Comments Thread For: Hunter: 'Honest' Critics Will Remember Andre Ward as a Great

[N!Ck F.]

Virgil Hunter, who was the career trainer for Andre Ward (32-0, 16 KOs), says there is no way that his boxer can be remembered as nothing short of being a great fighter. Last month, Ward - at age 32 - announced his retirement from boxing. At the time of his retirement, the Olympic gold medal winner was rated by most as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world and he held the IBF, WBA, WBO light heavyweight titles.
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There’s a difference between being a great boxer, and being a great fighter. Andre was a great boxer, incredibly skilled, amazing boxing IQ...he was not a great fighter tho. Great fighters captivate fans, great fighters have entire arena’s screaming and erupting every time they step in the ring. Great fighters have you anxious and excited for Saturday night to watch them fight, great fighters end up in posters on the wall in your boxing room...Andre never did that.

[Dean_Razorback]

ward never gave the fans and exciting night, not one (low blows and headbutts don't count) and that's crucial to the way people remember you in boxing. more limited fighters like gatti and ward are way more brought up into boxing conversations than andre is (one even got a movie awarding an oscar to christian bale).

[Luilun]

He will be remembered as a good fighter not great,it would be like Mayweather retiring after Hatton. The guy kept going and beating everyone thats how people will remember you as great

[THC]

If we're being honest, he should have been DQd against Kessler and Kovalev.

The holding and head butts in the Kessler fight were atrocious.

Anyway, he did what was needed to win. The cheating and lack of charisma make him less memorable.

[ShoulderRoll]

There was a whole lot more than just accidental headbutts in his win over Kessler.





No question he is a great fighter, between his Olympic gold medal and the undefeated pro career across two weight classes. He didn't have the longevity that other all-time greats had and that will lower his standing a bit, but he certainly isn't out of place being mentioned in the same sentence with guys like Aaron Pryor who had a similar number of fights.

It's a shame that Golovkin ducked him otherwise Andre would have added another nice feather in his cap.

[Vlad_]

is this site becoming virgilhunterscene.com or something?

[THC]

There was a whole lot more than just accidental headbutts in his win over Kessler.

I agree, but IMO the head butting (like the clinching) was not accidental.

[joseph5620]

ward never gave the fans and exciting night, not one (low blows and headbutts don't count) and that's crucial to the way people remember you in boxing. more limited fighters like gatti and ward are way more brought up into boxing conversations than andre is (one even got a movie awarding an oscar to christian bale).

That has nothing to do with being a great fighter which is what the topic was. Carlos Monzon wasn't an exciting fighter either.

[HarvardBlue]

Too many flaws to be considered anything more than a solid fighter. Nothing amazing. COULD have been amazing if he hadn't fouled the living daylights out of many of his foes thru the years. But he chose to ignore the rules I guess. And of course since he was the anointed golden child olympian, he got away with it almost always.

I'm interested to know about these flaws.

[iamboxing]

ward never gave the fans and exciting night, not one (low blows and headbutts don't count) and that's crucial to the way people remember you in boxing. more limited fighters like gatti and ward are way more brought up into boxing conversations than andre is (one even got a movie awarding an oscar to christian bale).

So true....