Nazim Richardson Interview: Andre Ward Will Beat GGG, With Thoughts on Adama
By Robert Brizel, Head RCM Boxing Correspondent
In an international Real Combat Media exclusive, noted boxing trainer Nazim Richardson stated he believed Andre Ward was the one man alive with the style, knowhow and expertise to beat World Boxing Association World Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin.
Real Combat Media: “Golovkin beat Osumanu Adama. Did Adama’s corner make a mistake in making Adama go to center ring and try to slug it out with Golovkin, or do you think Adama made the change in approach from the fifth round on totally on his own?”
Real Combat Media: “We don’t know. You have to be in the whole camp to know what is going on. Nobody knows how Adama thought. Of course, the fighter has to be able to follow the instructions of his corner. And he has to be a (progressively) learning fighter. What we learn we keep longer. Adama may have felt comfortable when he opened up against Golovkin, (which is) our natural thinking. But even if you can’t win the bout, you go ahead and box. You cannot outpunch Gennady Golovkin. His balance is unbelievable.”
Real Combat Media: “Can a fighter like Adama with natural talent as a master technical boxer simply rely on his natural talent and fighting instincts and change strategy midstream and become the puncher?”
Nazim Richardson: “You cannot go against your strengths and boxing fundamentals. Many fighters, like Sugar Shane Moseley, rely on their natural talent. Your natural talent when you are older isn’t the same when you are younger. A natural fighter cannot beat a faster younger year old version of himself. A hard working disciplined fighter like Bernard Hopkins, he can come out and do different things, because he’s worked hard to be able to do them against the opponent. Rarely, once in a lifetime, you get a fighter like Juan Manuel Marquez who breaks the rules, looks for an opponent’s punch and finds it, and exploit’s the opponent’s footwork and other weaknesses. Pacquiao and Marquez fought each other several times and sparred each other, and Marquez knew Pacquiao too well.
Real Combat Media: “Can anybody beat Gennady Golovkin?”
Real Combat Media: “Andre Ward beats him. I have known Andre Ward since he was nine years old. That’s why he’s gotta fight the fight. Andre ward had a mind set at nine, ten, eleven years old that was ridiculous. Andre, even then, was extremely disciplined as an athlete and extremely intelligent. Andre understood things about boxing he just couldn’t do yet. His I.Q. was very high for a young man. He was always interested in learning more about the sport of boxing, fighting, training, managing and promoting, all of those facets.”
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