Are there any competitive fights for Andre Ward at 168?

Kessler's ''shot''

"In truth we finished Kessler [in 2009] and Andre was just a puppy back then [20-0]. [Froch] still hasn't beat anybody. We finished Kessler and took the life out of him. Think about who [Kessler] fought since that time. [Besides] Froch, he hasn't had what it takes to fight anybody of any caliber, because finished him. The thing about that [rematch last Saturday], Kessler's body language made it seem like there was more happening than there really was, because he's a shot fighter. His balance is shot and his body language made [every landed punch] look worse than it was. And he still hurt Froch two or three times in that fight,"

--Virgil Hunter


He can't fight the WBC champ Anthony Dirrell because he's a ''brother'' and the networks, like him, wouldn't be interested in it.

'Let's start with Ward's next fight. The June 2 date in Oakland should work, but it won't be against Bute, who faces Carl Froch on May 26. Nor will it be against Anthony Dirrell, it would seem. Dirrell, the brother of the more famous Andre Dirrell, is Ward's WBC mandatory. But Ward says he's not interested in that fight and would just vacate his belt, even though he called it "a good matchup." He claims that the TV networks won't be interested, which seems bizarre given that Showtime televised Dirrell's eliminator win over Renan St-Juste in
December.'

"That's a good matchup," Ward told SI's Chris Mannix when asked about facing Dirrell. "But to be perfectly honest with you I don't have a lot of interest. I consider Anthony a good fighter, a brother. But the networks won't be interested."

We all know the history regarding Ward and Anthony's real brother Andre Dirrell (whom Ward is even more brotherly with than Anthony) not wanting to face each other and I haven't heard either of them expressing any interest in that fight or calling each other out since then either.

Golovkin is ''ducking him'' and besides Ward has come out on record saying he's no longer chasing him since Golovkin publicly clarified that he wants to clean out 160 first before moving up in weight.

''And they clarified that so I’m good. I’m okay now, I’m moving on. He said he’s cleaning out 160 so I wish him nothing but the best”.

--Andre Ward

Froch is also ''ducking him'' and has one foot in the retirement door and the only match up he's really interested in before he has both feet firmly inside it is a PPV clash against the ''weak link'' Chavez Jr.

And ''weak link'' Chavez is also ''ducking him'' and in Ward's own words Chavez wasn't even a real challenge for the guy he easily beat with a broken hand.

Ward said that he doesn't blame Froch for looking for a less threatening challenge.

"Froch is 36-years-old or 37 or whatever he is, he's trying to cash out. He doesn't want a real challenge (he's alluding to Froch wanting Chavez here) like [George] Groves or even myself. And that's fine, but don't bring my name up as much as you do and act like you want to fight when really you don't. Be honest with the fans,"

--Andre Ward

And besides isn't Chavez with Jay-Z's arch rival Haymon now?

George Groves is also ''ducking'' him and is has lost twice by stoppage to the guy he easily beat with a broken hand, the later of them by brutal KO of the year type stoppage.

Abraham is way past his best and was never much cop up at 168 anyway. In fact, he's struggled against almost every decent and half decent fighter, and a few nobodies too, that he's fought at the weight. And besides, Ward has already beaten him.

So who else is there left for him at 168? Degale? Gilberto Ramirez? But if reigning world champions like Bute (IBF champ at 168 at the time) and Stevenson (WBC linear champ at 175) weren't worthy opponents and had to ''beat some more big names to secure a crack at him'', then surely neither of those far less accomplished contenders can be worthy of a shot at him either?

Ward has also stated that he won't fight over in the UK since witnessing the controversial stoppage in Froch-Groves I so the only way that could ever take place is if Degale goes over to him.

And neither Degale or Ramirez are ''legacy or PPV fights'' if Kovalev and Stevenson weren't.

“They’re being pushed as the Boogey Men in their divisions. Golvokin’s in the middleweight division, and Stevenson and Kovalev in the light heavyweight division,” said Ward, who is THE RING’s No. 2-rated fighter, pound-for-pound, behind RING 147- and 154-pound champion Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“I don’t see a win over either one of those guys right now catapulting me past the Floyd Mayweathers or something like that.''

''I know that there’s been a lot of noise of Kovalev but that’s one fight. That’s not even a pay per view fight. That’s a premium network television fight. And then when I get there, beat Kovalev they’re going to say he’s just a puncher, one dimensional, and then where do I go from there? I’m stuck at Light Heavyweight with no options,” declared Ward.''

--Andre Ward

But if he beats Kovalev they're going to dismiss him 'as just a puncher'' but he doesn't think they would do the same if he beat MW Golovkin whom Ward has been chasing? lol

 

Fixed.

Ward has his hands full with Degale's son Brandon Gonzales in the gym and I heard someone from Oakland on a podcast the other day who has contacts in the King's gym (where Ward trains) that Ward has been dropped a couple of times in sparring recently.

''Yeah, I've worked with Andre for years, we're reall familiar with each other. I've been a part of his development, and obviously he's been a part of mine, and you know the sparring is extremely competitive, sometimes too competitive, to where people get hurt, like before the Carl Froch fight.

''It's extremely competitive sparring that you really can't find anywhere else in the world''

--Brandon Gonzales

 

I forget to add Ward's ''Froch needs to come to the USA to prove himself'' gem in there too. I guess it must've slipped his mind that Froch had fought over there four times before when he said that, including against him. lol