Comments Thread For: Andre Ward Says Brand Wasn't Top Pick, Views Him as Dangerous

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

Andre Ward will soon be facing one of the two best light heavyweights in the world, Sergey Kovalev. But first, Ward will be facing a foe who's decidedly not. Ward's opponent on Aug. 6 on HBO is Alexander Brand, a 39-year-old from Colombia who is 25-1 with 19 KOs but is otherwise not anywhere near the top of the 175-pound division. Part of that is because Brand wasn't even in the 175-pound division; he is a career super middleweight. Ward had plied his craft at 168 until recently.
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[Eastcoast]

Ward could've fought Sean Monaghan, but RN was insistent that Monaghan & TR be financially responsible for the entire card if he come up injured! How ridiculous is that? It's almost like they intentionally killed Monaghan fight to insure that HBO would accept Brand.....

Sean Monaghan, the Long Island-based light heavyweight, thought he’d gotten the opportunity of a lifetime two weeks ago. Andre Ward hadn’t locked down an opponent for his Aug. 6 clash in Oakland and word went out that Seanie could get the gig.

Here’s the recollection of the 34-year-old Monaghan, on how he went from pumped to deflated, over the span of a couple rollercoaster days.

“Basically Roc Nation (Sports, promoter of Ward) asked Top Rank, would I be interested to fight (Ward) in his hometown on short notice. I instantly said yes. I found out the next day that they were offering half of what Sullivan Barrera got to fight Ward in his last fight, which I didn’t feel was a great offer, being that I’m 27-0 and Barrera was 17-0. They said it was a final offer, so I accepted. Then (Roc Nation) asked what kind of gloves I wanted to wear. I said I really don’t care; I guess Everlast because that’s what I always wear. They said no to that. Then they said all sponsors I wanted had to be OK’ed by them. We agreed on that.”

The tale of woe continues, “The deal-breaker was that if I pulled out of the fight on short notice, Top Rank had to pay Roc Nation $700,000. But if Ward, who has pulled out of fights on short notice before, pulled out, Top Rank couldn’t sue and had to pay for all their own expenses. It basically was unacceptable; the money ****** and they never negotiated anything.”

Strange circumstances, seems like. It has Monaghan wondering which end is up and what the point of the exercise was. Alexander Brand was the rumored foe and was officially announced as the opponent soon after Monaghan had his hopes dashed.

“I believe Ward’s people didn’t want him in a rough fight three months before fighting (IBF/WBA/WBO light heavyweight titlist Sergey) Kovalev,” mused Monaghan. “They had their guy in mind: Brand from Colombia. I think HBO didn’t want him and told Ward to fight me. He thinks the outreach to make a Ward versus Monaghan bout was not 100 percent (and) was more so done to create leverage to get Brand OK’ed.”

We reached out to Roc Nation to get their side and also offered HBO the opportunity to weigh in.

I was set to speak to Roc Nation boxing COO Dave Itskowitch on Thursday. The time got pushed back more than once; I tried to reset the chat to Friday morning and then word dribbled out late Thursday that Itskowitch had resigned from that entity.

I had informed him on Wednesday late afternoon that I wanted a response to the Monaghan info, supplied the details and he asked for a few hours to respond. Then came a request to respond via a phoner the next day, through a PR person. Then, the unexpected news of the exit from the Jay Z business arm, which has not had an overly smooth go of it since entering this shark pool of boxing promotion two years ago.

http://ri ngtv.craveonline.com/news/428035-monaghan-gets-hosed-itskowitch-resigns-from-roc-nation-sports


GGG haters will criticize how he's fighting Brook after Eubank pulled out at the last second, but they stay quiet about SOG being the one kill fights with tougher opponents. Kind of like how RN only offered Shabranskyy half as much money as Sullivan Barrera (and yet some of these trolls are saying GGG should pay Danny Jacobs his $3-4mill....)

[xhiddenx87]

Ward could've fought Sean Monaghan, but RN was insistent that Monaghan & TR be financially responsible for the entire card if he come up injured! How ridiculous is that? It's almost like they intentionally killed Monaghan fight to insure that HBO would accept Brand.....



http://ri ngtv.craveonline.com/news/428035-monaghan-gets-hosed-itskowitch-resigns-from-roc-nation-sports


GGG haters will criticize how he's fighting Brook after Eubank pulled out at the last second, but they stay quiet about SOG being the one kill fights with tougher opponents. Kind of like how RN only offered Shabranskyy half as much money as Sullivan Barrera (and yet some of these trolls are saying GGG should pay Danny Jacobs his $3-4mill....)

wow...thanks for the info.


Shabransky was the dude doe....at least he had a name...not a big one, but at least hardcore fans knew him.

well, its Brand and then Kovalev so F... it..

[Shadoww702]

Ward could've fought Sean Monaghan, but RN was insistent that Monaghan & TR be financially responsible for the entire card if he come up injured! How ridiculous is that? It's almost like they intentionally killed Monaghan fight to insure that HBO would accept Brand.....



http://ri ngtv.craveonline.com/news/428035-monaghan-gets-hosed-itskowitch-resigns-from-roc-nation-sports


GGG haters will criticize how he's fighting Brook after Eubank pulled out at the last second, but they stay quiet about SOG being the one kill fights with tougher opponents. Kind of like how RN only offered Shabranskyy half as much money as Sullivan Barrera (and yet some of these trolls are saying GGG should pay Danny Jacobs his $3-4mill....)

