Ward: Bute needs to beat 1 or 2 A-level guys & come out of his hometown to get a shot

JENNA: Now this tournament took over two years to get to a finish. How do you feel now that you are the Super Six Champion?

WARD: Oh man! It’s kind of a surreal feeling that it’s finally over, because there were times in the tournament when you felt like it would never end. So I’m happy that this chapter of my life is over, even though I enjoyed the ride. I’m just happy to move on and just be able to go on to another chapter. You know this chapter was necessary, and this has made me and will continue to help me to develop and evolve into the fighter that I’m going to be one day. I mean to be able to fight this type of competition, to be get big fight experience with a lot of coverage back-to-back for the last two and a half years, I mean it was almost like one super fight after another in terms of competition. I can’t even tell you how much that added to my development as a man personally, and as a fighter, and just to my development in the ring. It’s helped me evolve a tremendous amount, but again, I’m happy this chapter is over. We always felt like we could get to this point. We felt like we had the potential to beat everybody in the tournament, but feeling that way and doing it is two different things. I just thank God that we were able to come in there and just take care of our business one fight after another. We’re not gloating. We’re not being boastful about it. Every fighter in this tournament has the potential to be a world champion, even the guys who lost. So I’m just happy I was able to get my hand raised and be the last man standing.

JENNA: Okay now Andre, people have been talking a lot obviously since the tournament ended, and a lot has been said about Carl Froch and where he sits now in the super middleweight division. In your mind, do you think that because he went through a tournament like this that took two years and that he finished runner-up to you, that he is actually the second best super middleweight in the world and that he has a better claim to that than Lucian Bute would?

WARD: That’s a great question! That’s a really good question, and I think there is some merit to that. I think you can arguably consider Carl Froch the number two super middleweight in the world. I mean this guy obviously had a great run before he even got to the Super Six. He was able to beat Andre Dirrell, then he had a nip and tuck type fight with Mikkel Kessler. A lot of people though that it could have went either way if it wasn’t in Kessler’s hometown. Then he comes right back and wins the title in spectacular fashion against Arthur Abraham. Even though he wasn’t able to get the victory against myself, he put up a good effort. So absolutely I know and believe he will become champion again, and that would be a very interesting fight between him and Bute. But I think that just based on our schedule over the last two years and just based on our willingness to be in the tournament, I think Carl Froch should be considered the number two super middleweight in the world.

JENNA: Alright now speaking of the name Lucian Bute, many people want to see you face him next. But my question to you is, do you think he’s earned that type of fight with you based on the people that he’s fought?

WARD: With all due respect to him and his team, I honestly don’t feel like that. Like that’s a fight that should be made. I believe it will be made at some point, but I do believe he has to beat some good fighters. He needs to beat one or two good guys, A-level guys, and even in some cases come out of his hometown and do it to get a shot. I think with some of the talk lately about me ducking him, I think after the schedule that the combatants in the Super Six have been on in the past two years, it’s really foolish to even bring up the notion that somebody is ducking Bute. I mean that’s just not the case. Like I said, I believe that’s a fight that should be made and will be made, but at the same time we have to be smart in this game. We’re going to sit back and see what the best move to make as a team, but I just think Bute needs to beat some A-level guys. I mean I’ve heard Dirrell say he wants to fight Bute, and Dirrell’s on the comeback trail. I think that would be a great fight. Carl Froch, I think personally Froch will probably take a tune-up fight or a lesser fight to kind of regroup, but that’s up to his team and after that I think he should go to Lucian Bute. Those are the kind of guys I think he needs to beat and then I think the fight would even be bigger, and I think he would then warrant a shot at some of the big belts that we have.

CIANI: The first time we had you on our program was before your fight with Mikkel Kessler. It was before the Super Six started for you. Now after the Super Six is done and complete, you came out the winner as you predicted you would. You said you had a lot of hard work and that you would go out and do it. How have you changed in those last two-plus years as a fighter and a person?

WARD: I just think as a fighter, it’s more maturity. You know nothing can substitute big fight experience. Even the Fightcamp 360 which I had never been a part of, and to be able to learn how to deal with the cameras around you 24/7 and just with all the hype surrounding the Super Six, and dealing with the talent, and the great fighters that were involved in the Super Six, and just everything that was on the line—you can’t substitute that by being in the gym. I can stay in the gym for the next six months, and you just can’t substitute being in a real life situation, and for me to get this type of experience has just helped me mature all around the board. That’s why I keep saying that even though we’ve had some good victories, and obviously a great win against Froch, there is still a lot more left in the tank. I’m still only 27 years old. You know I’ll be 28 in February and I feel like I’m just approaching my prime. The more big fights I get, I just feel like I can get in a zone where we could potentially make real offerings in fight that will just be unbelievable. The level of skill that I feel like I’m approaching, I wouldn’t be approaching this level of skill at this point without this tournament. Just mentally, I’m just learning how to deal with the pressure. Again, with the Fightcamp 360 cameras, to the press conferences, to traveling to the UK for a press conference, and all the different things that come with big fights have just caused me to mature, in the ring and out.

CIANI: You always said that at some point you’d like to go to 175 to win a title. It actually surprised me. I saw a poll recently with all of the big names at 175, guys like Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson were in the poll, fans were still saying that they viewed Lucian Bute—and again, this surprised me—as your biggest challenge! When you look out there, and you look at the 168 and 175 pound landscapes, who do you personally view as your toughest test out there in those two weight classes?

WARD: Well it’s tough, because I don’t really see one person. The way I view it, I almost view everybody like they’re almost equals. Okay. Now once you scratch beneath the surface and start digging into fight film and start breaking down strategy and different things like that, then you start seeing guys with their strengths and weaknesses a little bit closer. But in terms of the A-level, I look at everybody like they are a threat and when we sign to fight we need to be ready. So I don’t really see one person that’s more of a threat than another person. You know I do want to go up to 175 at some point, but there is still a lot of business at 168. You know what? One thing that I’ve learned is that’s just the nature of the beast. I mean I can fight Lucian Bute, I can fight Kessler again, and there is always going to be somebody that is brought up. What about this guy? What about that guy? Well you didn’t beat this guy. It’s going to be an up and coming guy who’s a prospect, who comes up and then all of a sudden he becomes a contender and they’re going to be talking about him. That’s just the way it is, but I’m secure in what I’ve done in the sport of boxing so far. I still feel like the best is yet to come. We’re not going to be pressured to make certain moves based on what people are saying. We’re going to stay focused as a team, keep doing what we’ve been doing, and hopefully just continue to be successful. There are still great fights out there. It’s hard to pick one person. I just want to be ready when we sign a contract with whomever. I just want to be ready to do my thing and obviously come out on top.



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