Comments Thread For: Andre Ward's Coach: There Was No Money in Facing Stevenson

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

Two weeks ago, IBF, WBA, WBO light heavyweight champion Andre Ward (32-0, 16 KOs), 32 years old, caught everyone by surprise when he announced his retirement from the sport. Ward, a unified champion at super middleweight, officially made his move to the light heavyweight division in early 2016. He only had four bouts at the weight, but in those four he dominated highly regarded contender Sullivan Barrera and picked up back to back wins over former division ruler Sergey Kovalev.
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[BrometheusBob.]

In b4 people use Hunter's words to call Ward a ducker

[Gentblue]

So basically he retired because he knew he wasn't gonna see that much money again... makes sense I guess

[Chuckguy]

Eh whatever

[kennethjohn]

it would make both a lot of money in canada, if stevenson is making high 6 low 7 figure paydays fighting nobodies in quebec as is. sounds more like ward doesnt want to fight in canada to have the risk of a robbery.

[McNulty]

Ducked Adonis, confirmed.

[Fists_of_Fury]

Lmfao... scared to fight Bellew who was a 175lber not long ago. And they knew they couldn't screw a Haymon fighter out of $ to risk losing to old man Stevenson. Ward is a diva for sure... glad he retired. His style is ugly and foul filled anyway so he won't be missed.

[Fists_of_Fury]

it would make both a lot of money in canada, if stevenson is making high 6 low 7 figure paydays fighting nobodies in quebec as is. sounds more like ward doesnt want to fight in canada to have the risk of a robbery.

Yeah he wouldn't get a gift like Kovalev 1 there.

[devildg]

pretty straight forward, he will likely come out of retirement if theres a money fight in the future.

[lolpz]

So basically he retired because he knew he wasn't gonna see that much money again... makes sense I guess

Exactly. When you make that much money from 2 fights, why defend those belts against opposition just as hard if not harder and not be compensated accordingly?

You just fought Kovalev for 6 million and you're going to fight Beterbiev for 1.5 max? Doesn't make financial sense. No one in the light heavyweight division was going to get him that kind of payday again.

His only option is move up to cruiser and fight Bellew in the UK for the WBC title for like 4 mil maybe. Bellew's got a fight lined up against Haye, Ward will be inactive and by the time that deal is done he'll have been off a year maybe more. No one in the UK would fight him (for a tuneup and build his UK star power up) at light heavyweight or Cruiser without asking for a bunch of money that his promoter was not willing to pay.

He decided "Hey, I'm getting older now, my body doesn't train the same and I'm not getting the compensation for this, I'm the #1 p4p fighter in the world I'm on top right now why continue? I've unified and beat the best fighters 168 and 175 had to offer, everyone knows I'm the best. Let me go out like that."