Is GGG moving UP in weight to fight a TOP #1-2 P4P CHAMPION???

Didn't think so!

Give it a REST. Don't worry about who his TUNE-UP fight is against! You would just __Insert Name__ and COMPLAINED about that fighter as well. All you have to worry about is WIN or LOSE their going to be CALLING for Ward/GGG... I bet $$$$$$$$$ GGG won't go up 2 weight classes like Brook. Brook going up 13lbs, 2 weight classes. GGG 164 doe.

[Shadoww702]

wow...thanks for the info.


Shabransky was the dude doe....at least he had a name...not a big one, but at least hardcore fans knew him.

well, its Brand and then Kovalev so F... it..

You know that's DAMN well not GOOD enough for the GTards!

Brand > Wade

[therealpugilist]

Is GGG moving UP in weight to fight a TOP #1-2 P4P CHAMPION???

Didn't think so!

Give it a REST. Don't worry about who his TUNE-UP fight is against! You would just __Insert Name__ and COMPLAINED about that fighter as well. All you have to worry about is WIN or LOSE their going to be CALLING for Ward/GGG... I bet $$$$$$$$$ GGG won't go up 2 weight classes like Brook. Brook going up 13lbs, 2 weight classes. GGG 164 doe.

GGG is the only fighter I've ever seen rated that high p4p in all my years as a boxing fan without any wins over elite opponents in his division or without moving up

the guy is unified and only fought for 1/3 belts

K2 are hypocrites.....154-168, yet fighting a welterweight

some idiot said GGG was too small for 168 yet went ghost when GGG vs brook was signed

they are ok with who ever GGG fights as long as he is heavily favored to win

[Jubei]

wow...thanks for the info.


Shabransky was the dude doe....at least he had a name...not a big one, but at least hardcore fans knew him.

well, its Brand and then Kovalev so F... it..

So Kovalev fights unranked 40 year old guy from lower weight because he agreed to fight Kovalev, he declines other better fighters like Bellew, Shabranksyy and Monaghan.

While GGG gets ducked by everyone, has no other option and fights Brook, who is the #1 Welterweight also agrees to fight Canelo, Jacobs, Saunders, Eubank, basically all the top guys in his division.

The American Hero gets a pass.
The Kazakh Fighter gets hated on.

Double Standards NSB. Double Standards.

[Shadoww702]

GGG is the only fighter I've ever seen rated that high p4p in all my years as a boxing fan without any wins over elite opponents in his division or without moving up

the guy is unified and only fought for 1/3 belts

K2 are hypocrites.....154-168, yet fighting a welterweight

some idiot said GGG was too small for 168 yet went ghost when GGG vs brook was signed

they are ok with who ever GGG fights as long as he is heavily favored to win

What's REALLY mind boggling is before Ward RETIRED for 3 YEARS he had a BETTER resume by FAR then GGG. Three years LATER... GGG has ZERO Top #20 P4P fights. Ward gave GGG a 3 years heads up and Ward is NOW set to fight P4P #1 or #2 Kovalov.

GGG is fighting a 147lber at FULL 160.

Monroe more dangerous and known than Lara though...SMH!

I'm sure Donut Dan, Frank Gavin, and Kevin Biter REALLY prepared Brook for GGG.

[therealpugilist]

What's REALLY mind boggling is before Ward RETIRED for 3 YEARS he had a BETTER resume by FAR then GGG. Three years LATER... GGG has ZERO Top #20 P4P fights. Ward gave GGG a 3 years heads up and Ward is NOW set to fight P4P #1 or #2 Kovalov.

GGG is fighting a 147lber at FULL 160.

Monroe more dangerous and known than Lara though...SMH!

I'm sure Donut Dan, Frank Gavin, and Kevin Biter REALLY prepared Brook for GGG.

The fight is a bigger joke, than his damage control brigade....spend all day dissing other fighters and who they fight and this guy is almost middle aged and hasnt fought 1 elite fight and has 2/3 belts handed to him

[Shadoww702]

So Kovalev fights unranked 40 year old guy from lower weight because he agreed to fight Kovalev, he declines other better fighters like Bellew, Shabranksyy and Monaghan.

While GGG gets ducked by everyone, has no other option and fights Brook, who is the #1 Welterweight also agrees to fight Canelo, Jacobs, Saunders, Eubank, basically all the top guys in his division.

The American Hero gets a pass.
The Kazakh Fighter gets hated on.

Double Standards NSB. Double Standards.

Soo you had NO problem with Khan vs. CanYellow right???

Canello, Jacobs ducjed.

Saunders, Eubank, Ward it was about the business.

"We offered Saunders LIFE changing money" Would you say it was 4-6million? Loeffler "I can't say the exact amount (shaking head up and down) but it was HUGE!!!". It was $1.5 million.

"We agreed to fight Chavez Jr and everything is a go" 1 week later "We want to change the terms? We want add $1,000,000 per lb/penalty".

Bob Arum - Ohh And we RESCIND the original agreement as well! He HAS to sign an extension or the fight offer is WAY less.