Comments Thread For: Andre Ward: I Got The Rust Off, I Can Be Even Better

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

Andre Ward made an impressive return to the ring with a ninth-round stoppage of England's Paul Smith at Oakland's Oracle Arena on Saturday.

Fighting for the first time in 19 months because of a protracted legal dispute with his former promoter, the late Dan Goosen, Ward dominated from the start against the former British champion, whose corner threw in the towel with Smith's face covered with blood.

Smith spent most of the fight in defensive mode and although he did connect with a big right-hand in the seventh, Ward shrugged it off and responded with his own flurry which opened up a cut on his opponent.
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[elgu]

Never good enough to beat Kovalev.

[aldo5408]

Should Ward have let his opponent hit him to make the fight more competitive?

[Barcham]

Should Ward have let his opponent hit him to make the fight more competitive?

He should have started by fighting a decent opponent instead of a fat, out of shape empty can who never even bothered to try to get in shape and actually fight and was just there for the payday. There are guys walking around the streets of Oakland who could have walked in off the street and put up a better fight. Ward should have had this guy out of there in 2 or 3 rounds, not NINE! If I was Ward, I would seriously be thinking about retirement after that fight. He certainly will not be taking on a much better opponent in his next fight.

And reading his delusional fans crowing about this fantastic beat down and how he should be back up near the top of the P4P lists is just hilarious. I mean it's better than listening to a comedy show!

[bojangles1987]

He should have started by fighting a decent opponent instead of a fat, out of shape empty can who never even bothered to try to get in shape and actually fight and was just there for the payday. There are guys walking around the streets of Oakland who could have walked in off the street and put up a better fight. Ward should have had this guy out of there in 2 or 3 rounds, not NINE! If I was Ward, I would seriously be thinking about retirement after that fight. He certainly will not be taking on a much better opponent in his next fight.

And reading his delusional fans crowing about this fantastic beat down and how he should be back up near the top of the P4P lists is just hilarious. I mean it's better than listening to a comedy show!

Your insecurity is quite ridiculous.

[MRCHOKEaMF]

He should have started by fighting a decent opponent instead of a fat, out of shape empty can who never even bothered to try to get in shape and actually fight and was just there for the payday. There are guys walking around the streets of Oakland who could have walked in off the street and put up a better fight. Ward should have had this guy out of there in 2 or 3 rounds, not NINE! If I was Ward, I would seriously be thinking about retirement after that fight. He certainly will not be taking on a much better opponent in his next fight.

And reading his delusional fans crowing about this fantastic beat down and how he should be back up near the top of the P4P lists is just hilarious. I mean it's better than listening to a comedy show!

Yeah he should leave them for GGG to fight

[NEETzsche]

i wonder who his next opponent will be. surely a step up from smith, but he doesn't have many options for big fights. chudinov should dispatch buglioni without too much trouble, so perhaps he will be ready to go again in time for ward's next fight

[Public_Enemy]

He should have started by fighting a decent opponent instead of a fat, out of shape empty can who never even bothered to try to get in shape and actually fight and was just there for the payday. There are guys walking around the streets of Oakland who could have walked in off the street and put up a better fight. Ward should have had this guy out of there in 2 or 3 rounds, not NINE! If I was Ward, I would seriously be thinking about retirement after that fight. He certainly will not be taking on a much better opponent in his next fight.

And reading his delusional fans crowing about this fantastic beat down and how he should be back up near the top of the P4P lists is just hilarious. I mean it's better than listening to a comedy show!

He's been out of the ring 19 months. Two or three rounds does nothing to help. Ward was able to work some of the rust off over those nine rounds without taking any real damage. He should be able to comeback in the fall against a better opponent but I thought he looked fine when you factor in the lay off.

[KO'er]

I think Andre Dirrell should be Wards next opponent. Dirrell got dropped twice in his loss to DeGale but the scores were still very close, Dirrell would provide a tough challenge to Ward.

[Barcham]

He's been out of the ring 19 months. Two or three rounds does nothing to help. Ward was able to work some of the rust off over those nine rounds without taking any real damage. He should be able to comeback in the fall against a better opponent but I thought he looked fine when you factor in the lay off.

He could have gotten better work in the gym with a sparring partner than he got in the ring last night against Smith. At least a sparring partner would be trying to fight back. And I'm really ****ing tired of the 'he's been out for 19 months' bullshit excuse. MANY other fighters in the past have been out for at least as long and did not need to fight someone on Smith's level upon their return. Some fighters, like Leonard and Floyd, were out for considerably longer periods and came back right into a title fight. And Ward has made a big point to say that he has kept himself in top shape by constantly working out in the gym and keeping his skills in top condition.

In today's boxing world, many fighters have breaks of a year or more between fights and do not come back against totally crap competition like Smith. Even the most rabid of Ward fans cannot deny that Smith did not give a crap about this fight and never intended to give his best. He came for a payday, not for a fight.