Put your own bias aside and look at a potential Ward-Bute fight...

Thanks, (all of you) appreciate it.

Froch has an odd right hand, it goes straight for 70% of its flight path and then loops, it's like a feint within a punch. Ward did the right thing by not moving backwards but dipping down and moving inside of the punch as it looped, this left Carl wide open for that up-jab or if Ward was a more offensive fighter, a left uppercut. Genius really I never thought of it, or even saw the oppertunity for it. Maybe that's why Ward won Olympic and proffesional gold, and I come on here :-( (Ya know, that and the massive difference in athletic talent...)

The thing about studying Ward is that I don't think he's been forced into showing all he has in his locker yet, so there's always going to be a suprise. Key for Bute is to land on Ward, knock his confidence and make him doubt his chances of winning, for Bute; that's where the fight starts.

 

I agree. It really is a shame he doesn't have KO power. I understand he might not be the complete fighter he is today, but damn, he'd be something to watch.

 

Ward will duck Bute anyway.

 

:good Lacking KO power forces fighters to develop more dimensions, alot of guys see that they have power and become fixated by it, Kelly Pavlik being one example. Jab, Jab, right hand over and over, that's why I made a fortune betting on Hopkins

The thing about Ward's power is that he knows he doesn't have KO power so he doesn't expose himself by trying to knock you out, he throws punches that are designed to disrupt your rythm, again similar to Bernard. (Though he's more athletically gifted than Hopkins)

Make no mistake either, every time a man who weighs 180ish pounds hits you, it does hurt. It may not knock you out, but you feel it.

 

"Fail. Outta ma thread, you biased ****." -Drozzy

 

That's something you can't teach either :thumbsup How people re-act to certain situations, especially in a ring. Fighters who keep their emotions out of it and fight with their brains are the ones who go furthest. While Froch was chasing and swinging, Ward was seeing everything, thinking and adapting.

I just sat and thought that if I was training Bute, who the hell would I use for sparring? All I could think of is that I'd have guys rotate in and out. Ward as you said, is a real nightmare to prepare for.

 

No doubt.

I'm a sucka for the KO. Maybe I'm giving Bute too much consideration because he has the that ability, and it really is the only advantage he has over Ward IMO, but I'm really not sure which way I'm going on this yet.

 

It's not the only advantage, I'd argue he has superior handspeed as well, although not big difference.

 

That's what I saw too. I kept hearing how Ward was gassed and Froch was catching up, but I really felt that it was a calculated de-escalation on Ward's part, rather than his running out of steam. Risky, because the cards were actually a little closer than they should have been. But, I guess considering the broken hand, it is understandable.

 

'When you know a guy has a big gun, then you know what kind of vest you need to bring.' - Nazzim Richardson (Before Hopkins - Pavlik)

Bute has alot more going for him in this fight than Hopkins did with Pavlik but the principle is the same.

I was sitting here trying to figure out who could beat Ward, and the only name I came up with is Chad Dawson. :huh

 

I'd agree that Dawson could beat Ward, as I think he has a marvelous skillset....... if only he used it to its fullest....... But, he is the kind of guy I could see Ward grinding down and taken him completely out of his game. ANd I like Dawson a lot as a talent.

 

I agree with this 100%. Ward is so mentally tough, smart, and focused that he gets everything possible out of himself. Bad Chad has serious talent and skills but I could see Ward taking him out of his game and completely frustrating him into a bad performance.

As for Ward vs. Bute there has been some excellent analysis and it's nice to see this thread not devolve into complete ****. I see Ward using his inside game primarily to take this one. Ward is so skilled and so strong on the inside that i see him using that to nullify Bute's offence and frustrate him. Andre has so many tools at his disposal that he will mix it up and adapt to whatever Bute does to take rounds. Bute does pack a punch with some good speed and skills so he definitely has a chance and will be a challenge for Ward. I just see it as a 9-3 Ward victory that isn't pleasing to the casual fan.

 

:good Always enjoy reading your posts.

If Ward did fight Dawson, the best thing for him to do would be to ram his head into Dawsons the first chance he gets, because mentally, Chad isn't all that. It's why I'm picking Hopkins in the re-match. Hop will of learned much more in their two rounds about Dawson, than Dawson will of learned about Hopkins, and the last guy you'd want to give a sneak peak too is Hopkins.

And you're spot on, Bute - Ward will be an ugly fight.