Interesting comment. Considering Ward is supposed to be the 2nd best ever and a huge draw but the great Julio Cesar Chavez SR who once got a draw moving up to welterweight against Pernell Whitaker (in a fight he says he deserved to win) said nobody will remember him.
Chavez' opinion was used as gospel recently, so it's interesting to see how people view this.
ATG? That's a stretch. Is Joe Calzaghe an ATG? If the answer is no same for Ward.
Ward has 0 wins against a great or even a HOF fighter. His best two "wins" were controversial. That can't be denied. They both created big controversies and one of them is widely seen as a loss.
Joe Calzaghe and Andre Ward are top 100 and therefore ATGs. I can nitpick unpopular decisions on every fighters resume. But I won't do that because unlike you and DramaShow , I appreciate greatness.
Salty post. You're in denial of the greatness of ATG and future HOF fighter Andre Ward. From Olympic gold medalist to 2 division world champion to p4p king to retiring undefeated at the top of boxing.
ATG? That's a stretch. Is Joe Calzaghe an ATG? If the answer is no same for Ward.
Ward has 0 wins against a great or even a HOF fighter. His best two "wins" were controversial. That can't be denied. They both created big controversies and one of them is widely seen as a loss.
"Ward is supposed to be the 2nd best ever"
Dude, no. The 10 ten lists of boxers of all time is stacked. People who accomplished insane things. Henry Armstrong, Willie Pep. Andre Ward is a HoFer of course but he won't be terribly high on all time list. Mayweather may just break top ten.
"and a huge draw"
Ward was a terrible draw, quite unfortunately. He and Kovalev together still couldn't do decent ppv numbers.
I agree. I just go off what a lot of posters here claim. I wouldn't have him top 100 ever. Boxing history is very storied. We just have many here that don't know anything about boxing pre-Mayweather days.
Interesting comment. Considering Ward is supposed to be the 2nd best ever and a huge draw but the great Julio Cesar Chavez SR who once got a draw moving up to welterweight against Pernell Whitaker (in a fight he says he deserved to win) said nobody will remember him.
"Ward is supposed to be the 2nd best ever"
Dude, no. The 10 ten lists of boxers of all time is stacked. People who accomplished insane things. Henry Armstrong, Willie Pep. Andre Ward is a HoFer of course but he won't be terribly high on all time list. Mayweather may just break top ten.
"and a huge draw"
Ward was a terrible draw, quite unfortunately. He and Kovalev together still couldn't do decent ppv numbers.
No he won’t. By most people, he will be remembered as a dirty fighter who had officials on his side and was gifted decisions.
Salty post. You're in denial of the greatness of ATG and future HOF fighter Andre Ward. From Olympic gold medalist to 2 division world champion to p4p king to retiring undefeated at the top of boxing.
“THERE WAS REALLY NO MONEY IN AN ADONIS STEVENSON FIGHT, SO IT WAS A GOOD TIME TO CONSIDER RETIREMENT”
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Hunter - Well, Stevenson can only fight in Canada:
That's a lie, Stevenson can fight everywhere and would have fought in the states for the Undisputed title.
Hunter - There was really no money in that fight:
That's a lie, Stevenson made 3 million against Bika, since, his minimum purse was an average of 3 million per fight, not for superfights, only per fights.
Hunter - Nobody put up the money for that fight:
That's a lie, they didn't even try to communicate with Stevenson, they were carefully avoiding every questions about Adonis Stevenson or the Undisputed subject.
Hunter - Once you make a certain amount of money, it’s only right that you continue to stay on that pay scale:
That's true, but Ward made 2 million against Smith, 1.85 million against Barrera and 850k to fight Brand, while Stevenson minimum pay scale was already locked at 3 million per fights, US currency. Stevenson purse value would have been much more for Superfights.
Hunter - Stevenson was not going to bring in that kind of money to the table because he only fights in Canada:
That's a lie, Stevenson purse average was higher than Kovalev, not to mention Kovalev biggest payday ever was against Jean Pascal in Canada "US Currency", not to mention, sometimes Stevenson training camps are at Traverse City Michigan, which mean Stevenson has no limitation to fight out of Canada, if the purse & the title are right.
Why no body try to communicate with Stevenson to get his version, I guess no one wants to hear it.
Initially, Ward moved up to 175Lbs, after being called by Kovalev, to bypass the Stevenson threat.
Ward started to joke about Stevenson, like: "He will have to ask Al to come out & play".
Stevenson congratulate & Challenge Ward after his victory over Kovalev, but Ward says: "why now, I'm not even thinking about this guy right now". In a UK conference, Ward says: "no disrespect to Stevenson, but he is a step back", Ward also says he would rather fight in a big UK stadium, and maybe meet guys like "Cleverly".
In the meantime, Ward says between him and Stevenson it has to make sense.
After Ward second victory over Kovalev, Stevenson congratulate Ward again and says lets fight for the Undisputed title, but Ward repeated: "it has to make sense".
