Prime Zsolt Erdei would be the biggest styllistic nightmare for Andre Ward

I have to say I have a lot of respect for Andre Ward's boxing skills and he is definitely a legit ATG. However, after watching some of the Zsolt Erdei fights I couldn't help not to think about how difficult his style would be for Andre Ward.

First of all, Zsolt Erdei was a criminally underrated fighter who was ducked by everybody. He was practically undefeated, his only "loss" (controversial decision) against a Russian fighter came after he returned from retirement and didn't care anymore. He had 16 title defenses and ducked nobody. In fact, everybody ducked him. Furthermore even the corrupt German promotion wanted to **** him over and matched him up with a CW Fragomeni and Erdei beat him up easily.

He had the kind of frame that gives inside fighters like Ward a lot of trouble, a short stocky 5 foot 10 guy who moved up to CW and dominated the champ there as well. If you know anything about Hungarian people and their genetics you would know that they're some of the biggest, strongest and toughest people in the world and their history attests to that. Erdei was strong as hell and very powerful from close range, spamming very accurate and narrow but powerful and technical short hooks. He defended with a high guard and would often drop low and really sit on his punches. His hands very incredibly fast, firing quick devastating combos all night long. Add to that his iron chin and relentless cardio. He could also switch to Tyson-esque head movement if he needed to. He was pretty much a complete fighter while bringing that power and explosiveness of a short fighter to the table.

I think the only kind of fighter that could give him trouble is a rangy power puncher who could make him think twice about advancing, but other than that I just can't see any modern LHW beating him. Beterbiev would have a puncher's chance and maybe Gvozdyk if he fought a perfect fight and blasted him away with 1-2s. For anyone else Zsolt Erdei was just too slick, too Hungarian, too fast, too short, too head movement... Even though Ward is probably a better boxer overall I think Erdei would have his number. It would be a classic case of styles make fights.

I just can't see Ward winning it. Either he tries to clinch and infight and gets blasted or tries to fight the perfect fight on the outside where the iron chin cardio freak Erdei would eventually walk him down and be all over him as well. I have huge respect for Ward but Zsolt Erdei is just a terrible, terrible match up for him.

 

Americans like to dismiss this guy simply because he never fought a big name in the USA yet they give a pass to all the American fighters who ONLY fight in the USA. Everybody ducked Erdei, nobody wanted to dare to come to Europe to take his 0.

Like I said, the most underrated fighter ever.

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His highlights don't really tell the whole story because it's mostly just him delivering the final blows to opponents who were already physically and mentally broken at that point. You need to watch his entire fights (they're mostly on youtube) to see his fluidity.

 

I think both Ward and Erdei beat Calzaghe. I mean for Erdei it would be like fighting his little sister. With his iron chin he could do a Mayorga against Calzaghe all night long and he still wouldn't feel those slaps.

 

Not in Germany.

 

He would be a tougher fight for Ward than anybody Ward faced in his career so far. He would take Ward to places he has never been to before and push him to the limits.

I'm not 100% convinced my man Erdei would win in this hypothetical scenario but he would definitely be a HUGE problem for Ward's style.

 

I think his nickname comes from the song he used as his entrace song Szállj el kismadár (fly away little bird?). I know some really basic Hungarian... My ancestors were Slavs who lived in the Kingdom of Hungary before the Trianon treaty.

Look at him having fun here lol, this is the song

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