First of all, don't read post from yahoos, who think all did was head butt. That would be to ignore reality and probably lead you to an ass kicking, but at least you'd have an excuse. A good stiff jab while moving left would help a lot. Be ready to fight inside. Because Ward in is quick and and can be slick it was automatically assumed that he couldn't fight inside. The fights against Miranda and Kessler prove that wrong. Throw punches inside, it will get him to stop, or at least slow down. Don't be afraid to back up either to avoid the infight if you are not ready. Ward doesn't pack a huge punch, so even if he catches you, you should be ok. If you stn him, go in for the kill. He can be hurt, his chin isn't great, but he recovers well. If you hurt him, let it fly and finish him. Keith
1. Pressure him when you have him in the corners or on the ropes (Kessler had quite a few opportunities early on and didn't capitalize--don't be too cautious). 2. Don't be too cautious. If he wants to trade, trade, because the man has about zero power. 3. Muscle him on the inside, shake him around, lean on him, hit him, push him backward. Tire him out. 4. Take him deep, slow him down, make him use his stamina if he's got it. 5. Draw him in, then jump in and meet him in the middle with an uppercut or hook. 6. Try to hurt him with a bodyshot, and then tee off on his head when he covers up on the ropes. Hopefully you slip a punch through and crack his chin, but if not at least you tire his arms by hitting them. I think Taylor's got the tools to beat Ward. Good speed, good power, good counters, good overall technique. Taylor won't let Ward get the best of him on the inside, that's for damn sure. And Taylor's dropped a few guys with better chins than Ward by far. He put Froch flat on his ass. CARL FROCH, the man who uses his nose as his primary line of defense! Taylor has problems with power punchers, and Ward is definitely not a power puncher.
Ward fights a lot like a quicker version of the current Bernard Hopkins. Thing is Hops didn't revert to these kinds of uglier, boring tactics until he was older in order to make up for some lost talent due to age. Ward just fights like this now because he'll do whatever the **** it takes to win.
Play just as dirty if he plays dirty. Impose your strength quick and early so he's stuck on the backfoot. Ward likes to show his opponents he's the stronger man in there so he pushes his opponents around, whilst putting in some great inside work. He pushed Miranda and Kessler back on numerous occassions when fighting in the clinch. In this scenario one must establish right away that he's not going to stand for that **** and push him around while trading uppercuts on the inside. He cuts EASILY! Go for the eye and ruin his accuracy. **** up his mental focus and allow him to be distracted by that eye. He fights well under cut conditions, but if you really cut that **** open we'll see that the guy is made of. Avoid the left hand! He only has decent pop in that left hand...his right hand is pathetic at best. If you can develop a guard or caution for the left hand then you'll be far away from Ward's only offensive tool besides his ****in' skull. Use your own left hand. Kessler's few punch-landed output came mainly from his left. Initiate combinations with the right hand and follow up with the left. He'll most likely anticipate or telegraph the right and try to move out of the way, but will eat the left on his way out of danger. If Ward ever ran into a legitimate southpaw (Dawson...although Dawson is a right handed fighter posing as a lefty) he'd be ****ed. He also circles to his right, which is perfect for the left. OVER HAND RIGHT! The angle of the punch is what makes this punch easy to land on Ward surprisingly enough. For some reason he never really seems to stop these punches. Even sorry ass Pudwill landed this punch and had he been a better puncher Ward would've been put on ***** street with that ****. He has a habit to keep himself in a psuedo-Philly shell and he'll always be open for those overhand rights. Taylor definitely has the goods to win a fight against Ward...but does he have the hunger, mental resolve, and determination to do it anymore...or have Pavlik, Froch and Abraham beat whatever skill he has left out of him?
Prepare your fighter to defend against Ward's headbutt, holding, elbow, but esp. his headbutts. If Ward butts, then butt him back. When he cheats, cheat back. Take care of the referee and Ward's judges before the fight. Make Wards cheating very public "before" the fight, long before.
Taylor can beat Ward, yes, but Ward will have his home town, his referee, his judges, etc. Still, it will be interesting. Goosen is worse than Don King ever was.
His next opponent is Taylor. But he just has to do this when Ward lunges forward. http://blog.pricegrabber.com/buttonsmasher/files/2009/05/roster-full.jpg