Andre Ward

Roy Jones was asked who he would have least liked to fight in his prime? Bernard Hopkins was asked who the best boxer in the world is today? The name Andre Ward doesn't show faces of a boxer when you search it on google. But for those who understand boxing like Hopkins and Jones, Andre Ward IS the name in boxing right now. For several years now I have been watching boxing as much and as closely as possible, up to 60 hours some weeks. Watching certain fighters styles and tactics. At first it is very confusing, it is hiding in plain sight, you can sit right next to someone who doesn't understand on your level and see two different things. Just as curious is that for some reason you understand or experience different things in boxing you can watch the same fight again, a day or a year on and realize that you are watching a completely different fight, and just like a beginner you had no idea what you didn't know. As my knowledge grew, I wondered why I wasn't seeing 'everything' from boxers. I saw effective things, amazing things in fact, but not the 'everything' that i was seeking, I came up with my own picture of a perfect fighter, and it wasn't Sugar Ray Robinson. Unfortunately it defiantly wasn't James Toney who I love, or even more disappointing Floyd Mayweather or Bernard Hopkins. The closest I came was Mike Macculum, but still he wast 'everything'. Little did I know, just as I was watching hours and hours of boxing nerdishly, so was a fighter I had not heard of. The first time I saw the name Andre Ward, I heard someone had outpointed Mikkel Kessler, something only another favorite of mine Joe Calzageh had done, in a tough fight few years back. His name was Andre Ward, and I found a copy of the fight. The first thing I thought ,and I have witnesses, Is this it what i've been waiting for, the style I was trying to create and teach, someone who is 'everything'. Where does he sit amongst the mythical pound for pound ratings? Currently myself and many others have dared to place him number one, amazing considering Floyd Mayweather and Bernard Hopkins are still active and easily are two of the best fighters EVER and a hysterical contingent of Manny Pacquiou fans who actually understand very little of the sport. This is presumptuous, as he has yet to achieve a hall of fame career, but I will go a step further and say despite this being so early in his career, I rank him number two pound for pound best fighters ever. No one will ever do what Ray Robinson did, he never lost as an amateur, and his record overshadows and technical ability's any future boxers hold over him. So here is my take on Ward and why I in fact rate him so highly. Firstly he is a winner, he has never lost, he started fighting at 12 went on to win a gold medal, at at fight 19 totally bewildered Mikkel Kessler, a guy who has seen everything modern boxing has to offer. Now lets get technical. What is it that makes me rate Ward so highly and why I rate him higher than anyone else except Robinson. Andre Ward most closely resembles a blueprint style created by Bernard Hopkins, a style using frustrating techniques of repositioning, spoiling, feinting and rough infighting to negate opponents while gradually breaking them down, mentally as much as physically. He does this much better than Hopkins for several reasons, most importantly superiority in fundamental positioning and power development. Hopkins also fights much taller and enjoyed being the bigger man throughout almost all of his career, Hopkins never really uses the crouch and as such uses his legs more often and loses a huge offensive weapon and ability to out jab opponents while generating more power. Ward uses his hands to control opponents much like Floyd Mayweather, and has a similarly spoiler style, but Floyd either stands tall with a guard to pressure, or potshots for his offense, perhaps due to his reach advantages on ever opponent he has faced. Boxing IQ gives Floyd trouble for a reason, all the 'Ali' type 'mistakes' Floyd makes, like leaving his chin up, leading with hooks and rights, walking forward with his left down, not using a rhythm, pulling and walking straight back and hanging out on the ropes, all horrible and usually costly mistakes that he is not getting paid for because guys just aren't good enough, Tommy Hearns, Ray Leonard and Ray Robinson would have taken these home with them, and things that should NEVER I mean NEVER be done. Ward uses his jab far better and attacks from the crouch using his shoulder to defend sometimes but not getting into deep rolls like Floyd or Toney. Also he fights using angles much more than Floyd, not saying Floyd does not know angles, but he does not NEED them like Ward as Floyd can very often stand in the middle and pot shot and roll, Ward must work his way in in a much more traditional way. And by traditional I mean like the fighters in the 40's and 50's such as Ezzard Charles, Joe Louis and Jersey Joe Walcott not the current guard up and walk Miguel Cotto Types. Also Floyd suffers again in positioning against southpaws, his feet and stance are not sophisticated against lefty's and his roll leaves him vulnerable to lefts. He was out positioned the entire fight against Zab Judah, who unfortunately is just not in his league, would have been interesting to see him verse Sweat pea or a young Cassamyor. Wards ability To punish an maul inside closely resembles one of my most favorite fighters the great Carlos Monozon. Once inside, in the clinch, they will punish you, push you and beat you. Similar to Monzon it is very difficult to out box Ward but in this case because of his angles, this again gives Ward the edge as Monzon enjoyed such physical advantages on hi opponents it has to be viewed relatively. So what does Ward do that Ray Robison doesn't or vise versa. Fundamentally Ward wont knock out bigger guys with one punch like Ray. Ray was a fantastic puncher, one of the two three or hardest south of middle weight ever. Ray could out brawl the boxers and box the brawlers. It remains to be seen how Ward changes as he ages or goes up in weight. Robinson used his legs and rolled around much more as he was out weighed so much in his fights with very very tough guys, much as Floyd and Hopkins conserve energy against the bigger or younger opponents. Right now Ward is stronger and more energetic than everyone, I believe he will only lose if he gets man handled by a stronger opponent or overtired due something like age or a great jab. His glove and arm blocking also wont be as effective against much bigger opponents if he goes up against someone much heavier he may have to use the roll much more like Floyd and Toney do to bigger opponents to negate getting pushed around by size advantages. But Ray didn't crouch or use great body angles like Joe Louis, although outweighed so often, he was also taller than most of his opponents and had distinct advantages in boxing knowledge. the pedigree of flashy pure boxer types is I believe higher these days. Although not complete fighters by a long shot, Andre Direll, Chad Dawson and Jean Pascal are as explosive and physical as well as skilled at certain things as any boxer, defiantly a different competitive field to Robinson's Middleweight landscape. So what has Andre Ward got at this stage of his career when it all comes together? He is a complete as almost any boxer, he has the ability and options to adjust to win against almost all competition, with he fundamental angles of the old masters of boxing, the ability to adjust to lefty's, the speed of foot and instincts of Ray Leonard, the consistency of Marvin Haggler all tied together with the frustrating spoiler, counter, clinch, conservative style of Bernard Hopkins. In short the only way I think is the way to box that gives you the most chance to win and the least chance to loose.