Andre Ward is one UGLY fighter to watch

At least you're consistent. Ward's style is uglier than the post Tszyu Hatton's style.

 

Your right. The biggest problem i have with it is that Ward has legit skills.

 

It's definitely not fair that Ward gets to fight the whole tournament in his own backyard. I agree he has an unfair advantage there and it's probably true that is why he gets to bend the rules.

 

Not that it makes it any less impressive, but Ward couldn't win on the outside. That's why he made it a dog fight. It was his only option to win. Bika was controlling the fight from the outside.

Either way, Ward did show toughness and a willingness to mix it up. But the point of the thread stands which is that Ward is a stink fighter.

 

Ward gets preferential treatment from the referees too, in Oakland. Which is key to his strategy. Much the way Sloppy Joe was favored in the UK, the ref will let them fight on the inside as long as Ward is getting the better of it. But when Bika started getting it done in the clinches, the ref stopped the action right away. Same shit with Calzaghe.

I agree that the advantage of fighting on home turf cannot be under-estimated. Not only do the judges seem to favor him there (119-109 Ward over Bika? Give me a break), but he's also fighting with the support of the entire crowd.

If Ward somehow manages to fight the entire tournament without leaving Oakland, it'll be a low-down crime. In fact, it's already a crime that he's had all three of his fights at home.

 

I totally agree. Don't underestimate not just hometown judging, but a hometown ref that'll do everything in his power to make sure the fight goes your way.

Hatton and Calzaghe had the same thing early-ish in their careers, Arabham had the same thing in Germany, and Ward has exactly the same thing in his home town.

 

Ward has EXCELLENT Footwork, whereas Bika has VERY POOR Footwork...Ward Could've Very Easily Used the Ring, Dropped the Occasional Jab on Bika & Won a Decision...

REED Gives Ward CREDIT for Taking the HARDER, More PHYSICAL Route to Victory...




REED:bears:

 

Oh yeah. Remember Hatton's signaling the referee, on camera, that it was okay to break them?

 

Yeah ::

 

Double has a point. I don't think Ward chose the harder route to victory at all.

He chose the stinky route which was sure to get him the win.

When Ward was staying on the outside early, was when Bika was having most success, managing to bully Ward and rough him up a bit.

You know what they say, bully a bully, a bit like Floyd against Hatton.

Ward adapted to his credit, and decided the best way to fight Bika would actually be to smother him and bully him, grapple him, headbutt him etc.

 

If that's your interpretation, then I think you're completely misreading what happened in there.

Bika was controlling the pace, the distance, and winning the fight until Ward started with his play-ground maul tactics (facilitated in part of course by the referee).

Ward is not a good boxer. Not in the strictest sense of the word, of controlling distance and pace with a jab, and setting up his right-hand. In that sense, he's not unlike RJJ. He just doesn't have the speed, power or instincts of RJJ. He's basically a guy who won earlier fights with RJJesque pot-shotting, but has found he cannot win in this fashion at the higher level, so he's resorted to a Ruizesque stink-style.

He has flashes of speed and combination punching, but by and large, he's a billy-goat with a friendly referee, fast hands and good conditioning. Basically, he's bad for the sport, which is probably why he can't sell tickets outside of Oakland, and why he's never been in a good fight.

 

WOW!!!...Could U EXAGGERATE More???...

Again, Ward has EXCELLENT Footwork...Watch ANY of his Ammy Fights, Particularly his 2004 Olympic Gold Medal Winning Efforts...Ward SPECIALIZED in Using his Handspeed to Build a MINIMAL Points Lead, then he SAT on that Lead by STAYING AWAY from his Opponent @ ALL Costs...

Because the Scoreboard was there for EVERYBODY to See, the Opponent ALSO KNEW he was Behind & Would do WHATEVER it Took to Track Ward Down...But Again, Because of his EXCELLENT Footwork & Mobility, Things like Cutting the Ring Off DIDN'T Work on Ward...Basically, it was like Playing a Game of TAG...

As a Pro, Ward has Made a CONCIOUS Effort to "Run" LESS...But that DOESN'T Mean that Option ISN'T Still There if/when he NEEDS to Rely Upon it...REED agree's that Ward had PROBLEMS with Bika from a Distance, Early On...But @ NO Point in the Fight did Ward Decide to STAY AWAY from Bika Altogether...On his HOMETURF, there's NO Doubt that Ward Could've Pulled a 'Dirrell' & Safely RAN his Way to a Boring, Unanimous Decision...

Instead, Ward Took the HARD Way Out by ENGAGING Bika...By Fighting INSIDE & MATCHING Bika's Questionable Tactics...

Ward is just 26 Years Old...His MOBILITY & FOOTWORK R Still There, If/When he NEEDS it...Right Now, he's Proving that he's TOUGH Enough to Win WITHOUT "Running", Per Se...



REED:mj:

 

how do you guys rank 168 currently/? whos top 3

 

Ward had CUTS Along BOTH Eyes & BRUISES Along BOTH Cheeks...He May have Even had a Small Cut or a Degree of Bleeding from his Mouth...Again, Ward COULD have Employed "Hit & Run" Tactics, which UNDOUBTEDLY Would've Gotten him an EASY Unanimous Decision on his Hometurf...

On the Perimeter, Ward would Put his EARMUFFS On, but he Never EVER "Ran"...CLEARLY, Ward took the HARD Route to Winning, as Illustrated by his FACE...Suggesting Otherwise is just Wrong...


REED:mj:

 

Ward, Froch & Bute, Pretty Clearly...In Whatever Order U Wish...


