Comments Thread For: Andre Ward's Perspective on Role Race Plays in How He is Covered

[miked85]

In short yes, race plays a big factor on how boxers, and athletes in general, can or are being perceived, received, and respected or not

I want to preface this by saying I want to always believe the good in people, over their faults and biases

But in the boxing world it seems like there is a bias against black fighters, particularly American black fighters

Unless u act like a buffoon like broner...you're not getting crossover appeal and attention on a grander scale

Ward is a soft spoken, faith based, bi racial kid who came up in hard times and has a lot to offer in conversation, a family man, filled with confidence, brought home the gold for his country

But people are concerned with his ego? Who in boxing doesn't have ego? I see lomachenko walking around in matrix jackets showboating in the ring, ggg claiming he's Mexican cause he brawls? Kovalev pops a lot of ****, but they are accepted

Ward's physical features makes him to be looked at as a lightskin black man, and with that comes a lot

When you're black u have to walk a fine line

And never mind the actual blatant racism that's in these chat rooms and boxing blogs and websites
A lot of fans really don't like blacks in general


**** look at Haymon, he's helped a lot of boxers come up, from the bottom, helped them get their **** together, in a nasty business where there isn't long term healthcare insurance or guaranteed money long term, he takes care of boxers first, and tries to put boxing on network television for us
It hasn't been perfect but he's trying a new business endeavor

But he was immediately ragged on and not supported....why is that, why don't people want to see him succeed? Open yourself up to the idea that race can be a part of that equation, maybe not solely, but part

If bob, Kathy duva or anyone else did PBC, we would praise them

**** golden boy emails


Rant over

[jdp28tx]

And Germany was punished, extensively, for its WAR CRIMES. ****** received no compensation and their conflict lasted longer than a 10 year war. It lasted 300+ years, which is long enough to firmly entrench inferiority views upon a people.

What is your point anyway. That they did not suffer long enough to deserve your empathy? Ok, how about the ***s 2000 years of suffering enough for you or how about the Native Americans 600 yrs of suffering enough for you?

Have African Americans been historically abused and treated unfairly, and plainly treated less than human. Yes, but it seems like you don't think any other peoples deserve your sympathy other than blacks. Do blacks deserve some sort of compensation due to centuries of wrong. Yes, they do, but not individual compensation of money being handed out. Investment in communities, schools, better jobs, healthcare. That is the only way to lift the entire African American community out of the situation that centuries of racism has produced. Do blacks have every right to be pissed off about it yes. Like LBJ said," What did you expect? I don’t know why we’re so surprised. When you put your foot on a man’s neck and hold him down for three hundred years, and then you let him up, what’s he going to do? He’s going to knock your block off."

[Ray*]

Well I have all the respect in the world for Ward and how he handles his business outside of the ring and how he conquered that question.

[jdp28tx]

In short yes, race plays a big factor on how boxers, and athletes in general, can or do be perceived, received, and respected or not

I want to preface this by saying I want to always believe the good in people, over their faults and biases

But in the boxing world it seems like there is a bias against black fighters, particularly American black fighters

Unless u act like a buffoon like broner...you're not getting crossover appeal and attention on a grander scale

Ward is a soft spoken, faith based, bi racial kid who came up in hard times and has a lot to offer in conversation, a family man, filled with confidence, brought home the gold for his country

But people are concerned with his ego? Who in boxing doesn't have ego? I see lomachenko walking around in matrix jackets showboating in the ring, ggg claiming he's Mexican cause he brawls? Kovalev pops a lot of ****, but they are accepted

Ward's physical features makes him to be looked at as a lightskin black man, and with that comes a lot

When you're black u have to walk a fine line

And never mind the actual blatant racism that's in these chat rooms and boxing blogs and websites
A lot of fans really don't like blacks in general


**** look at Haymon, he's helped a lot of boxers come up, from the bottom, helped them get their **** together, in a nasty business where there isn't long term healthcare insurance or guaranteed money long term, he takes care of boxers first, and tries to out boxing on network television for us
It hasn't been perfect but he's trying a new business endeavor

But he was immediately ragged on and not supported....why is that, why don't people want to see him succeed? Open yourself up to the idea that race can be a part of that equation, maybe not solely, but part

If bob, Kathy duva or anyone else did PBC, we would praise them

**** golden boy emails


Rant over

But Ward is not a soft spoken guy. He is always complaining, always whining, he is never satisfied. if anything he is a very jealous and envious man. That is not very Christian. He has always been jealous of another black fighter, Mayweather. For some reason he thinks he deserves what Mayweather got and that is just jealousy and envy. The guys a millionaire and he still has a chip on his shoulder. He is not a man of his word. Whether its a contract or his word his is always trying to weasle his way out of it.

