REALCOMBATMEDIA’S 2011 FIGHTER OF THE YEAR – ANDRE WARD 2011
By: Boxing Writer Peter Mann
(Photo by Nick Laham)
Andre Ward is the self-proclaimed Son of God and he has just recently completed a year which most boxers could only dream of having. Although he was only involved in two fights they were two that fired the 27 year old orthodox fighter to glory in the showpiece boxing tournament – the Showtime Super Six. After defeating Arthur Abraham in the semi-final via a unanimous points decision back in May 2011 (120-108; 118-110; 118-111). Although the fight as deemed to be a lopsided one, it was to be in Ward’s favour as he dominated not only the fight, but the tournament itself that had began back in July 2009. Victory here would see Ward progress to the final where he would come face to face with Englishman Carl ‘The Cobra’ Froch.
The Broadwalk Hall in Atlantic City was the venue for the piste de resistance of Ward’s year, the final of the Super Six tournament. The fight should have gone ahead in late October but Ward was injured it was to be re-scheduled to the mid-December instead. Against The Cobra, Carl Froch, Ward would go through a twelve round box-athon that would finish with the American emerging victorious against his English counterpart, winning by unanimous points decision (115-113; 115-113; 118-110). With this success Ward not only provided a successful defence of his recently procured WBA Super-Middleweight belt that he won in the first group fight of the tournament, back in 2009, against Mikkel Kessler; unified that with Froch’s relinquished WBC Super-Middleweight belt, as well as adding both The Ring Super-Middleweight championship belt and the title of Showtime Super Six champion.
If 2011 is deemed to be the year of the Son of God then surely 2012 will see the Californian 27 year old fighter not only continue to go from strength to strength but further extend his personal unbeaten record. At professional level Ward is unbeaten since his December 2004 in-ring debut against Chris Molina, whom he defeated in a second round TKO, 25 wins (13 KO). Add that to his unbeaten amateur run stretching back to 1998 then Ward is still to lose a fight in over 13 years. You can also throw into the mix the belts he has won and that Ward is the only Olympic Gold medallist that the USA has seen since 1996 9winning in Athens in 2004).
You now have numerous reasons as to why that of Andre Ward is not only the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world today, but is also the 2011 World Fighter of the Year.
Real Combat Media asked its readers to pick who they felt deserved to be Fighter of the Year: Readers Vote: Andre Ward = 30 Vote’s.
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