REED:mj:

 

I saw zero evidence that Ward could've won that fight from a distance. There's evidence to the contrary. But none suggesting he could.

You're willing for some reason to attribute to him this ability, which he opted not to use, opting instead to stink out the joint with head-butts and holding.

I have to wonder what his motivation could've been.

My interpretation, he came out, trying to be pretty, fighting from a distance, couldn't get it done, and resorted instead to his one and done Ruiz style.

 

Ward, Kessler, Froch, Bute, Abraham, Dirrell

boxrec says: Bute, Dirrell, Froch, Ward, Kessler, Pavlik...10. Abraham

ring says (before this past weekend): Bute, Ward, Kessler, Froch, Dirrell, Bika, Abraham

 

well bute is most definitely third out of those 3, no?

 

ring have bute. number. one

 

REED Attributes this to the FACT that he's SEEN Andre Ward Do it PLENTY of Times...He WON a Gold Medal Facing a Slew of 178 lb Men by USING THE RING, Exchanging On HIS OWN Terms, then USING THE RING 1nce Again..Again, he was Basically Playing "Hit & Run"...

Given This AND Bika's PISS POOR Balance & Footwork, it's NOT that Faaaaaaar Fetched to Envision Ward Successfully STAYING AWAY from him Looooooooong Enough to Win a Safe UD...Instead, Ward's "Distance" Fighting Consisted of him Standing Virtually Flat-Footed, a Couple Steps from Bika, Rocking the Winky/Clottey/Abraham High Guard...



REED:mj:

 

My top 3?

Dirrell and Kessler are out of it until they announce any permanent comeback.

Froch has lost to Kessler but beaten Abraham, Pascal, Dirrell and Taylor. He is top for now.

Ward has beaten Kessler, Green:shit: and Bika:shit: I would make him number 2 and ahead of Bute, based on upcoming opponents, fights we know he will make/take, namely Abraham and Froch

Bute has beaten Bika, done a number on Andrade in the Re, beaten Miranda:shit:, done an number on a few more C+ guys like Berrio, Zuniga and some C- dudes like Joppy and some F class guys like Brinkley.

That's the ratings.

 

For Now, U'd have to Rate Bute No Higher than 3rd, Realistically...But there's a VERY REAL Chance he's THE BEST of the Lot...He just Hasn't PROVEN it Yet...



REED:hammert:

 

I agree with this. kessler may have an argument. if he ever comes back.

but dirrell give me a break. dr hi- shaw cracks me up

 

I´m not so sure that Ward really has a different style. This holding and hitting, clinching and mauling, working with the head, the follow through with the elbows. That is basically his chosen and preferred style. That is how he likes to fight.

 

Exactly. It's crazy to think he has some prettier, more entertaining, and less dangerous manner in which he could win, but chooses instead to head-butt and hold his way to sloppy decisions?

This isn't JMM mixing it up with guys after a career of winning every round without taking risks. This is a guy who straight up can't win rounds against the likes of Bika with his olympic style, who has apparently, studied up on Ruiz on how ti win fights without providing a single ounce of entertainment.

REED, you act like Ward is putting on a riveting show, rather than resorting to his expert skills (a la Marquez). In reality, Ward is having to shit the bed in order to win.

 

No REED, you don't understand. What I'm saying is that he had no choice, he had to fight that way to give himself the best chance of victory, and ensure the win.

Basically, he aint Roy Jones. He tried to potshot Bika from the outside, and the fight was much closer than expected after a few rounds.

He couldn't easily potshot his way to victory, because simply, he's not good enough.

That's why he switched tactics and started mauling Bika.

Which again, is not really a criticism, it shows he can adapt at least.

But if what he was doing was working and he was potshotting Bika with ease, he wouldn't have changed tactics.

 

@ NO Point Did Ward even ATTEMPT his "Olympic Style" Against Bika...Ward's Olympic Style was "Hit & Run", a Game of TAG or However Else U Wanna Word it...But @ NO Point did Ward even ATTEMPT to Fight that Way, vs. Bika...

& for the 37th Time, Considering the "Quality" of Bika's Footwork/Balance, it WOULDN'T have Been Terribly Difficult for Ward to MAINTAIN a Safe Distance by Employing his "Olympic Style"....



REED:kidcool:

 

Even though I think Ward is better than Hopkins, if I am proven wrong, I expect it to be because his chin doesn't hold up. I think Ward is able to protect his chin fighting this way better than he otherwise can fighting more standard.

 

Let's just say, Ward/Bika round 1 was a rude awakening for Ward. He tried to circle Bika and land right hand leads from the outside, and basically, he had no success doing so. And the same was true in round 2.

REED you're delusional if you think Ward fought that fight in the style he did, rather than win easily (with some sort of air-walking style you've dreamed up for him - I'd question the wisdom of assuming that Ward could replicate in the pros anything he managed to do in the ammys).

Again, it's not as if Ward elected to give us JMM/Katsidis instead of JMM/Salido because he wants to make his fans happy.

This was Ward, testing the waters in the early rounds with a style resembling something close to a boxing style, finding he couldn't live there, and resorting to something I can't describe any better than to mention John Ruiz. Sorry. I realize Ward is a better athlete than Ruiz. Has faster hands. etc. etc. But the bottom line is, he's had to resort to fighting like in a style similarly shit-stink. He wouldn't do that unless he felt he had to.

 

:giggle:

this will require some serious craft from you to hold this fort. you'd better put your attorney hat on if it's not already.