Andre Ward vs. Paul Smith Preview
By George A. Dampeer, Real Combat Media DE/Washington D.C Correspondent
Oakland Ca. (June 20th, 2015)– After a year and a half of inactivity,Andre Ward (27-0) returns to action Saturday June 20 against former title contender Paul Smith (35-5,20KOs) at at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, CA live on BET 10PM EST. The combatants will fight at agreed catch weight of 172lbs, though both have recently fought at super middleweight (168lbs). The catchweight could indicate Ward’s future plans. Is it an attempt to jump up another weight division for a potential bout with Sergey Kovalev, or is it just a chance to get shake off the cobwebs at a close walk-around weight to get back into the 168 division where another potentially big fight looms with Gennady Golovkin? Ward elaborated on the catchweight with boxingscene, “ I’m going to see how my body feels, and I think we’ll make that decision…I have the final say, but it’s me and Virg [his trainer Virgil Hunter]. We sit and talk about it, and I trust his insight. He doesn’t feel like that it’s a move I should make right now. I’m getting my body fat measured. I’m doing all the things I need to do so I make an educated decision. It’s not just something I do on a whim, because when I go to that weight class, I want to fight the best and compete against the best, and there’s no coming down in weight. So when I make that decision, I got to make sure it’s the right time”
The option is wide open for the US olympian but then again, it always had. Some boxing fans have become irritated that a fighter whom is arguably the #2 pound for pound fighter in the world won’t expand his talents on today’s top contenders. Respectively, Ward has cleaned up the division with the thanks of the Super Six tournament, Ward hasn’t fought anyone notable for quite some time. This is why a fight with GGG is being discussed. Glolovkin would be Ward’s biggest test since the Super Six, and would create the buzz that the middleweight division hasn’t seen in awhile.
While much of his prime had been spent inactive due to a contractual dispute with late promoter Dan Goosen, many forget that “S.O.G” is only 31 years old. Now healthy and under new promotion,there is no excuse for Andre Ward not to continue taking on the top fighters around. Through all of this, it’s easy to forget about Ward’s current opponent, Paul Smth. In a sport like boxing anything can happen and fights can change with one landed punch, but Smith is no longer a top contender. His marque fights are losses against George Groves, two against Arthur Abraham, and James DeGale. Baring a complete meltdown by Ward, theres no reason to expect #6 to the loss column. However, this is a tune up/ test run for Andre Ward, so Smith should be looking to play opportunist to Ward’s rust. Otherwise, Ward’s performance is what everyone will be looking at. We should expect “Son of God” to box as he is trademarked to do. Ward himself will look to see how his reaction and speed will feel at the new weight. Smith has proven that he can be out boxed by quality opponents, expect the same here.
What cannot be expected, is if and when the war of words concludes with GGG after Saturday night. The two have gone back and forth through the headlines over the past week. Ward accused the Golovkin camp of “not being honest with the public” saying Ward did not want to fight GGG. This was not received well by the “Good boy” who expressed an anger-filled response, “Hey, Ward, wake up! Why are you talking trash about other people? Speak for yourself. If you’re trying to make a name for yourself by mentioning me to build up your own fight, then be a man about it and tell the truth. At our meeting with HBO they asked us whether we are ready to box. You know our answers — I said yes, you said no. You said something about your shoulder or promoter — I’m not interested in the reason, I only heard your “no.” But you remember that HBO said then that they would need a long time to build-up the fight. Then what the f— are you talking about excuses?
“If you do provocative attacks, do not even think that Loeffler (Gennady’s K2 promoter) will buy into them. You haven’t been interesting to anyone for a long time, so he will no longer engage in the promotion of your name. Go and build your own image. Although everyone already knows what you are, and because of this, they do not go to your fights.You shouldn’t worry about who I’m going to box or have boxed. You, like the rest, were lucky with the ‘Super Six tournament because you got your opponents by contract. And who are you fighting now? The fourth-fifth ranked fighters in England. … If I say that I’m ready to box any middleweight and ready to rise to 168 for a big fight, then I am responsible for the words. And I have nothing left to discuss with you. As a man, you are dead to me.”
A bit harsh?
For all that Ward has been through the past 2 years, and the fights that loom after Saturday; a “Son of God” couldn’t be anymore thankful. The chance to seal a legacy is now up for the taking.
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