[Mike Haynes]

oh right, is that the line we are going down, people dont like me cause im black. how pathetic they dont like you cause you are boring, smug and they didnt think you won the fight cause offensively you offered pretty much nothing. stop playing the race card.

I agree with this and Im black...

I watched the Ward v Kov fight at an Irish bar full of white folks rooting for Ward.....and most of us booed loudly at the decision. I hear some folks mentioning the body work Ward did....WHAT BODY WORK?? He did nothing but hold and throw short armed punches. When he bent over and grabbed Kov's legs (lifting one off the floor) and wasn't even warned, I was like where is Tony Weeks when you need him. And Ward did not win that 12th rd.

[kafkod]

Ward is on point at the end here, talking about how Kovalev will get the benefit of the doubt.

Consider their first fight- most people who had it for Kovalev had him winning clearly. Those who had it for Ward saw him win a narrow decision. Why is that? That's the soft landing he's talking about. HBO are as much to blame as anyone.

To me, that doesn't indicate racism or prejudice against Ward, it indicates that Kovalev won the fight and should have got the verdict.

[jdp28tx]

What's ironic is the ones on this site always screaming about racism and throwing down the race card are the most racist. prejudice, misogynistic people on this forum They attack ***s, Latinos, Gays, Women. They say some of the worst things about the above noted. Hell just read what many supposed moralists say about Kathy Duva, call her a *****, horror, all sorts of things.

They are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites.

[kafkod]

I agree with this and Im black...

I watched the Ward v Kov fight at an Irish bar full of white folks rooting for Ward.....and most of us booed loudly at the decision. I hear some folks mentioning the body work Ward did....WHAT BODY WORK?? He did nothing but hold and throw short armed punches. When he bent over and grabbed Kov's legs (lifting one off the floor) and wasn't even warned, I was like where is Tony Weeks when you need him. And Ward did not win that 12th rd.

The Irish always support their own, lol.

I wonder, if Ward started fighting as "Irish Andre Ward" would he lose his black fans?

[Szef]

What makes you think he's delusional? This seems like a deliberate, nuanced answer while your response lacks both substance and clarity.

He's boring, petty and smug. That's the main reason why he's disliked. Yeah, some of his haters are racist and that's why they hate him, but they're a very tiny percentage of people who hate him in general. He's also acting like he's the only fighter in the world who experienced that which is complete BS.

He's been making millions on HBO ever since he won Super 6 for fighting subpar opposition (minus Dawson). And yet, he had the balls to come out and say HBO making him move up and fight Kovalev was some sort of ploy by the white devil

That's the story of his career - Goosen got him into super 6 and pretty much made him the fighter he is today and what did he get in return? 3 lawsuits. Same thing with HBO.

When things don't go his way, he comes out, cries racism and continues to being oblivious to the fact that the reason of why he's hated is that people see through his BS and are fed up with it.

He's a delusional, entitled little man and it boggles my mind how people can defend him and actually agree with him.

[miked85]

My point exactly

But Ward is not a soft spoken guy. He is always complaining, always whining, he is never satisfied. if anything he is a very jealous and envious man. That is not very Christian. He has always been jealous of another black fighter, Mayweather. For some reason he thinks he deserves what Mayweather got and that is just jealousy and envy. The guys a millionaire and he still has a chip on his shoulder. He is not a man of his word. Whether its a contract or his word his is always trying to weasle his way out of it.

Just because he can hold court and have conversations with the media expressing his opinions thoroughly doesn't mean he's not soft spoken

He's not doing a rant like Richard Sherman with anger

What fighter hasn't complained about this business and all it entails, unless they are happy with being ****d a la manny

The fact is a lot of Americans don't like seeing black athletes be challenging or engaging to the media with ideals and ideas that signify social mobility

Ward represents progress in a sick nasty boxing industry that is meant to exploit more than help