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I would say most boxers, especially those who have some leverage, are selective about who they fight these days...just how it goes...a lot of that is due to promoters, and a lot of those promoters are just trying to protect their investment and help their fighters.
Ward though, I mean he was very very selective of who/when/where he fought in his career...and he seemed to be more or less the one calling his one shots, rather than any promoter...hence suing Goosen 3 times etc.
I don't really judge him too much for retiring after Kovalev...now if he came back at some point then yeah I would probably have to judge him a bit for that...seeing as, like you mentioned, there were some real tough young guys at 175 when he left, and I know AB was his mando so that would look like he was playing it safe by retiring.
When evaluating Ward, I'm not sure how some overlook that he never traveled (to face Bute, Stevenson, Kovalev, Kessler, Froch etc; fought 23 of his 32 fights in California), dropped a belt rather than face Anthony Dirrell (his excuse being that the networks wouldn't be interested, a silly excuse), and that he appeared many times to talk out of both sides of his mouth (winner of Super 6 should face Bute; then 2 fights later, after Ward wins, he says Bute hasn't done enough..like wtf lol).
He was a tough smart fighter...I always say that about him...but yeah if he was from a different country like Venezuela I don't think anyone would really know who he was...wouldn't have gotten great scorecards, or gotten away with the rough tactics very much...wouldn't have been able to have been as selective with who/where he fought...he would have had a few Ls/DQs and probably would have had to change his style to keep getting fights.
I think the plan was to make him into the new Mayweather, as far as him making everyone money when he fights, but for whatever reason he never took off like Floyd did.
Ward though, I mean he was very very selective of who/when/where he fought in his career...and he seemed to be more or less the one calling his one shots, rather than any promoter...hence suing Goosen 3 times etc.
I don't really judge him too much for retiring after Kovalev...now if he came back at some point then yeah I would probably have to judge him a bit for that...seeing as, like you mentioned, there were some real tough young guys at 175 when he left, and I know AB was his mando so that would look like he was playing it safe by retiring.
When evaluating Ward, I'm not sure how some overlook that he never traveled (to face Bute, Stevenson, Kovalev, Kessler, Froch etc; fought 23 of his 32 fights in California), dropped a belt rather than face Anthony Dirrell (his excuse being that the networks wouldn't be interested, a silly excuse), and that he appeared many times to talk out of both sides of his mouth (winner of Super 6 should face Bute; then 2 fights later, after Ward wins, he says Bute hasn't done enough..like wtf lol).
He was a tough smart fighter...I always say that about him...but yeah if he was from a different country like Venezuela I don't think anyone would really know who he was...wouldn't have gotten great scorecards, or gotten away with the rough tactics very much...wouldn't have been able to have been as selective with who/where he fought...he would have had a few Ls/DQs and probably would have had to change his style to keep getting fights.
I think the plan was to make him into the new Mayweather, as far as him making everyone money when he fights, but for whatever reason he never took off like Floyd did.
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