Ward is one of the best boxers in the sport. He's brilliant to watch a master technician at work. If you can't appreciate Ward then find a new sport.
No you need to find a new sport , get past the colour and nationality and watch how he fights. The man holds more than Hopkins , Hatton and Ruiz put together. Dont get me started on the head butts.
My whole thing is, after watchin how a lot of you talk about them, what makes you think any fighter gives a f*ck about how you feel about being entertained?
I agree that some fighters are more willing to take chances, because they understand what their strengths are. My point is that this is not necessarily due to their lack of physical or mental skills, as you posit. Ali jabbed, danced and threw effective combinations, outscoring his opponents. Foreman crushed his opponents. (Roy Jones effectively did both.) Just because Foreman couldn't dance and jab didn't make him the lesser fighter than Ali. Ali happened to beat Foreman when he was younger but I would have put my money on Foreman after he matured. And, ironically, who was the worse for wear in the end, the slugger or the boxer, in this instance? Foreman's defense, by the way, was incredible. He rarely took hard, straight shots, yet he was able and willing to exchange with anyone. Ali went through 3 grueling bouts with Frazier while Foreman brutally KO'd Frazier. I can still hear Cosell, "Down goes Frazier, down goes Frazier, down goes Frazier!" I don't accept the position that the faster, elusive fighter is necessarily the better fighter. Some fighters will take more to get what they want in the end. Of course, they would prefer not to get hit, but if they know that is what their strengths are (exchanging), that is what it takes to get the victory, then that is what they will do. I like all styles but I definitely prefer those that will go toe to toe.
Ward beatFroch comfortably, but lets not get confused into thinking he smashed Froch up Froch was never even close to being stopped
That would be an interesting fight. Kovalev would be difficult for Ward to tie up. But Ward has been in with the much tougher competition, so you would have to make him a favorite. Kovalev, though, is far superior to Rodriguez and would have KO'd him.
I never said that 'not being able to dance and jab like Ali' makes you a lesser fighter. Again, as i stated before, it's not about better or lesser. It's about given the choice, would these more entertaining fighters as you call them not prefer to get out of the way of punches a little better? And even more so, i'm trying to say the following: If a guy like Ward is able to beat EVERYBODY in his weightclass without taking health risks that other fighters would have to take to try and accomplish the same thing, should we, as fans, hold it against him that he does just that? Well, i guess you've already answered that, since you DO hold it against him. Since i do not, we'll agree to differ i guess. BTW, your example of Ali being the worse for wear after his career was over is a little weak. Ali's defense was his footwork and reflexes. When he got older and heavier and those attributes faded, his defense was actually pretty weak and he was involved in numerous wars that he wouldn't have been in if his legs had still been all there.
The talent famine in US boxing these days means that US fans are desperate for a hero - anybody will do.....sad really. Ward has some good moves but is unproven.
GGG is unproven. Ward is only behind Floyd who happens to be the best fighter of this current generation. Ward is battle tested and has almost single handedly destroyed all the euro hype jobs already. Don't know what **** you're smoking but put it down. We still have the best quality fighters on earth, past, present and most likely in the future. Best talent always comes from the US. Hype jobs usually come from everywhere else.