Comments Thread For: Andre Ward On Fighting Kovalev: “What’s The Rush?”

[petegrif]

It's a sad thing to say but when it comes to speaking to the public, as opposed to diehard fans, Ward is apparently tone deaf. I've rarely seen a guy make so many dumb statements. For all his pseudo humble SOG persona this is a guy with a big ego and an apparent blindness to how he comes off. He has huge talent and has achieved wonderful things and I'd love to see him realize his talents and reap the rewards but he keeps sabotaging himself. I wish he had better people around him to save him from himself because his current team just can't rein him in when he needs it and I very much doubt Roc Nation will be able to 'control' him. The importance of the right team is easy to underestimate. Look what happened to Tyson after D'Amato died - he went downhill fast with no-one to 'control' him. Ward's going the same way and he's starting to sound pathetic and more and more people are seeing him that way and it's just really sad. How on earth did such an awesome talent come to this? Surely someone around him must know he needs help. Or maybe he just is too broken in some way to take advice. Some people are built that way.

[Mr.Daddy]

Well, he could have posted magnetic resonance tomography pic though, haha, Either he has a minor injury, or he is faking. If its a minor injury take some local anesthetic and beat that ****ing bum on one of the best events in the last years, there have been fighters who fought with major injuries and still won

What you say is true, but we don't know the entire story (was it the knee injury, or was it the injury on top of whatever).

[petegrif]

Ward should not use the phrase "What's the rush" when referring to anything.
It's an unfortunate choice of words for him.

Absolutely right. He's tone deaf.

[petegrif]

ward is hesitant to move up and fight kovalev just as much as golovkin is hesitant to move up to fight ward.

they're on the same boat really...only ****** nsb'ers with their pissing contest everyday who can't realize that.

There may be some truth to what you say. But it isn't exactly the same:
(and please bear in mind that I have been a fan of Ward since the Olympics: albeit I am now a very disappointed fan)

a) GGG has real business left at MW, Ward has had none at SMW for years.
b) GGG fights regularly and is entertaining, his fanbase and negotiation power has been growing. Ward fights rarely and to all but technically aware fans his fights are boring, he can't sell out a fight in Oakland and rarely fights anywhere else, his fanbase is shrinking. In a GGG Ward fight, GGG is the A side but Ward will never accept that.
c) GGG is fan friendly, he works hard around the globe (literally) reaching out to fans, thanking fans... Ward regularly makes statements that make it plain that to him fans are secondary.
d) GGG is unfailingly respectful to other fighters, including Ward. Ward regularly patronizes other fighters, including GGG
e) GGG has a great team that have built his career skilfully since he got out of his ghastly European contract and came over to the US to fight. Ward has had every opportunity, including the Super Six, to display his talent but his team haven't been able to rein him in and build his career. They can't seem to stop him sabotaging himself. It's like he's got a career death wish that they are powerless to control.
g) GGG has never tried to fight anyone so far below his class that the commission has not allowed the fight. Ward has. And to be honest for a fighter of his elite status (and he is a phenomenal talent) that is more than embarrassing it is shameful.

I get the argument that it's just the same, and at one level you can make that argument. But there are many other factors at play here and they aren't all the same.

[bigjavi973]

I'm sorry Ward won't be there to protect your dear Cotto from facing his mandatory, I guess you don't want him to take another thumping after the endless thumping's he's taken throughout his career.

quit reaching. Quote me saying that I dont want to see the Cotto-lil'g fight. if not stfu & you can go troll somewhere else, too. Moron.

[bigjavi973]

You are the one claiming that the fight is going to happen, the burden of proof is on you, not him. Makes more sense to find proof of the fight happening, not the opposite, proving a negative doesn't usually work out. He is right the fight hasn't been confirmed, there has been talk but that's about it, and I mean just look at Ward's statement "What's the Rush?".

I don't have to prove nothing. YOU PEOPLE are the ones going around sayin, "see ward doesnt want the fight" blah blah blah WITHOUT any proof yourselves.

[Trinidad_Fan]

There may be some truth to what you say. But it isn't exactly the same:
(and please bear in mind that I have been a fan of Ward since the Olympics: albeit I am now a very disappointed fan)

a) GGG has real business left at MW, Ward has had none at SMW for years.
b) GGG fights regularly and is entertaining, his fanbase and negotiation power has been growing. Ward fights rarely and to all but technically aware fans his fights are boring, he can't sell out a fight in Oakland and rarely fights anywhere else, his fanbase is shrinking. In a GGG Ward fight, GGG is the A side but Ward will never accept that.
c) GGG is fan friendly, he works hard around the globe (literally) reaching out to fans, thanking fans... Ward regularly makes statements that make it plain that to him fans are secondary.
d) GGG is unfailingly respectful to other fighters, including Ward. Ward regularly patronizes other fighters, including GGG
e) GGG has a great team that have built his career skilfully since he got out of his ghastly European contract and came over to the US to fight. Ward has had every opportunity, including the Super Six, to display his talent but his team haven't been able to rein him in and build his career. They can't seem to stop him sabotaging himself. It's like he's got a career death wish that they are powerless to control.
g) GGG has never tried to fight anyone so far below his class that the commission has not allowed the fight. Ward has. And to be honest for a fighter of his elite status (and he is a phenomenal talent) that is more than embarrassing it is shameful.

I get the argument that it's just the same, and at one level you can make that argument. But there are many other factors at play here and they aren't all the same.

Excellent post.

[El-blanco]

I don't have to prove nothing. YOU PEOPLE are the ones going around sayin, "see ward doesnt want the fight" blah blah blah WITHOUT any proof yourselves.

I think him saying, "what's the rush," is proof enough he doesn't want it.

[creekrat77]

Do whatever you want Andre. Ideally reestablish your presence, but aim your trajectory towards Kova

[-PBP-]

Stopped reading after he said May/Pac. What a terrible precedent. **** you boxing fans for letting them get away with that.