Just read a thread containing a vid of Ward saying he would prefer to fight AJ than Canelo and replies mentioned back in 2017 that Ward thought he could beat AJ but I feel most of AJ`s opponents would have beaten Ward, which of AJ`s oponents would Ward have beat and could he have beaten any of AJ`s title fight opposition?
Inb4 people start saying Ruiz. Ward would probably beat the first 14 opponents of AJ’s career and then lose to everyone else afterwards. Kevin Johnson may just come through and chin him though. Ward would be running all night long against most of AJ’s opponents, he hasn’t got the chin or power to be aggressive against 240 lb men. Ward has a tiny reach as well, only 71 inches, it wouldn’t be too difficult to keep him on the end of a jab if you’re any self respecting heavyweight with an 80+ inch reach.
Hard to say having never seen him compete at HW. Stylistically ward has one of these weird, smothering clinching styles in which he gets a lot of his effective punches off up close, in the clinches. Nothing very spectacular or flashy but effective nonetheless at getting other fighters out of their gameplan and causing damage. Provided Ward carries his weight to HW, I don't see why this style doesn't translate in the HWs. Ward did get dropped hard by Kovalev though, so I imagine he would be susceptible to HW punches if caught cleanly. I liken Wards style to B-Hops, just a bit more active. Interestingly, BHop once talked of moving up to HW as well. I think both guys could have had success at HW provided they could put on the weight. Their best bet would be to clinch and smother and rough guys up on the inside, which both guys excelled at
Trying to clinch and out muscle 250 lb men is a bad idea. They’ll lean on him and his legs will be dead by round 6. He’d have to be in out and quick as a cat for 36 mins which he couldn’t do against any top 15 heavyweight. Lol that pitiful 71” reach makes me laugh, what’s he gonna do at heavyweight with that?
I tend to think if he could have been a HW star he would have done it. The difference in purses is enormous, HW gatekeepers and marginal contenders can get more than smaller guys on the P4P list. I'm sure he could pick off some of them but he didn't even have much power at the lower weights so he'd have to survive the distance every time.
