andre Ward is going to out-point him.”

David P. Greisman is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Follow David on Twitter at twitter.com/fightingwords2 or on Facebook at facebook.com/fightingwordsboxing, or send questions and comments to fightingwords1@gmail.com