New found respect for Andre Ward, heres why?..

[Boxfan83]

Im a Ward supporter/fan so its obvious I have respect for him but after spending the last week in Oakland on business, my respect is much greater. Oakland has to be the worst city i have ever been to as far as crime, poverty, & drugs. On my first day in Oakland I went on a 6mile run around downtown to 38th street & i cut through MLK for a shortcut, during that time i almost stepped on a hypodermic needle, i was offered Narcos, a crackhead wanted to try to ko me because he thought i was a boxer, hit on by what appeared to be a ts **********, & i was literally chased by a CRAZY @$$ rabid squirrel. So with that said...

Theres always talk on NSB about guys like Broner saying "u can take the guy out the hood but u cant take the hood out the guy." Now idk what kinda social class Ward grew up in but if a man can come out of Oakland (where its obvious the Local govt gives 2 *****$ about **********) with the success hes had & stay focused on his God, hes even more mentally strong than I or others give him credit for. Of course "Trump supporters" aka Kovalev fans wont agree but theyre in for a rude awakening when Ward gives him a northern Cali bestdown...

[HAY-B]

Im a Ward supporter/fan so its obvious I have respect for him but after spending the last week in Oakland on business, my respect is much greater. Oakland has to be the worst city i have ever been to as far as crime, poverty, & drugs. On my first day in Oakland I went on a 6mile run around downtown to 38th street & i cut through MLK for a shortcut, during that time i almost stepped on a hypodermic needle, i was offered Narcos, a crackhead wanted to try to ko me because he thought i was a boxer, hit on by what appeared to be a ts **********, & i was literally chased by a CRAZY @$$ rabid squirrel. So with that said...

Theres always talk on NSB about guys like Broner saying "u can take the guy out the hood but u cant take the hood out the guy." Now idk what kinda social class Ward grew up in but if a man can come out of Oakland (where its obvious the Local govt gives 2 *****$ about **********) with the success hes had & stay focused on his God, hes even more mentally strong than I or others give him credit for. Of course "Trump supporters" aka Kovalev fans wont agree but theyre in for a rude awakening when Ward gives him a northern Cali bestdown...

Man you should have just run 2 laps around Lake Merrit for your 6 miles. Running on MLK, Telegraph, and Broadway in downtown Oakland could of gotten you mistaken for doing something illegal by the OPD. You could have caught a few hot ones. lol
Aside from that, I feel Ward's mental toughness not only comes from his environment but also from those that have raised him (in life and boxing). I think the relationship between he and Virgil Hunter is similar to Father and Son and Virgil should be credited for shaping Ward as a man just not as a boxer.

[Irony123]

******s make the best fighters... well maybe not but they sure don't hurt your motivation.

[ShoulderRoll]

Tough places breed tough people.

[firstborn]

LOL, you should charge your company hazard pay for booking your accommodations
in that area.

Ward's not perfect but I also commend him for being a good role model to those in the Bay Area. I used to see him around town a lot and he always seemed like a regular, chill person.

[Boxfan83]

Man you should have just run 2 laps around Lake Merrit for your 6 miles. Running on MLK, Telegraph, and Broadway in downtown Oakland could of gotten you mistaken for doing something illegal by the OPD. You could have caught a few hot ones. lol
Aside from that, I feel Ward's mental toughness not only comes from his environment but also from those that have raised him (in life and boxing). I think the relationship between he and Virgil Hunter is similar to Father and Son and Virgil should be credited for shaping Ward as a man just not as a boxer.

Lol I barely found out about the lake yesterday, luckily I brought my jump rope because that was my last run outside lol! But yeah i think this week was the first time i realized how a fighters enviroment can make him strong & to not want to be a statistic. Kinda depressing running over there so i can only imagine what its like for a young boy to walk home from school and see people smoking crack on the sidewalk and the police drive right by. Its obvious what the agenda is there...

[-Kev-]

He was raised by an Irish-American father. He looked up to him, he says his father was his mom and dad.

"My dad was on the boxing team in high school and he was just telling me about his rivals and how he trained, and as a kid I looked up to him. He was my mom and my dad. He raised me as a single parent, so after one conversation, I was like, "Dad, I want to do that, too.” He said, okay, but if we do it, we gotta stick to it."

http://www.mensjournal.com/adventure...mpion-20140613

[-Kev-]

Damn, Ward looks just like his dad now but light brown..

[1hourRun]

OP aint lyin I got family in tha bay. Been ****ing with Ward since day one hes the truth.

[boliodogs]

Ward is a good man. But you act like the fight between Kovalev and Ward has already happened and Ward gave him a northern California bestdown whatever that is. I understand as a Ward fan you support him and praise him. Ward is a hell of a fighter and a good man outside the ring as well. I am a Kovalev fan with nothing against Ward. You may be the one in for a rude awakening if Kovalev knocks Ward out the way I think he will. Kovalev was ready to fight Ward a long time ago. Ward is the one wanting practice fights before a Kovalev fight. That's fine, but I am confident Kovalev will beat him when they fight. Lately Russia has been putting out a lot more good fighters than northern California. Why would a Kovalev fan also be a Trump supporter?