You've got to give Andre Ward credit

[Dr Rumack]

I applaud Andre for doing the right thing in not asking for a catchweight. But it kinda just shows you what a CRAZY era we are in, when its considered admirable to fight on even terms.

"You shouldn't applaud a fish for swimming"

I see people say we're spoiled because we're getting Porter-Thurman. Two contenders with a couple of top 10 wins between them. Expectations are rock bottom in the sport right now.

[LetOutTheCage]

It's a big risk for both, Ward certainly deserves respect for taking this fight. If he wins he P4P number 1.

[Shrap]

He did not go straight for the jugular. Or did you miss the Smith and Barrera fights?

Ward could have called out Stevenson and Hopkins at 175 and then demand a 171 catchweight for Kovalev like a straight B I T C H, but he didnt. True champ.

War SOG

This is what I meant by going straight for the jugular. He could've called out Stevenson or Fonfara but instead he went for the biggest man in the division.

Also I don't see a problem with acclimatizing yourself to a new weight class when you've got the biggest fight of the year on the horizon.

[Cutthroat]

SOG only fights the best, fearless.

People that bash Smith don't even realize he arguably won/drew against Abraham in their 1st fight. He did much better than Martin Murray, ggg's best win. Ward took him as a tuneup after his 2 year layoff.

Barrera is an extremely dangerous fighter, his ko % of 67% makes him more dangerous than anyone Stevenson or Kovalev have ever fought. Easily top 10, Ward took him as a tuneup.

[Shrap]

Smith is pretty much on the level of Golovkin's opponents and Barrera is arguably better than anyone Golovkin has fought.

There's a few sad twats who pretend Ward ducked gg and was "forced" to fight Kovalev but no one really puts any stake into what they say.

Andre is a humble, quiet, intelligent guy, who is going after a nightmare opponent. To hate on that, you've got to be a pretty miserable fker.

SOG only fights the best, fearless.

People that bash Smith don't even realize he arguably won/drew against Abraham in their 1st fight. He did much better than Martin Murray, ggg's best win. Ward took him as a tuneup after his 2 year layoff.

Barrera is an extremely dangerous fighter, his ko % of 67% makes him more dangerous than anyone Stevenson or Kovalev have ever fought. Easily top 10, Ward took him as a tuneup.

I gotta disagree on Barrera, he really isn't anything great at all. Not sure why people are trying to hype him up beyond another prospect since the Ward fight, he's 34 with a very short professional record. Also a KO percentage of 67 really isn't that dangerous. David Lemieux is sitting at 84% right now.

But yeah, I think Ward just gets hate because he is so dominant and he doesn't go for the crowd pleasing KO style.

[K-Nan]

I see people say we're spoiled because we're getting Porter-Thurman. Two contenders with a couple of top 10 wins between them. Expectations are rock bottom in the sport right now.

Yep. We've gotten way, way too used to the top guys getting babied.

[Redd Foxx]

I gotta disagree on Barrera, he really isn't anything great at all. Not sure why people are trying to hype him up beyond another prospect since the Ward fight, he's 34 with a very short professional record. Also a KO percentage of 67 really isn't that dangerous. David Lemieux is sitting at 84% right now.

But yeah, I think Ward just gets hate because he is so dominant and he doesn't go for the crowd pleasing KO style.

KO percentage is how we rate fighters now? Lemieux is an absolute slob in terms of technical ability. I agree, Barrera is NOT great, but that says something about GGG's opposition (the best being Murrary) because Barrera is arguably better than any of them. Barrera was Kovalev's mandatory and if he fought Kovalev people would consider it a great win for Kovalev.

Because Ward has done far greater things than GG and Kovalev ever have, he's held to a much, much higher standard. He gets hit with less than 20% of incoming punches people say he looks questionable.

[Shrap]

KO percentage is how we rate fighters now? Lemieux is an absolute slob in terms of technical ability. I agree, Barrera is NOT great, but that says something about GGG's opposition (the best being Murrary) because Barrera is arguably better than any of them. Barrera was Kovalev's mandatory and if he fought Kovalev people would consider it a great win for Kovalev.

Because Ward has done far greater things than GG and Kovalev ever have, he's held to a much, much higher standard. He gets hit with less than 20% of incoming punches people say he looks questionable.

Let's be honest - people would not consider that a great win for Kovalev, it would be expected and forgotten fast.

Barrera was a fight to get Ward used to LHW. There is no problem with that, especially since it was in preparation for Kovalev. But let's not make it out to be anything more than that, Barrera will never be notable. At the same time Ward looked great in the fight and absolutely dominated, people questioning his performance are just those who dislike him and Kovalev fans trying to find weaknesses where there are none.

[Redd Foxx]

Let's be honest - people would not consider that a great win for Kovalev, it would be expected and forgotten fast.

"Honest" would be nice. People praised Kovalev's 2nd victory over a broken down Pasqual, who had been a joke for a while, who Kovalev already beat, AND who's previous win (Gonzalez) was an absolute robbery. You think these people wouldn't consider Barrera to be a good win?

[Citizen Koba]

SOG only fights the best, fearless.

People that bash Smith don't even realize he arguably won/drew against Abraham in their 1st fight. He did much better than Martin Murray, ggg's best win. Ward took him as a tuneup after his 2 year layoff.

Barrera is an extremely dangerous fighter, his ko % of 67% makes him more dangerous than anyone Stevenson or Kovalev have ever fought. Easily top 10, Ward took him as a tuneup.

No just no. I like Andre and give huge props to him for stepping up to fight Kovalev (although the simple fact was he basically had to if he wanted that HBO contract) but trying to sell Paul Smith as a good win ain't gonna work.

Murray and Smith did about equally well against a semi-shot Abraham - a lotta folk actually had Murray winning or a draw too, but it was generally acknowledged that Smith had the night of his life in Abraham I and furthermore was at the point of retiring when the call for Abraham II came in - the guy basically said he'd had enough of the sport. And the high points of his career? Getting KTFO by Groves and Degale. Paul Smith is and always was a national level fighter - as they say - not even the best SMW in his own family.

Barrera ... time will tell. I think he shows promise and looked pretty solid, but that KO% - wtf? are you actually serious with that ****? Barreras a decent prospect with a prospect's resume. Easily top 10? You're overselling it.