by David P. Greisman
For his first fight since November 2013, super middleweight champion Andre Ward will face Paul Smith at a contractual weight limit of 172 pounds, Ward told BoxingScene.com on April 24.
For years, Ward has said he’ll only move to light heavyweight from 168 when it’s the right time. Coming in at 172 or lower for Smith will give him an indication on whether they’ll move back down or if it’s time to go up.
“I’m going to see how my body feels, and I think we’ll make that decision,” Ward said. “I have the final say, but it’s me and Virg [trainer Virgil Hunter]. We sit and talk about it, and I trust his insight. He doesn’t feel like that it’s a move I should make right now.
“I’m getting my body fat measured. I’m doing all the things I need to do so I make an educated decision,” he said. “It’s not just something I do on a whim, because when I go to that weight class, I want to fight the best and compete against the best, and there’s no coming down in weight. So when I make that decision, I got to make sure it’s the right time.”
Ward-Smith is scheduled for June 20 and will be broadcast on BET.
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