By Keith Idec
Andre Ward hasn’t decided if his fight against Paul Smith will represent a temporary move up to light heavyweight.
Ward, who’ll face England’s Smith at a catch weight of 172 pounds, is convinced, however, that he’ll be able to get down to 168 pounds again if he opts to defend his WBA super middleweight championship later this year. The 31-year-old Ward (27-0, 14 KOs) hasn’t fought in 19 months, which led to making Smith agree to meet him between the super middleweight and light heavyweight limits on Saturday night at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. (BET; 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT).
“I just think that everybody decided collectively that this was the best move to make,” Ward said on a conference call earlier this week. “Why go to ’68 right now? Just see where you feel. And it’s for two reasons. A – yes, I can make ’68. I haven’t had any issues making ’68. And, I think, to my credit, you know, until I show that I have some issues – I’ve never missed weight or come close to missing weight – until I show that I have some issues, I think it’s safe to say I can make ’68 with no problem. [Saturday’s fight is] just a gauge and barometer, to see how I feel. Is it time to move up? Or do I go back down to 168?”
With the exception of two light heavyweight tune-up bouts for which he weighed in at 171 and 171¾ pounds, the 6-foot Ward has competed exclusively at super middleweight since March 2007. Aside from three fights, the 32-year-old Smith (35-5, 20 KOs) also has boxed at about the super middleweight limit the past six years.
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.