Will Ward be able to take over the Cruiserweight division?

[Xpert]

Ward as a Cruiserweight? Not unthinkable in the future. There's currently nothing left for him to do at Super Middleweight, so it should be time for him to move to Light Heavyweight, but which challenges awaits him there? Hopkins, Kovalev, Stevenson? I would love to see these fights and I hope they happen in the future, but I expect Ward to beat them all comfortably. That just seems like the more logical outcome than them suddenly being able to hit him hard and cleanly when proven elite fighters like Kessler and Froch couldn't hit him cleanly with brute force. So... He will most likely conquer Light Heavyweight, but what about Cruiserweight? Ward is not a small guy and it would maybe help him to gain some power by moving up, although the loss of speed could be bad. However, look at the state of Cruiserweight... Even if it would be slightly out of Ward's comfort zone, he is technically on a completely different level than the guys in that division, which means a lot. Heavyweight is out of the question, though.

[dan_cov]

Froch & Kessler are slow (foot and hand) Kovalev & Stevenson present problems.
Ward would not be able to utilise his clinching and rough house tactics against Stevenson. Those two fights intrigue me a lot and I feel both guys are a far, far bigger threats than Froch & Kessler ever was.

The cruiserweight division is loaded. Its one of the strongest divisions in boxing but probably perceived as otherwise as the top guys match up so well and there isn't an awful lot to separate them.
Hernandez, Drozd, Rakhim, Diablo, Jones, Mchunu etc with Masternak, Kucher and the likes half a step behind.

Its a solid division and frankly I don't feel Ward could cut it at cruiser.

[SN!PER]

Hopkins, Kovalev, Stevenson? I would love to see these fights and I hope they happen in the future, but I expect Ward to beat them all comfortably.

Slow down, Ward may be king at 168 but he has to prove himself at 175 first. Ward won't fight Hopkins because he's an idol and inspiration to him. I expect Ward would decision the other two, but comfortably is not the right word. He lacks the power to end the fight early, so he'd have to control the fight for 12 rounds. When you have a big puncher coming at you for 12 rounds, it's always dangerous! That's more opportunities for Kov or Stevenson to land, and more time that mistakes can happen. Ward is a highly versatile tactician and I expect him to win, but these would be the hardest fights of his career based on the fact that one clean punch could change the fight.

[BlackSnakeMamba]

He needs to move up to 175 and beat the elite boxers in that division.

The current weight limit for the division is 200 pounds. Ward is currently fighting at 168 lbs.

That 32 lbs weight differential (200 minus 168) (Looks like a Super Flyweight division jumping to Welterweight division in less than a year.)

And Ward is not that tall He's only 5'11" (probably over 6 feet tall in his boxing sneakers.). We have plenty of 6'4" and above fighters in the CW Division. The Current Shortest CW is Dennis Lebevev, but a much bigger and taller Guillermo Jones TKO'ed him in the 11th round.

[LA_2_Vegas]

i went to the abraham ward weigh in and got to see him close to a HW (areolla), and a fat Shawn Estrada who missed weight at 178 (for SMW)...ward seemed small next to him. So, at CW, he would have to be putting on masterpieces everytime if he just jumped up hasitly. I could see him doing it but after a number of years, need some more old man strength to set in. Still not a lot of power, but for him, I think he's hitting harder lately

[US Dirk Killer]

He's too scared to go up to 175. He said he was going to go up to 175 2 years ago

[boliodogs]

No. Ward is a light puncher for a 168 pounder. His punch would be pathetic for a 200 pounder. Ward has been knocked down and hurt at 168 early in his career. He can't take the power of the harder hitting cruiserweights. I doubt he can beat the best light heavyweights. If he continues to fight and beat the best at 168 that makes him a very good champion and he should not have to do more or fight above his ideal fighting weight.

[Earl-Hickey]

Go and watch Ward vs Sakio bika

now tell me how he's going to fare in a rough fight with a 200lb man

[Cuban Linx]

How will we know? He seems reluctant to move up to 175!

[The Hammer]

I remember when Joe Calzaghe was 168 champion, after he had accomplished everything there was to accomplish in that division, he moved up and fought the Ring light heavyweight champion, in that fighter's home country.

Why can't Andre Ward go up to light heavyweight and try to become a two-division champ?

He fought at light heavyweight in the amateurs.