Comments Thread For: Andre Ward on Facing Kovalev, Golovkin, More

[BattlingNelson]

You could always move up and then move back down? Or does that make too much sense?

That's precisely what I was thinking. It is not like he has to stay at LHW.

[bojangles1987]

five or six years

it happens all the time, bro.

sheesh.



so ward's inactivity is because ward's a "diva," huh? it has nothing to do with the fact that he's suing his promotor? or that kelly pavlik went insane? or that he blew out his shoulder? or that he broke two bones in his hand in the froch fight?


he's just sitting on the couch because he's a diva. great insight, bro. compelling.

That's just fighters I can name. Many of those fighters did so in the last 2 or 3 years. All championship level fighters. Is it really so rare if it's happening 3 or 4 times a year, at least? Why can't Ward do it if the two biggest stars in the sport are doing it? What about Chavez Jr.? He's done it, too. It's one fight. Move up for one fight. Yes, it happens all the time.

Ward is clearly a diva. These comments are proof of it, along with other comments in recent memory and his constant attempts to sue his promoter when he keeps losing. That he tried to fight Kelly Pavlik at all is proof of it. He actually wanted a worse fight than Edwin Rodriguez and HBO told him no.

He's talking about PPV fights when he isn't a PPV fighter. If he ever does fight on PPV anytime soon, it will be because he's fighting someone else who can carry the event and make it worthwhile. He's trying to dictate all the terms to fighters who make just as much money elsewhere. Hate to break it to you, but Ward isn't going to be able to sit pat at 168 and make anyone come to him.

[bojangles1987]

That's precisely what I was thinking. It is not like he has to stay at LHW.

Apparently it's extremely rare now for fighters to move up for a fight and move back down. You never see it, I'm hearing. Never mind all the fighters who have done it recently, they don't count I guess.

[deanrw]

I am getting a good chuckle of both sides of this argument. It is strange how boxing works though. It is probably one of the few, possibly the only sport that does not pay out money = to how good an athlete is.

Ward is in a bad position. He is only moderately popular overall, and truly is one of the top fighters in the sport. This is part of the reason why he is trying to leave Goossen. Goossen does not provide the hype machine that he truly needs.

Most fighters get a hype machine, a marketing campaign behind them. Even K2 hyped Golovkin like crazy and still does with it's behind the scene videos. Everyone involved with him keeps his name out there, and the "legend". None of us would know about the 345-5 and sparring stories, without that hype. Golovkin was completely unknown, even in Europe, until he hooked up with Tom Loeffler and Sanchez over here.

Goossen Tutor provided decent fights and took Ward to a certain place, but seems stuck now. Ward's style does not have mass appeal, so he needs a hype machine even more than Golovkin. Ward should share an equal part of the blame, as he has done little self promotion himself.

[BattlingNelson]

it's rarely, if ever done. fighter's go up in weight, not down. the only incentive would be a ton of money, and HBO just can't pay hiim much more for those fights than they can for edwin rodriguez. which would you do, and don't give me that "legacy" garbage that no fighter puts before making money.


the down time between fights, and then only bringing yourself to 175, could end forever the possibility of him making 168 again.

he'd be best served to fight 175 lbers while not letting himself weight in at too much more than 168. then, maybe, it would be possible.

whyt would he do it, though? legacy?



and you all know that the same king ward haters are going to discredit a win over anybody from kovalev to klitschko. when you're young, black, and good, there's envy.

Really? Kessler did recently when fighting Allan Green at LHW before going back to SMW and win a Championship. Ray Leonard moved to LMW to beat Ayub Kalule before moving back down to beat Hearns. Its been done a lot of times dude.

[Hougigo]

Even the money?

Especially the money

[Foreign Soil]

This was like some Fresh Prince of Bel Air racial discussion.

[bojangles1987]

I am getting a good chuckle of both sides of this argument. It is strange how boxing works though. It is probably one of the few, possibly the only sport that does not pay out money = to how good an athlete is.

Ward is in a bad position. He is only moderately popular overall, and truly is one of the top fighters in the sport. This is part of the reason why he is trying to leave Goossen. Goossen does not provide the hype machine that he truly needs.

Most fighters get a hype machine, a marketing campaign behind them. Even K2 hyped Golovkin like crazy and still does with it's behind the scene videos. Everyone involved with him keeps his name out there, and the "legend". None of us would know about the 345-5 and sparring stories, without that hype. Golovkin was completely unknown, even in Europe, until he hooked up with Tom Loeffler and Sanchez over here.

Goossen Tutor provided decent fights and took Ward to a certain place, but seems stuck now. Ward's style does not have mass appeal, so he needs a hype machine even more than Golovkin. Ward should share an equal part of the blame, as he has done little self promotion himself.

It's not fair at all, but it's reality. Ward is trying to deny reality, and suffering for it. What would he rather have, decent money and legacy, or no money and no legacy? Because right now he isn't getting either.

Better fighters than Andre Ward have come up the hard way and had to concede to worse fighters who were bigger stars. What makes Ward so special that he shouldn't do the same?

[KingTito]

I've been a Ward fan since the beginning, and I just want to see him back in the damn ring.

[WilkinsOlajuwon]

NEWS FLASH ANDRE: You are not a PPV draw.