After Badou Jack easy victory over Cleverly, Stevenson congratulate Jack and challenge him to fight before the Undisputed matchup come to fruition, saying: "Ward is wasting time beating around the bushes, Ward is acting like a princess".
Ward sounds off til the Crawford Undisputed fight. After the insistence of a reporter, Ward says he fought Kovalev twice while Stevenson didn't fight him once, just seconds after feinting his own interest to become Undisputed too.
Just 4 weeks ago, Ward attempted to settle a fight with an Eddie Hearn guy "Frank Buglioni" in UK, which was turned down by Buglioni & HBO. RocNation's choice was to fight Stevenson next, HBO's choice was to fight Stevenson or challenging heavier opponents. But Ward/Hunter plan was well calculated, Bellew & Joshua belongs to promoter Eddie Hearn, therefore it was fairly easy for Ward to show some appearance of negotiations while maintaining his lie about going up in weight. I mean, while maintaining discussion with promoter Eddie Hearn, Ward was not really planning to change weight, he was only preparing himself to milk his titles with the lesser opponents Hearn has in his stable, from the LHW division.
But when ROC & HBO rejected the softer "Buglioni" choice, Ward didn't want to take the risk of fighting Stevenson even if the reward was to become Undisputed; Ward retired instead.
If old Stevenson was that easy & cheap, why the #1 pound-for-pound didn't fight him just to pick his WBC Lineal belt, just to become Undisputed? I guess Virgil Hunter didn't like what he saw, when he felt Stevenson strength in Canada. I mean, when Virgil literally jumped in the ring to stopped the Fonfara's destruction.
Hunter - There’s a possibility that if the right fighter comes along, then he would manage:
Hunter or Ward may try to flip it as they wish, making fans turning in circles with lies, like going up in weight for Joshua or coming back to the sport against the right "YOUNG" rising challenger.
That said, Ward may come back, but reporters would have to communicate with RocNation president Michael Yormark 1st, only to know the actual status of Ward promotional contract.
Anyhow! they just can't erase or bypass actual events, facts such as Andre Ward ducked Adonis Stevenson for the Undisputed matchup.
I mean, the duck was so strong, it was a career retirement.
Maybe Andre Ward will be remembered, as the biggest duck in Boxing history.
I'm a Ward fanatic, but Chavez is right..
His career was long.. But not a lot of fights..
He beat
Frock
Kessler
Dawson
Kovalev 1 time
I think he's great. I'll remember him
But I also feel others won't..
Time will tell but he certainly could've done a lot more IMO to truly be remembered as a great. All respect for him for getting his money, securing his and his families future, and getting out of the brutal sport early with all his faculties in tact. However, he certainly won't be brought up alongside guys like Mayweather, Pacquiao, and Hopkins.
I won't dog the old legend for his opinion. I strongly disagree though.
Andre Ward is an Olympic Gold Medal Champion, Super Six winner, 2 division champ. He has some good names on his resume.
His name will always come up in real boxing fans conversations. Whether it's about controversy, who he could beat from other eras and so on.
He is right, most people have already forgotten about him and are just glad he retired. No fans, no charisma, just fighting out of his backyard and using a ton of dirty tactics and always acting like a Primadonna.
You foolish fuk!
Ward will be remembered for cleaning out the super six tournament when he was the clear underdog without any top experience!
He will be remembered for outgrinding one of the toughest fighters in Sakio Bika!
He'll be remembered for schooling future HOF Carl, It's The Cobra!!!! Froch! With one hand at that!
His fight with Dawson will be replayed and shown to kids on how to disrupt an opponent who's taller, longer and a southpaw!
He'll be immortalized for moving up in weight after being ducked by "The most feared fighter in boxing...ggg" and taking on a top 5 pound for pound undefeated champion and the best fighter at 175 in Krusher Kovalev!
Not only he did took on the challenge but he was dropped and hurt but battled back to show the heart of a champion as well as adjusting against a fighter with a better jab and more power!
I thought he lost it when the judges said he won but he took the rematch and just took his game to another level!
By using the ring more and shooting hooks and countering to the body he eventually did the unthinkable....made The Krusher do the Russian shuffle with that right hand! LOL
The ref saw that Kovalev wanted out and seen enough, thus putting a golden feather on a cap of one of the best to ever lace boxing gloves!
Ward is one of the toughest,grittiest,clever,and determined fighters I've ever witnessed!
I'd hate to be whoever has to fight him in mythical match ups!
He will be remembered by his fans and by kovs fans for sure
Beautiful body work.
http://cdn.newsday.com/polopoly_fs/1.13746515.1497825653!/httpImage/image.jpeg_gen/derivatives/display_600/image.jpeg
Chavez is a loser, a quitter and a lazy trainer who never realized his potential. His opinion means very little and of course Ward will be remembered as a great fighter.