Daily Express

Ward’s shock retirement

- CHRIS McKENNA

ANDRE WARD stunned boxing yesterday by calling time on his glittering career.

The American star the sport and therefore had talked about going my desire to fight is no up to heavyweigh­t to longer there. If I cannot face British fighters give my family, my team,

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retain the WBA, sucopmere-ms sidecdolen­wde. ight and lighTt-hhreoauvgy­hweiigtht all, we IBF and WBO divisions Hammers after had turningone reply, light-heavyweigh­t poronein 20c0o4mfoe­lbloawckin, g htihsat titles in June, while Olympic gold in Athens. his career also includes

Ward, right, said: super-middleweig­ht “I want to be clear – wins over Mikkel I am leaving because my Kessler and Carl Froch. body can no longer put Hughie Fury met WBO up with the rigours of heavyweigh­t champion Joseph Parker yesterday at their final press conference at Old Trafford. Tomorrow’s fight will be the first sporting event at Manchester Arena since a suicide bomber killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande concert in May. Fury said: “My heart goes out to all the families. “I’m going to put on the greatest performanc­e of my life and bring the belt back to Manchester.” LIAM BROADY reached the quarter-finals of the St Petersburg Open with a stunning victory over fourth seed Adrian Mannarino of France.

The 23-year-old from Stockport won 2-6, 6-4, 6-0 to knock out the world No 31, ranked 211 places above him.

Two service breaks gave Mannarino the first set and another in the second put him on course for victory.

But Broady broke straight back and took the set before romping through the decider.

Struggling Jo Konta fell 7-5, 7-6 to Czech Barbora Strycova at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo – her first match since her shock US Open first-round exit.

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