Ward wants no parts of Kovalev.

On the Scene, Ward talks about how he has no interest in fighting Kov because "It's not a PPV fight" and "I'm not a lightheavy guys". Yet he's MORE than willing to fight GGG and Chumpez Junior.

I'm sorry, but I fail to see how Ward-GGG generates more interest or money than Ward-Kov. GGG isn't a star in the US yet, and neither is Kov.

Ward sounds quick to be willing to fight a middleweight coming up, but hesitant to move up himself and fight the best at 175.

I say that Ward is ducking Kov.

 

I'm not sure you can really accuse a guy of 'ducking' a fight in a higher weight class, I don't think that's fair.

 

agree but X is correct to point out that his eagerness to fight guys from lower weight classes seems a bit hypocritical given his dismissal of moving up 7 pounds himself

 

Well kinda. But OTOH you could take it as 'I'll take on all comers at 168'.

 

or 160,

 

Exactly. I understand he wants a big money fight, and it might make sense if GGG was this big cross-over star, but he isn't.

That was the point of GGG-Chavez. To make GGG into a cross-over star, but slaughtering a big NAME fighter.

GGG is 5'9, and looks pretty natural at 160.

I think Ward simply views GGG as a safer fight than Kov.

 

'I'm champ at 168 and I'll fight anybody who wants to fight me at 168.'. :dunno: I don't really see the hypocrisy.

 

If he were to start demanding GGG or Chumpez move up or impuning their bravery for not doing while refusing to fight Kov....that'd be hypocrisy.

 

There's no money there... He wants a big money fight and he sees the smaller guys as the key to this big money... Xplosive is merely pointing out that in reality there's not a whole lot to suggest Ward is any closer to big money by fighting someone small like GGG instead of fighting someone a little bigger like Kovalev and that he's making a calculated decision based on GGG being small while simultaneously implying that the idea of moving up in weight on his own part is ridiculous

 

I feel like it isn't hard to grasp this... X is basically saying Ward doesn't want any part of Kovalev if he doesn't have to... Even if he said "I will cannibalize and sodomize all 168 pounders!", it wouldn't have any bearing on that being an accurate statement (ward not wanting any part of Kovalev if he doesn't have to)

 

Right...

A) He gets 2 million fighting somebody at his own weight in a fight he's confident he can win
B) He gets 2 million fighting a guy at a higher weight in a fight thats much riskier.

I guess my only beef is that I don't think you can call it ducking if he picks option a. I'd be different if Kovalev was a contender in his weight class but he has no responsibility to move weight classes seeking fights that dont make risk/reward sense. That just isn't 'ducking', imo.

 

i want no part of watching ward in a boxing ring

 

What the fuck, Caller? I already agreed with that particular point

Hut: "I don't have to listen to this shit"

Me: "YOU CERTAINLY DON'T, PAL! Because the good news is You're Fired"

 

Which is why it'd be nice to see him fight Kov, so we can see him on the canvas in a boxing ring.

 

There's no Ward fight that's headed to PPV unless it's him vs Chumpez Junior. Chumpez Junior is Ward's Gatti.

 

If Klitschko offers him a fight and he doesn't take it is Ward a 'ducker'? 'ducking' means something more than that. He's a 168 champ, his responsibility is to take on all viable contenders at 168 - no more no less.

 

LMAO! Are you REALLY comparing 6'6, 240 pound Wlad to 6'0, 175 pound Kov? You're better than that.

It's the fact that Ward completely dismissed even the POSSIBILITY of fighting Kov that sounds troubling.

Also the fact that he's more than willing to fight a natural middleweight coming up than a man closer to his size.

Ward and Kov are closer in size than GGG and Ward.

 

then you also have the fact that ward fought in greece at 178lbs so he could avoid golovkin, dirrell and GAYderbekov. guy picks and chooses what division he is when its convenient for himself

 

I'm not comparing them, I'm using it to illustrate the point.

 

I take Hut's side on this

 

Ugo has a keen mind and a large penis.

 

re-read the thread, goddamnit

 

GGG Isn't a Star, but he's CLOSER to Being 1 than Kovalev is...REED Thinks Kovalev is the BETTER Fighter, but there's Definitely More Money for Ward in Facing GGG & Joonyah...

The Whole "I'm Not a Lightheavy" Thing is Pure RELUCTANCE...Motherfucker Won a Gold Medal @ 178...



REED:mut:

 

REED knows the game and have the cars, he have the houses

 

If promoted CORRECTLY, I think Ward-Kov could generate more interest. GGG is just a laid back, soft spoken, "nice" guy outside the ring.

Kov has a bit more of an edge, and "meaness" to him.

 

THIS...

Ward's Had SUCCESS @ a Higher Weight...He's as Tall or TALLER than Kovalev...He's Definitely RELUCTANT Here...REED has Little Doubt Ward Would've Moved Up to Face Stevenson, After Dealing w/GGG/Chavez...

Ward Moved Up Because Him & Dirrell were Close & Didn't Want to Fight @ the U.S. Trials, Which Would've ELIMINATED the Loser from Olympic Contention...




REED:hammert:

 

GGG Has More of a FOLLOWING Though...He's HEADLINED U.S. Cards & Had a GROWING Amount of his Countrymen in Attendance, Bearing Flags, Being PASSIONATE, like Most Euro Crowds...

Compare that to Kovalev, who's Fought in Canada, Thinking It'd Ultimately Lead to Stevenson...

TODAY, it's Not Even Close; GGG's More Marketable, More on the Radar & he's Got a Fight w/1 of Boxing's Bigger "Name" Fighters, Forthcoming...Kovalev is MUST-SEE T.V. for Hardcore Fans, but it's Going to Take Some Work to Get him On the Mainstream Radar...


REED:hammert:

 

I think the thing in this is: we would all want to see Ward challenging himself more, and if he wants to be remembered as a great fighter, he will have to do exactly that, take some risks that he doesn't HAVE to (the way Jones, PBF etc. went up in weight).

However, if he does not do that but chooses to stay in his own weight class, we can't call that ducking, any more than we could blame Hagler or Monzon for that, even though both would have had tougher opponents at higher weight classes. It becomes ducking if GGG (or Kovalev, or anyone) comes to his weightclass, clearly earns his chance yet Ward refuses

 

I think it's wrong how people are claiming Mayweather is ducking Wlad because he wants to fight Kovalev because of of what Andre Ward said.

 

In fairness, Hagler and Monzon had a good deal more going on in their weightclasses than Ward currently does and they fought a lot more frequently... plus, there was no "super" divisions... it wasn't 160 to 168, the jump was two full divisions in today's terms... I really can't see how that is comparable to Ward, especially in a time with day-before weight-ins, rehydrating and all of that