I've lost my mind haven't I?

[dan_cov]

I know its easy to say really as it'll never happen but if it did...

**** Boxingscene I think Andre Ward would have a legitimate shot at beating Joshua.

There I said it, thanks just had to get it off my chest.


Part of me thinks his 'retirement' is to bulk up and prepare for the unthinkable as well.

[Earl-Hickey]

I know its easy to say really as it'll never happen but if it did...

**** Boxingscene I think Andre Ward would have a legitimate shot at beating Joshua.

There I said it, thanks just had to get it off my chest.


Part of me thinks his 'retirement' is to bulk up and prepare for the unthinkable as well.

Can you give some details onto how because despite ward having a lot more skill i think the size makes it all but impossible. Ward is no roy jones and joshua is no john ruiz

[Redd Foxx]

Well, I think the size would be too much to overcome. AJ has fundamentals too so he's not going to be easily played.
But... Ward was a special talent and if someone had to figure out a way to overcome such a great obstacle, it would probably be him.

Not going to say Ward beats AJ but I don't think you're crazy for entertaining the idea.

[Redd Foxx]

Can you give some details onto how because despite ward having a lot more skill i think the size makes it all but impossible. Ward is no roy jones and joshua is no john ruiz

I won't answer for Dan, and I don't think Andre wins, but if he did I think it would be through range and body work. I've seen few who control range like him and he's just as comfortable outside as inside. If he stays outside, slips a jab to get in and work the body, rinse and repeat, AJ's stamina could start to wither quickly.

Where I think it falls apart is that it only takes one good shot from a huge guy like that to seriously daze a smaller fighter. That shot is going to come sooner or later.

[Bobby Deez]

Ward is to slick for him. AJ would have to mull him to over power him. He would make AJ look silly

[Earl-Hickey]

I won't answer for Dan, and I don't think Andre wins, but if he did I think it would be through range and body work. I've seen few who control range like him and he's just as comfortable outside as inside. If he stays outside, slips a jab to get in and work the body, rinse and repeat, AJ's stamina could start to wither quickly.

Where I think it falls apart is that it only takes one good shot from a huge guy like that to seriously daze a smaller fighter. That shot is going to come sooner or later.

Problem with that is, if ward stays outside joshua has an 82" reach verses a 71" reach for ward, sho it's going to be hard to compete with that, then on the inside well he's going to be dealing with a guy who's got 50lbs on him in the clinch. I think that ward would have a good chance vs someone more povetkins size but i can't even picture in my head how he would deal with someone like joshua

[dan_cov]

Ward has the better fundamentals and a higher ring I.Q than Roy, IMO at least and that is how I think he beats AJ using his smarts. Lateral movement, feints, zipping in and out. Keeping him off balance. He fights in a pattern its the same shot selection repeated. AJ is huge but he ain't half slow and predictable. I seriously just think he is too damn slow to hit Ward clean especially with his feet. Even Kovalev struggled in the rematch and he throws three times the volume and has vastly superior footspeed. Kovalev has fast feet for a LHW and cuts the ring off very well!

I think Ward does everything Takam does but 10 times better. His lateral movement, his head movement, his feint variety, his body punching especially.

I think he can work him inside too, AJ has no real inside game he needs leverage to generate power and isn't like a Wlad that will lean all over you and wear you down.
He's good for 3 rounds but after he's always spent and very easy to read. Normally I feel the smaller man is usually good for 3-4 rounds then the size catches up but with AJs tank and style I'm not so sure.

Wards lateral movement would give AJ absolute fits, he could barely land on Takam who took the fight on a weeks notice. More muscular and thicker set but he has similar dimensions to Ward.
Takam is no slickster or particularly hard to hit. He fought a different fight but Christ Povetkin was landing 4-5 punch combinations on him for fun. Parker could hardly miss either.
I see Ward using a lot more lateral movement, fighting short and making him miss and overreach, stinging him and getting out and frustrating him. I think he might even gas quicker than usual, mental fatigue. Ward won't let him have all the breaks Takam did he'll be ramming that jab into his body taking it out of him.

[New England]

he wins the decision, how, exaclty?

you want him to clinch a 250 lber? box on the outside against a guy with close to a foot in reach advantage? win rounds against a HW with real punching power?

this isn't roy jones. it's andre ward. he wins rough and tumble. his schtick would never work agaisnt a HW, never mind 245 lb joshua.

[dan_cov]

Give Sullivan Barrera a few inches and pump him full of steroids to the point he slows drastically after 3-4 rounds and you've got AJ!

No but seriously he is like a bigger, slower, way less experienced Sullivan Barrera really.

All I see is double jab, right hand. Its the same thing over & over does he seriously have any other combination in his arsenal?

If there was a small fighter to pull it off, if you were to say create one the perfect 'small' fighter to overcome an AJ I feel its going to look a lot like Ward.
Wards vision, his anticipation, his quickness, his speed, ring I.Q, lateral movement, hell his jab especially to the body.
Takam rarely threw his jab but I remember him getting through everytime he did which I did find quite surprising.
He has no defense apart from pinning his right glove to his cheek weary of the left hook after Whyte clocked him.

He's just so big and raw, despite winning an olympic gold and being a world champion he is very novicey. I find him very slow as well he really does throw like a stiff, musclebound fighter, like a bodybuilder. There is no crispness or snap its forced.

[Redd Foxx]

Problem with that is, if ward stays outside joshua has an 82" reach verses a 71" reach for ward, sho it's going to be hard to compete with that, then on the inside well he's going to be dealing with a guy who's got 50lbs on him in the clinch. I think that ward would have a good chance vs someone more povetkins size but i can't even picture in my head how he would deal with someone like joshua

No, when I was talking about controlling range, I meant just that. Of course he's not going to try to box him at range. He can stay outside when needed because he's got the better footwork and cardio.

As far as inside work, we'd have to see how he bulked up. It's hard to imagine him being competitive, but people also never pictured him finishing Kovalev and he certainly got the last laugh on that one. Maybe he'd put on enough size not to be bullied, and AJ seems to have no inside game.

Again, I don't think he wins. But, I see where Dan's coming from and he makes good points. Boxing fans always want to go with the optics and never want to really think anything through.