It's good to know Ward is trying to sack Goossen. You know there's a promotional problem when Ward wins the super six yet Froch gets all the attention. Lets remember Paul Williams' reign as well, he had all the tools necessary to be a great fighter yet a horrific promoter. Williams beats Concreto(with loaded gloves) yet Concreto gets all the attention, big fights and public recognition. Even when Goossen canceled Williams' fight with Pavlik, DiBella jumped in and sent his fighter(Martinez) to take his spot. Goossen is a terrible promoter.
Rigondeaux beat Donaire, yet Donaire continues to be much more popular and gets more press. Doesn that mean Top Rank is a bad promotor, or does it just mean that Rigo is less exciting than Donaire? Ward is NOT exciting. Froch is. Froch could lose his titles, and he would still be more of a draw than Ward is.
The reason Williams wasn't so popular is that none of the big names wanted to fight him. Margarito was also largely avoided, but was popular only because he was Mexican.
Not only that. Goossen was going to pull Ward out of the tournament if Bute was added as a substitute.
Spot on, he knows he'd get his ass kicked against either of those dudes unless the ref let him hug all night as usual. He just want's to call fights and live off his undeserved rep as one of the pound for pound kings! I'd rather listen to him call than watch him fight anyway.
Did it ever occur to anyone that maybe Ward wants new promotion, because its his promoter and not Ward himself who wants to keep him protected, and at 168? While Ward fights how he fights, and is who he is... and honestly I think he can be pretty entertaining though some disagree... all of the other criticisms regarding who, how and when he fights can be laid at the door of his promoter. Ward clearly wants to be a bigger star, and as many have noted wants the PPV level. He has also said he wants to move around in weight, but his "team" thus far has said no. Ward isnt dumb, he knows he needs to move around to different markets and maybe fight different weight classes to get to the level he wants. Yet its not in the cards, no interesting fights on the horizon, and people want to blame him and not his promoter? The promoter who basically signed him to a lifetime slavery contract before he was even old enough to legally drink? The promoter who as others have noticed, are generally just bad in general? Come on people. Anyone who wants to see Ward take on some interesting challenges should be cheering him on in this.
Only hometown decision is super six was Froch vs Dirrell, one of the worst if not the worst score was Froch vs Ward it wasnt as close as 115 113 for sure...so keep hating and being delusional.
still can't understand how a guy who fights once a year if he's luky, with an average resume is ranked number 2 pound for pound. The guys the most boring figter in boxing today.
There's probably a lot more to this whole story than we know so its hard to tell if this is a good move or not by Ward. The problem is that we know these type of issues can put a fighter on the shelf for long periods. I'd hate to see Ward spend more of his prime years sitting instead of fighting. There's a lot of good fights for him when you look at the fighters from 160-175 but he could miss out on them if he sits again. He's fought just once in each of the last 2 years and these are his prime years. Can't blame Ward for trying to get the best deal he thinks he can get for himself and we don't know how this will all play out but it seems whenever he gets momentum going something stops him.
Stop making sense! How dare you?! X2. It is dissapointing. I'm a big fan. Wish the dude would fight more. :bbb
Goossen did a lot for Sven Wattke. Without Goossen, Ward would've had the same fate as Andre Dirrell in terms of media exposure. :yep Ward probably wants to fight Floyd, Pacquiao, Canelo and Wlad K. in Oakland @ 168 lbs and take 60 % of the PPVs. :rofl:rofl
It's not a slave contract. When you fight once every 14 months it is going to extend your contract. Boxing contracts are normally by numbers of fight and not years. It is Ward who has made the contract longer than needed by not fighting in the ring and is instead tied up in legal dispute. A dispute he has already lost once. He isn't looking very good on this dispute either. Fights are hard to make no matter who promotes him. Ward is an excellent boxer and many don't want to fight him unless they get a huge payday, boxers want to get paid for a high chance of getting an L on their record. Guys like Froch won't travel to the state to fight him. They make way more fighting other guys. So why fight Ward when I can face another guy and make more? Also your promoter can't make you a star. They can put you in big fight, and Goosen has (super six, Dawson, for example). People either want to see you or they don't and fighting once a year doesn't help.