Froch not interested in Golovkin or Ward, wants Chavez Jr

01/11/2015 Bill Phanco

If he can’t get his desired fight against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in Las Vegas, IBF/WBA super middleweight champion Carl Froch says he’ll be hanging up his gloves and going into retirement. He has no interest in taking plan-B backup options of facing Gennady Golovkin or Andre Ward, even though both of those fights would do quite well on British pay-per-view and would likely sell as well as Froch’s recent fights against George Groves.

Froch wants Chavez Jr because he thinks he can beat him, and he likes that Chavez Jr has a large Mexican fan population that follows him.

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Let the Games Begin: Ward, Golden Boy, Schaefer, Broner, Khan & More!

01/10/2015 Chip Mitchell

The year 2015 is starting off with a bang- not neccessarily in the ring, but definitely outside of it. The pieces on the chess board are moving into place and when the smoke clears, we will (maybe) have a better picture of the boxing landscape.

Andre Ward

Andre Ward’s frustrating court battle with Goossen Tutor apparently has come to an end. Jay Z’s Roc Nation announced the signing of Andre Ward during their initial boxing card last night in Madison Square Garden’s theatre.

What it Means

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Andre Ward not interested in moving to light heavyweight

01/11/201501/10/2015 T.Baker

Andre Ward (27-0, 14 KOs) feels there’s no need in him moving up to the light heavyweight division to get big fights in that weight class. Ward, 30, feels that there’s no need in him moving up to the 175 pound division until he physically grows into that division.

Right now, Ward still sees him as a super middleweight despite the fact there are questions whether he’ll be able to make the weight given his long year and a half layoff from the ring.

Ward signed with Roc Nations Sports last Friday after breaking free from his previous promoter Goosen Promotions, who Ward had been in litigation with for the last year.

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Andre Ward signs with Roc Nation

01/10/201501/09/2015 Jeff Sorby

After a protracted legal battle with Goosen Promotions, WBA Super World middleweight champion Andre Ward (27-0, 14 KOs) signed with Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports on Friday, which reportedly ends his deal with Goosen Promotions. This means that the soon to be 31-year-old Ward should get a lot busier in terms of fighting on a more regular basis.

Ward’s fought only fought twice in the last three years, and he didn’t fight at all in 2014.

“It’s official!! #NextChapter Happy to be a part of the @rocnation family,” Ward said on his twitter today.

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Boxing’s Best of 2014

09/15/201612/31/2014 Michael Montero

In what turned out to be a somewhat lackluster year for the sport, there were some bright spots for boxing fans in 2014. The validation of stars like Sergey Kovalev, Terence Crawford and Nicholas Walters. The rejuvenation of Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao. The continued rise of Gennady “GGG” Golovkin. This writer decided to share some of his favorites from the past twelve months below (check out the videos to see more). Let’s take a look at the pugilistic best of the year that was.

Montero’s “Rising Star”: Nicholas Walters

The “Axe Man” is one boxer who truly lives up to this nickname. He kicked off his year by chopping down former titlist Vic Darchinyan in Macau, then chopped down former pound for pound star Nonito Donaire in Los Angeles. The bilingual bomber can also box, as he showed a top-notch jab in his dismantling of Donaire. Fighting in a loaded featherweight division, the Jamaican native built most of his career in Panama and is fluent in Spanish. A consummate professional with a humble attitude and plenty of charisma, the sky is the limit for Nicholas Walters.

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2014/2015 Reviews & Previews: Ward, Broner, Maidana, Marquez, Thurman, Danny Garcia, & Kell Brook

12/30/2014 Vivek Wallace

(Note: As part of a week long breakdown, boxing scribe Vivek “Vito” Wallace analyzes where today’s top fighters stand, and whether or not 2015 could be the year many of them fall. This week long analysis will cover over 30 fighters from around the world)

ANDRE WARD

Throughout Boxing history we’ve seen drugs, alcohol, crime, and a host of other demons strip precious time away from distracted talents which they could never get back. In the case of Andre Ward, 2014 proved that even for a focused “Son of God” the ills of the sport can be far too much of a cross to bear. For Ward, a stiff game of politics has been more of a test outside the ring than his incredible talent ever allowed inside of it.

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Left-Hook Lounge Mailbag: Andre Ward, Golovkin, Walters/Donaire, Khan/Alexander

10/27/2014 Vivek Wallace

Marc T. (Athens, GA): I’m tired of hearing all of the talk about Golovkin and how he’s “the most feared man in Boxing”. Andre Ward’s team sent HBO a direct statement saying that he wants the fight, & Golovkin responded in saying he’s basically “not ready” for Ward. What are your thoughts about GGG and this whole “most feared” reputation being built around him?

Vivek W. (ESB): For starters, I think there’s a slight hint of truth to it. Strong promotion and network support can be credited for this growing cult following, slash, bootleg version of an almost Tyson-like mystique. When we look back at Tyson, many of us were young enough to buy into the ‘Boogeyman’ persona that he embodied; but as adults when you look back, it’s very easy to note that most of the men he destroyed had no chance against you and I on two weeks training, let alone him! Our entire perception of Tyson – (one of my personal favorites) – vanished when he faced someone who couldn’t be intimidated and wouldn’t be denied. There lies both my question and answer relative to GGG.

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Kellerman: Andre Ward is still out there for Froch

06/01/2014 Bill Phanco

Max Kellerman of HBO offered up the idea that IBF/WBA super middleweight champion Carl Froch can always look in the direction of WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward if he wants to get a good opponent in the near future. Ward still has a victory over Froch from 2011 that Froch has nothing to try and avenge. Ward has open to a fight against Froch for the past three years, and he’s still willing to fight him if he’s feeling up to it. Froch has been feasting lately on the unproven George Groves, and he’s not fought a quality fighter for some time since he was beaten by Ward in the Super Six tournament.

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Avoided Fighters: A Sign of Boxing’s Decline

05/21/201405/21/2014 Dan Smith

When talking with a friend of mine; a serious boxing-head, the conversation managed to swing around to how Andre ‘Son of God’ Ward (27-0-0) is still marginalized despite garnering quite glowing praise from critics around the world. We got on to this subject as we were discussing the upcoming super-middleweight clash between ‘Saint’ George Groves (19-1-0) and Carl ‘The Cobra’ Froch (32-2-0), and how the British public’s interest in the fight had greatly elevated the perceived status of the fight; already supplemented by the fact that there are two World titles on the line. Now, as a massive George Groves fan, I am delighted that he was made mandatory for the IBF title and has been successful in forcing a rematch; the question that lingers in my head is why these two fighters are having two title fights in the space of a year, whilst Ward languishes.

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Josh Dubin and James Prince Statement on Behalf of Andre Ward

05/01/201404/30/2014 Goldsticker PR

Dan Goossen likes to put out press releases that confuse the issue – so on behalf of Andre Ward, we want to be crystal clear: the ‘legal issues’ that he referred to are only just getting underway. It is only after a California judge or jury speaks that the legal issues will be resolved.

Today’s decision from the California State Athletic Commission was not unexpected. From the very start, we do not feel that the commission has been looking out for the best interests of Andre Ward, the very boxer they are supposed to protect.

To the contrary, for some inexplicable reason, the CSAC has continually bent over backwards to try to accommodate a promoter who we feel is taking horrible advantage of Andre and his career.

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