Andre Ward is a dirty fighting sneaky opportunist.

[Guest]

Boone dropped him while he was going to lean in with his head. Ward is a sucker for uppercuts but the guys he fights never use em.

That's right it was Boone but he was rocked hard against Kost.


I remember people started to question his chin back then.

[Doctor_Tenma]

how is holding with one arm and hitting with the other a bad thing? Calzaghe and Whitaker both used that tactic to great advantage.

if the guy is just going to try and cover up/grab and wait for the ref to break you out of the infight, I say screw it and keep punching.

theres a big difference between flat out clinching and still being able to fight with your arms entangled. a good portion of Leonard-Duran 1 was spent in that fight style, and that was a beautiful display of boxing.

its just that nowadays people are totally spoiled and unfamiliar with that style and are used to refs breaking every single clinch the instant fighters get close, and dont know how to roughhouse fight on the inside...which takes skill to do, even if it isnt 'pretty' to some people.
its like people forget that boxing is a fight sometimes.

Actually I think it's how Ward does it as oppose to just holdin' and hitting. When Whitaker did that stuff I LOVED it, especially since he was a little 5'5 1/2 dude and doing it against much bigger opposition. Also love how B-Hop does it. When Ward does it, it isn't particularly entertaining to most people but it's still brilliant stuff nonetheless. It's probably because Ward has a real good hold on his opponent and he doesn't allow them to escape, his head is also near his opponent's face so they seem scared to budge; hesitant, also more shoving from Ward. In short, there was more artistry in how B-Hop, Whitaker and Mayweather do it. Where as Ward uses his physicality to pull it off.

[Frank Ducketts]

You said he dropped him. Its obvious Ward doesnt like getting hit.

There isn't a fighter on this planet who likes being hit...

[Guest]

You said he dropped him. Its obvious Ward doesnt like getting hit.

I mixed up the fighters. Boone dropped him. Kost buzzed him big.

[Bhopreign]

There isn't a fighter on this planet who likes being hit...

You know what I mean, many dont mind standing in there to get there's off, Ward isnt like that, like Roy wasnt trying to do it either. They are perfectionist and they know their chin also.

[killacash]

Bute imo can't take it to the body, Pascal is prone to uppercuts, Floyd is open for the right hand, Manny can't block a jab...so what lol... Every fighter is flawed to someone. Over coming those flaws is their job.

Thats the thing though, he has 22 fights and he still does that same move where he jabs and lunges in vulnerable to uppercuts and clinches. He hasn't seem to stop doing that same move. Boone caught him, why doesnt his handlers tell him to stop doing it.

[Bhopreign]

Bute imo can't take it to the body, Pascal is prone to uppercuts, Floyd is open for the right hand, Manny can't block a jab...so what lol... Every fighter is flawed to someone. Over coming those flaws is their job.

I dont think Floyd is open to the right hand, just because he mistimed Shane's only shot?, give me other examples an orthodox fighter got him good with right hands.

[Bhopreign]

Thats the thing though, he has 22 fights and he still does that same move where he jabs and lunges in vulnerable to uppercuts and clinches. He hasn't seem to stop doing that same move. Boone caught him, why doesnt his handlers tell him to stop doing it.

He was playing around somewhat back then, he used to try to mimic Roy Jones in the ring back then, he doesnt do that anymore.

[Guest]

I dont think Floyd is open to the right hand, just because he mistimed Shane's only shot?, give me other examples an orthodox fighter got him good with right hands.

Floyd isn't open to much.

I would agree. Your gonna get hit from time to time.

Pretty much everyone does.

[Steak]

Actually I think it's how Ward does it as oppose to just holdin' and hitting. When Whitaker did that stuff I LOVED it, especially since he was a little 5'5 1/2 dude and doing it against much bigger opposition. Also love how B-Hop does it. When Ward does it, it isn't particularly entertaining to most people but it's still brilliant stuff nonetheless. It's probably because Ward has a real good hold on his opponent and he doesn't allow them to escape, his head is also near his opponent's face so they seem scared to budge; hesitant, also more shoving from Ward. In short, there was more artistry in how B-Hop, Whitaker and Mayweather do it. Where as Ward uses his physicality to pull it off.

Well, I dont think anyone would say that Ward is as skilled as a Hopkins or Whitaker...very few fighters ever were.

Ward doesnt have that kind of skill, so he uses his physical ability...Whatever you can use to your advantage, go for it. I certainly would use it if I was boxing. its far better than 'running' from your opponent, because youre actually wearing them down slowly and building up damage...not to mention youre the one throwing punches.

I still say that it would be a lot more entertaining to see if his opponents actually tried to fight their way out instead of playing defense. a lot of fighters want nothing to do with that kind of close quarters fight and either block(and wait for the break) or clinch(and wait for the break). the only reason he actually holds in the first place is because they would try to get away.(and to mess up their balance, but thats a different story).

what hes doing is simply exploiting a weakness that most fighters dont even try to address, and just look to the ref for help