Comments Thread For: Andre Ward-Alexander Brand: Kenny Bayless as Third Man

[Dirk Diggler UK]

What a bunch of rubbish. He looked fine against Paul Smith. Acting like he *needs* all these tune-ups is just a way to get his fans to accept the fact that he's all set with fighting competition so subpar the NSAC has to step in and ask him to grow a pair of balls. And given the posts I've seen lately, those fans are totally buying it too.

It didn't need to be someone ****. If his team wasn't sitting on their collective asses they could have gotten a better fight by now - we heard rumblings of Ward on this PPV in late fcuken July and over 3 months later this was the best they could come up with.

A better fight like who? You know how much he gets paid and then factor in what the main event costs so yes it was always going to be someone **** who would accept low money and the opportunity.

I don't think it's because he "needs" the tune-up, its because he's fighting on such a huge card and the exposure is great for a future big fight against Kovalev.

I think his next fight has to be against someone a lot better though because he'll probably headline his own card but who is at Light Heavyweight who he can face? Pascal maybe if he doesn't get totally obliterated in the rematch with Kovalev.....

[Syf]

Kenny Bayless lost that title of a top referee many years ago.

Bayless will make sure to give Ward plenty of room to outbox Brand...and he'll probably ignore Ward's fouls too

As if brand already had a snowball's chance... put Bayless in to make things extra cushy and safe..why is Ward so scared

[Raonic]

If u not gonna base it off of resume's then there IS NO GUAGE AT ALL . It sounds like your saying that "your only as good as your last fight" . If that's the case then a win over Mohammadi is all Kovalev's worth right now . All we all know that's not true .

Wlad and Ward r my top two p4p for two reasons , their resume's , as Ward and Wlad cleaned out their divisions and 2) they both continue to fight the top guys , as Wlad (who already beat Povetkin) will fight Fury next and Wilder soon after and Ward will move up to Kov .

I never said that. But at the same time, you can't use something 4 years ago to represent what his capabilities are now when he hasn't proven it.

Boxing has always been based on what you've done recently (past 1-2 years). That's how you get championship fights, that's how you get ranked in sanctioning bodies, and that's how people respect you.

There's only so much 4 year old achievements can take you. People are automatically giving Ward credit acting as if he's already proven that what he did 4 years ago is something he's still done right now.

[SugarRaRobinson]

Who are these ranked opponents at 168 & 175 that didn't want to fight him?





To put things into perspective, Muhammad Ali fought two top ten ranked contenders in the space of about nine weeks after a three and a half year layoff and signed to fight Joe Frazier immediately after that.

Of course, different era, different men. Ward doesn't have that sort of mentality, otherwise he wouldn't have ducked the second highest rated fighter in his division in Lucian Bute

U guys would be singing the same song to Floyd had he never fought Pac . But Floyd fans knew it wasn't gonna be a competitive matchup . Booty was slapped around by Froch , who was slapped around by Ward .

That's enough for me to rest assure that Ward would of took care of biz against Booty handily . Booty was EXACTLY who Ward thought he was = Another proped up threat !

[BrometheusBob.]

A better fight like who? You know how much he gets paid and then factor in what the main event costs so yes it was always going to be someone **** who would accept low money and the opportunity.

I don't think it's because he "needs" the tune-up, its because he's fighting on such a huge card and the exposure is great for a future big fight against Kovalev.

I think his next fight has to be against someone a lot better though because he'll probably headline his own card but who is at Light Heavyweight who he can face? Pascal maybe if he doesn't get totally obliterated in the rematch with Kovalev.....

A better fight like who?
Lol are you suggesting Brand is the best they could possibly have done? No one else out there? Comon dog, you don't really think this do you?

Nah forget Pascal, for his next fight I'd like Gonzalez, Fonfara, Beterbiev or Alvarez/Chilemba winner.

[Dirk Diggler UK]

A better fight like who?
Lol are you suggesting Brand is the best they could possibly have done? No one else out there? Comon dog, you don't really think this do you?

Nah forget Pascal, for his next fight I'd like Gonzalez, Fonfara, Beterbiev or Alvarez/Chilemba winner.

So I'm asking you who since you seem to have more knowledge on it than me. Who good was going to take peanuts to fight as an opponent for Ward?

I'm suggesting the opponent is irrelevant and was always going to be someone ****. Brand, Agnew, Murdock....who really cares? It's a showcase for Ward and exposure.

[Mr.Daddy]

Wrong, Saiko Bika fought Stevenson this year and took him deep. In a tough fight.

Froch dominated Bute, Kessler, George Groves, and Mack after facing Ward. And never called out Ward after those dominating victories.

Chad Dawson was ruined be Ward.

Ward is just a guy that people do not want to face in the 160-168. So he has to go up to a guy like Kovalev who faces all comers. It's not Wards choice that the big money guys don't want to get embarrassed.

Yes, he fought Yusaf Mack who was right in the middle of losing six (6) of his last nine (9) fights and losing consecutively numbers 38 through 41.
And now that you've mentioned Mack, perhaps he should have been the fighter that Ward selected to face this Nov. 21st. If what I read was right: he certainly needs the money, he fought primarily at light heavyweight (he did drop to 168 for Froch), and his last fight was only Oct. 25th 2014.

[M Bison]

Should a world class fighter be fighting this type of opponent?

[SugarRaRobinson]

Ward's resume these past 4 years is mediocre at best.

And GGG's the last 4 ?
U would conveniently start at the exact year mark that the Super 6 ended , but I guess that's the only way u can make GGG seem somewhat equal to Ward .

[nacho daddy]

Bayless will make sure to give Ward plenty of room to outbox Brand...and he'll probably ignore Ward's fouls too

As if brand already had a snowball's chance... put Bayless in to make things extra cushy and safe..why is Ward so scared

just like payless did for froid mayweather