After another win, Ward, trainer thinking big
32-0 fighter discusses possibility of moving up in weight class
Perseverance, faith and composure have been Andre Ward’s constant companions since he was a kid in Oakland growing up in a one-parent family. Those were among the qualities that helped him exceed expectations Saturday and stop Sergey Kovalev. Ward retained his three light heavyweight belts in a rematch before 10,592 at Mandalay Bay Events Center. HBO broadcast the PPV event.
A crushing right hand to Kovalev’s jaw in the eighth round made his legs wobble and marked the beginning of the end for the Russian star. Referee Tony Weeks stopped the bout a short time later when Ward teed off on Kovalev’s midsection, leaving him doubled up against the ropes. Kovalev complained four times throughout the fight that Ward was hitting him with low blows. Ward countered that Kovalev was constantly throwing rabbit punches, behind the head. But none of that changes what ultimately happened. Kovalev’s promoter, Kathy Duva of Main Events, said she intends to file a protest over the decision because of the low blows.
“The right hand is what started it. He was out on his feet,” Ward said. “I showed I could hurt a bigger man. Somebody said the stoppage was too soon. The ref maybe could’ve let it go a little longer, but that’s not my problem.”
Ward improved to 32-0 with 16 knockouts. He has beaten Kovalev (30-2-1, 26 KOs) twice in the last seven months. They likely won’t fight again.
“I’m fortunate to show a high level of skill against the best in the world, and I’m thankful to be more than a decade in and still be doing what I’m doing,” said Ward, 33. “The process, that’s what makes me. The process to get to this point. Everything I been through, good, bad or indifferent. We persevered, and that’s what’s important. And this is just the end result.”
Much was made about his coach Virgil Hunter training Ward to go for the knockout.
“It’s more of a mentality,” Ward said. “I can show you text messages from today and yesterday from him that say, ‘You’re going to knock this man out.’ ... I used to think he was crazy, but now I follow his lead. Because he ain’t been wrong yet.”
Everybody wants to know what’s ahead for Ward, the last U.S. male to win an Olympic boxing gold medal. He’s likely to move up to No. 1 on the various mythical pound-for-pound lists. “In this sport, nothing is guaranteed,” Ward said, grinning. “If I’m at the top of that list, I’m thankful. ... If not, I’ll keep my head down and keep pushing.”
Next, he might move up to try to win a title in a third weight class. He previously was a 168pound champion. He might even go straight to heavyweight.
“I don’t have anything on the books right now for a cruiserweight or heavyweight fight,” he said. “I’m not the biggest light heavyweight, but look at Roy (Jones Jr.). It happens. It’s always been a dream of mine. Something me and Virg talk about. I do really well against big fighters, because of my stamina. If the right oppor- tunity comes along, anything is possible, and that’s not just talk.”
Hunter, who has always pushed Ward to make the impossible possible, even brought up the unified heavyweight champion. Yeah the guy who is 6-6, 245.
“I’d like to see him fight Anthony Joshua,” he said. “I’m not playing; I’m serious. I think that would be a very interesting fight. I know there’s a lot of people that say that’s suicide, but there’s something about Anthony Joshua that I see that I believe he could outbox Joshua. ... Fighting a bigger guy doesn’t have anything to do with size. It has to do with your attributes and theirs.”
Ward’s response, “He’s setting the bar high, man. That’s what I been dealing with since I was a kid. That man will make me believe something I never even thought about. Like, Anthony Joshua? Really? And it will make perfect sense to him.”
Ward was cool to the idea of fighting WBC light heavyweight titlist Adonis Stevenson to become undisputed champion. “No disrespect for Stevenson, but I haven’t really even been thinking about him,” he said. “I’m kind of indifferent toward that matchup right now, because when I made the move to 175, the target was Kovalev, not Stevenson. I’m not ruling it out, but we’ve got to see.”