I think he has talent and will be a champion one day. I watched the fight lastnite and i thought he looked pretty good but he couldnt put "Sugar Poo" away! He was hitting him with some good shots but couldnt even get a knockdown...so it wasnt anything great.:verysad
Muhammad Abdulaev Audley Harrison David Reid can we name anymore? Gold Medal Flops ... Ward is nothing special ... if anything bigger expectations.
I thought Ward is kind of cruising under the radar considering he is a gold medalist..the only one from those games for the U.S I like him and in many ways he impresses me more than Direll. I like him because he does have some flaws though which can quite often make him enjoyable to watch. Definite titlist material..I just dont see longevity or dominance when I look at him though.
Well take into consideration the toughness of 168. The division has a lot of game vets (Sakio Bika, Libby Andrade, Zuniga, Miranda), up and comers (Dirrell is there, Danny Jacobs will likely wind up there at some point) and current stars (Kessler, Taylor, Bute). Add in the fact that guys like Pavlik and Abraham could move up soon and as you can see....it's not easy. I wouldn't be surprised if Ward fizzled out on the comp alone.
I've seen a lot of his fights and I think he's a legit world class fighter (not anything like a JCC Jr.), but he's got to stop fighting cans.
I think we were a little too hard on Andre. Although Ward didn't show a killer instinct, Thompson had never beeen knocked down. Also Ward show'd alot of skill and was hard to hit. He could win a title but wouldn't beat somebody like Kessler or maybe Bute.
Phenomenal talent. The sky's the limit for this kid if he can keep on track. Speed, excellent boxing skills, enough power to earn respect, and he seems to have a good attitude. What's not to like?
He's already close to a title fight, being no,2 with the WBC and no.3 with the WBO. It just take a champ tp offer him a fight...But I think, like many said, that he needs more serious opposition before he can dream of a belt...
A lot to like about Ward. Solid fundamentals, speed, amatuer career, good head on his shoulders, etc. I see Ward having a long succesful career if he avoids injuries. Like others have said he does need to step it up now. There are a lot of solid fighters at 168 and 175, Ward doesn't need anymore Buchannans. I think he'll make a signifacant move this year and then we'll see where he is at.
I would RATHER see him lose to journeymen then continue to fight cans. A LOT of GREAT champs took losses before they won the title: Hagler, for one. Hopkins is another. Perfect records are OVER rated.