Why is Andre Wards recent opposition..

[1g5a22]

Dirty cheating and he has no boxing skills that's likely what his opinion on that is

My opinion Is Wladimir is a pretty talented fighter but without the clinching, he'd likely have lost a good couple more times possibly.

I bet he was happy to let Hopkins get away with it!

[M Bison]

I bet he was happy to let Hopkins get away with it!

I counted the number of times Hopkins clinched Joe Calzaghe as well lost my picture that had it all detailed with clinch per round lol.
The funny side to this is that Hopkins probably didn't clinch as much in that fight compared to the other one you mentioned but it still was a hell of a lot then people tell me Hopkins won that fight, I don't see it.

[1g5a22]

I counted the number of times Hopkins clinched Joe Calzaghe as well lost my picture that had it all detailed with clinch per round lol.
The funny side to this is that Hopkins probably didn't clinch as much in that fight compared to the other one you mentioned but it still was a hell of a lot then people tell me Hopkins won that fight, I don't see it.

Think that's bad?

http://www.boxingscene.com/compubox-132-clinches-during-hopkins-wright--9623

[MDPopescu]

You mean like Ali holding 209lb Frazier 133 times during fight #2 or initiating no less than ninety-five clinches to Frazier’s one in the “The Thrilla in Manila”?

He barely clinched THE SMALLER Haye nor Byrd. In fact Peter & Povetkin are both naturally bigger HW's & he clinched them much more (especially Pov)..

You should check out Hopkins vs. Wright too LOL

Nobody is clinching (smaller) guys whom he is able to cope with -- Andre Ward is a good example.

[STREET CLEANER]

Ward hasn't approached "top fighters" in years. He demanded 3 tuneups (3 of the boxers he tried to get were old 168 pounders...like Brand) before signing some sort of tentative agreement to fight Kovalev, which he could easily walk away from.

Even these lowly foes, he is trying to chump change, so you know any reputable opponent won't receive half of what they deserve.

If you say so.

Fact is the only boxer that has ability to beat him is Kov and that is happening very soon

[Blackclouds]

None of this is going to matter when Ward beats Kovalev by wide UD.

[big_james10]

So poor? Bloated Paul Smith, Sullivan Barrera & Alexander Brand! Murderers row right there.. The direction of travel (Smith to Brand) isn't exactly setting boxing alight is it? I can't think of a p4p elite fighter considered Americas best having such a poor set of recent wins, can you? People would sort of get ONE soft opponent but THREE in a row? (Granted Barrera is an unknown & maybe a B level fighter but the jury is still out on him! From what I have seen he's pretty one dimensional & average..) Why is Ward disrespecting his fans so much by fighting what are essentially extras on a Wyans brothers movie! Has anyone in recent memory (considered the best in America) fought such poor opposition as this?

Andre Ward has decided to do what every other professional boxer is doing, which is to fight the weakest opponent he can get away with fighting. He spent three years fighting the best opponents in the world at 168 pounds and he is now ranked at about the same level as a guy (Golovkin) who has never fought anyone with a grade higher than a B minus. Fighting the best opponents has earned Andre Ward no more money and has not increased his popularity. So, therefore, fighting Golovkin, Wilder and Canelo-level opponents makes perfect sense.