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

[Ake-Dawg]

so the entire interview (or this article at least) wasn't about race? ok.

The article was about race. His statement about cushion was not. The cushion comment was made under a different context in the interview. Have you seen it? It was deep.

[richardt]

Ward is smart, thoughtful, wise. I cannot be more impressed with a fighter than I am of him. Jacobs is also a cerebral guy who is wise beyond his years who I really admire. Those two would get along great as friends.

[peplz]

It all has to do with the "we the best" narrative with some blk people. With Paq he was the great white hope and he's Asian, with Canelo...he's the great white hope and he's Latino now with Lomachenko, GGG and Kovalev. Whenever there is a great fighter that is not black they are over-rated or they get biased treatment and if you don't think so you are racist. My judgement is not clouded I think Ward has a good chance to win in the rematch but Kovalev should already go down as one of the hardest hitters in boxing history plus he can box. There is really no argument to whom are the most racist fans in boxing today.

Pacquioa was a great white hope because every racist red neck person put there hopes in him to defeat Mayweather and the white media was blatantly biased towards him. Canelo is not a great white hope and he gets none of the favoritism that great white hope fighters receive. Lomachenko is not a great white hope because he receives no accolades that he doesn't deserve and they haven't found an "arrogant" "cheater" black fighter to pit him against. Kovalev is only a great white hope because he is pitted against Andre Ward. GGG is THE GREAT WHITE HOPE fighter of this day and age. He is a power punching fighter that built his reputation on fighting less than top notch competition and the media never has a critical word to say about him. They want him to fight Floyd Mayweather who is two weight divisions beneath him and five years older than him and has been retired for more than a year. He is the epitome of a great white hope. This racism in boxing has been going on since before Jack Johnson over a hundred years and it hasn't changed very much. So yeah you're right there is no argument on who are the people who have created racism and also who are the most racist people on the planet and the most racist fans in boxing.

[hrt3333]

Even if you don't like Ward and disagree with him I don't think anyone should see him as a bad guy

[NO/BS2468]

Pacquioa was a great white hope because every racist red neck person put there hopes in him to defeat Mayweather and the white media was blatantly biased towards him. Canelo is not a great white hope and he gets none of the favoritism that great white hope fighters receive. Lomachenko is not a great white hope because he receives no accolades that he doesn't deserve and they haven't found an "arrogant" "cheater" black fighter to pit him against. Kovalev is only a great white hope because he is pitted against Andre Ward. GGG is THE GREAT WHITE HOPE fighter of this day and age. He is a power punching fighter that built his reputation on fighting less than top notch competition and the media never has a critical word to say about him. They want him to fight Floyd Mayweather who is two weight divisions beneath him and five years older than him and has been retired for more than a year. He is the epitome of a great white hope. This racism in boxing has been going on since before Jack Johnson over a hundred years and it hasn't changed very much. So yeah you're right there is no argument on who are the people who have created racism and also who are the most racist people on the planet and the most racist fans in boxing.

The truth got you triggered.

[hrt3333]

Also Kovalev doesn't go really go against the grain and keeps it pretty quiet.

And he may also have a team that's better at winning the PR battle

[future hendrixx]

Actions speak louder than words. Remember Ward was the guy who wasn't sure he would honor the rematch clause on the contract he signed in 2015, then goes on twitter to tell us he's the one in control of the rematch and nothing happens unless he says so.
Ward likes to talk about perception vs reality. His perception is the fact that he got knocked down and came back to win a decision was "the greatest comeback in boxing history". The reality is that he wrestled and smothered his way to a questionable decision.
For a guy who says nothing bothers him, Ward sure does complain a lot.

[Real King Kong]

I feel like the major reason people don't commend ward on his getting up off the canvas etc is because he never really fought back with the intensity he was losing the fight

He obviously made adjustments, and kovalev did tire. But did he ever take over the fight? No.
He just made it ugly and made it competitive (well done for doing so) but saying things like oh if it was someone else everyone would rate it as the greatest comeback ever is just wrong

The point I'm getting at is, the real truth to the critique to ward from fans is... That the majority thought he LOST the fight
Maybe if he lost (officially) the fans might say what toughness he showed. But he was given the fight, and there is obvious backlash (black or white)
So stick that race **** to the past where it belongs

Ps
Ward is half white as well ??? Watever
He has a painful style and a displeasing personality
But I'm pumped for the rematch!

To even say the words "greatest comeback in boxing history" is completely delusional no matter what the context. Either he's insinuating that it was a great comeback that he's not getting credit for, or he's saying other fighters are so hyped that people would over praise them. Nobody is looking at that as some type of great comeback from a historical standpoint. The guy got knocked down and wasn't even that badly hurt in a fight where most rounds were reasonably close and got a decision that probably should have gone the other way...it's not like it was corrales vs castillo 1.

[future hendrixx]

Ward just need to tell the reporters that he doesn't know how to answer racialized questions. Also, that he doesn't consider himself black. This dude makes me cringe everytime he's answered a racialized question.

If it is "blatant" how can you not see evidence? What more do you need than "blatant"?

This is a dude, who for so long, thought he was with the "in crowd" and got thrown out when somebody whiter came along. Ward himself used to talk crap about black fighters when was commentating on hbo, and one of the main reason I was never a fan of his. Now dude is at the receiving end, and doesn't know what to do, because he would come off as being a hypocrite.

prove this. show me a video of dre denying his blackness then post me a link to listen to him criticize black fighters. ill be waiting ...

[therealpugilist]

you didn't understand me. at first he says he can't accuse anyone of anything because he could be wrong, nothing wrong with that. i agree with him, until that point everything he is saying makes sense, then he finishes the interview saying this. why doesn't he say why kovalev will be justified if he loses but he won't? he makes it sound (or implying) that is because one is white and the other black. pretty silly to me because of what he said at the beggining.(the whole point of the interview is how does he think he is being seen while being a black athlete. so what else could it be?)

i don't know how much loved kovalev is considering he isn't packing big arenas or getting big tv numbers (not even when he is fighting another big name and an american one)

about GGG's fight, i couldn't care less about the weight or any other thing, i only got interested in the second day weigh in issue because it was funny how some people here thought that lemieux was cheating but jacobs wasn't, that's all.

imo both GGG and Kovalev had similar performances, one got the W the other didn't. you can't compare the fight itself because it wasn't GGG the one on the canvas and being pushed around the major part of the fight, it was jacobs. just like it wasn't kovalev down on the canvas, giving up the initiative for most part of the fight, it was ward.

ward pressed the action majority of the fight...are you blind?
Kov likes to set the pace and control range...he couldnt after round 5