Yes, the guy that went on to win the WBC title after being beaten by Ward and who wasnt out of the top 10 at SMW for about a decade. Really
Just googled it and yes does look like Periban might be the one in line to face Ward on the Cotto/Canelo undercard. **** this is a terrible fight if true. This does nothing for Ward, nothing. I can't really defend this choice of opponent if true, Ward got a pass for Smith as a come back fight but this is just another pointless defence. Ward will not have had a meaningful fight in over 3 years if this happens.
Bika was beaten by Joe Calzaghe and Lucian Bute and lost to Jean Paul Mendy before facing Ward. Then lost to Anthony Dirrell and Adonis Stevenson. A gatekeeper, at most, who once won a vacant belt by beating an unheard cab driver named Marc Antonio Periban and proceed to lose it the next fight. I wouldn't brag about that win, in fact i'd erase that from my resumeatsch
Disagree. Ward will generate a lot of boos before Canelo-Cotto come into the ring, so the crowd will appreciate the main event even more. That, and the obvious opportunity to get in line for beer, washrooms, etc. The crowd will leave the event on a high.
The Mendy fight was a disqualification. The other guys who beat him are top class fighters. Do you deny Bika was a top 10 SMW for about a decade
very funny, a top 10 smw for a decade...i remember Ward refusing to unify against Bute who was a 5 years undefeated champion with 9 defense fights for the reason he's not worthy. so i give you that, if you admit he blatantly ducked Bute i will rethink Ward's resume and give him at least 3 good wins.
ward will never amount to much more, the fighters at light-heavyweight would knock him out cold and ward knows it. expect ward to finish out his "legacy" fighting bums on BET.
The Ward/Bute debacle wasn't an outright duck by Ward. Basically Ward broke his hand after the Froch win and wasn't cleared to train again until early 2012 and Bute wasn't going to wait for Ward to come back, Ward didn't fight again until Sept that year months after Froch beat Bute. But what Ward did mess up on in regards to Bute was he made it quite clear he didn't think Bute was worthy of a shot, he didn't give Bute any room to think a fight was on the table and he had to step up his opposition and so therefore drove Bute to a deal with Froch. This was a huge mistake by Ward and another example of Ward screwing his career up. Had he given Bute any room to think a fight could be made Bute would have likely taken a less risky opponent in the hope of fighting Ward later on. Ward maybe a top P4P fighter but in terms of career management he's a fricken train wreck. A Bute fight then would have been his biggest payday.