Left-Hook Lounge Mailbag: Provodnikov’s Stunning Performance, Ward’s Steroid Testing Position, & What’s Next for Provodnikov & Bradley!!!

10/21/201310/21/2013 Vivek Wallace

provodnikov10 Andrei S. (Miami Lakes, FL): Provodnikov is a countryman of mine and I was very excited to see him get the victory over Alvarado. How did you rate his performance and what do you see happening next for him?

Vivek W. (ESB): Coming into the fight I had Provodnikov winning, and the failed weight attempt by Alvarado made me feel even more comfortable with that choice. It should be duly noted that Alvarado is an absolute warrior and a couple losses will not define his legacy. That being said, Provodnikov was viewed by most coming in as the hungrier fighter, and it was clear that he would not be denied. A week ago I pointed out a very similar subplot that existed in the Bradley/Marquez showdown. In that fight, we had Bradley coming in with something to prove, following a victory where most felt he could have lost and didn’t perform well. To his opposite, we had Marquez, riding the high of a stunning KO victory. In this fight we had Provodnikov coming off a loss with something to prove, and Alvarado, who was also riding the wave of a great victory.

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Ward vs. Rodriguez – Ringside with Raymundo: The Return

10/05/201310/04/2013 Raymundo Dioses

ward453434 Just off the I-10 freeway in Southern California stands an electric-powered billboard that flashes images of upcoming events, and in-between promoting an upcoming Cher concert and the inaugural game for the Ontario Reign minor league hockey team is an advertisement that simply states, ‘The Return’, with a picture of the consensus No. 2 fighter in the world, Andre Ward, and the date of November 16.

The Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California will be the venue for ‘The Return’ of the fighter who is the closest ranked to the No. 1 boxer in the world in Floyd Mayweather Jr.

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Andre Ward vs. Edwin Rodriguez: Saturday, November 16 Live on HBO

09/20/2013 Goossen Tutor Promotions

ward1 ward1 SHERMAN OAKS, CA (September 20, 2013) – Following slightly more than a year’s absence from the ring due to injury, Bay Area hero, 2004 U.S. Olympic gold medalist and current WBA and Ring Magazine World Super Middleweight Champion, Andre “S.O.G.” Ward makes his highly anticipated return to the ring defending his title against Edwin Rodriguez on Saturday, November 16 at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, CA.

Simply and appropriately billed as “The Return,” Ward (26-0, 13 KOs) will risk his title against the undefeated Rodriguez (24-0, 16 KOs) in the scheduled 12-round World Championship main event which will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.

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Andre Ward picks Mayweather to beat Canelo

07/31/201409/10/2013 Rob Smith

ward23 ward23 WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward doesn’t see any way for the WBA/WBC junior middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (42-0-1, 30 KO’s) to beat Floyd Mayweather Jr/. (44-0, 26 KO’s) this Saturday night other than maybe getting lucky by landing a big shot that knocks out Mayweather. Ward doesn’t think that there’s any possibility that Canelo can out-box the much faster and much better skilled Mayweather Jr. over 12 rounds.

Ward also thinks that the weight that the 170+ Canelo will be taking off to get down to the 152 lb. catch-weight could lead to Canelo running out of gas in the later rounds of the fight.

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Andre Ward Greets Passionate Throng of Fans at Los Angeles Appearance

08/31/201308/30/2013 ESB

(OAKLAND, CALIF.) – Super Middleweight World Champion Andre Ward (Oakland, Calif.) recently hosted a meet and greet opportunity in conjunction with Everlast and Sports Chalet in the Los Angeles area, taking the opportunity to connect with his southern California fan base. The number ranked two pound-for-pound boxer in the world was touched by the lengths that his fans went to for the chance to meet him.

As he boarded his flight in Oakland, fans were already beginning to line up, more than four hours ahead of his scheduled appearance time. After arriving at the location, he saw the long line of people waiting to meet him, many of whom had traveled a great distance to get their own autograph and photo with the Olympic champion.

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Zsolt Erdei Calls Out Andre Ward

07/30/201307/29/2013 DiBella Entertainment

ward3432 New York, NY (7/29/13) – Former light heavyweight and cruiserweight world champion Zsolt Erdei (33-1, 18KO’s) isn’t looking for any easy fights after suffering his first professional defeat in a razor-thin and questionable split decision loss to Denis Grachev in the first leg of the Monte-Carlo Million Dollar Super 4 Tournament. Erdei is instead offering up his services to super middleweight kingpin and ESPN.com’s pound-for-pound number two-ranked fighter in the world, Andre Ward.

Ward, who is coming off a shoulder injury and extensive rehab, hasn’t fought since scoring a 10th-round TKO over Chad Dawson in September of last year. Erdei says he has no problem in moving down to super middleweight and would jump at the opportunity.

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Left-Hook Lounge: Golovkin, Mayweather, Ward, and many more!!!

07/01/2013 Vivek Wallace

golovkin455 Kevin H. (Cincinnatti, OH): Golovkin has impressed me more than any fighter in the sport today. I just don’t see anyone stopping this guy, but I can see him stopping whoever they put in front of him! What are your thoughts about him and who do you want to see him face?

Vivek W. (ESB):I’ll start by saying that as much as I support him for the sport, I don’t think I’m ready to go out on that limb that you and others have quickly jumped too! I say that in light humor, but to be very clear, I won’t be part of that ‘pendulum’ swinging we see every time a fighter does something of this nature. I can remember this rhetoric after Donaire’s KO victory over Darchinyan, Pavlik’s KO victory over Taylor, and so forth! When we look at all of the men who stunned us with KO performances in fights we didn’t anticipate a KO, they each have one thing in common: they fell flat against a man with the skills to out-think them, and the toughness to outlast them.

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Froch: I know how to beat Andre Ward now

05/27/2013 Michael Collins

ward445 ward445 If IBF/WBA super middleweight champion Carl Froch chooses to face Andre Ward in his next fight, he believes he now holds the knowledge of how to beat him this time. Froch’s plan involves him coming on late in the fight when Ward tends to tire out a bit and win by outworking him.

Froch said to the guaradian.co.uk “If we fight again, I know what to do. Late on, he tires. At super middle, he struggles…he’s got to come here.”

Well, Froch won’t ever get to test his theory if he never faces Ward again and right now the rematch between them will likely not happen. Froch’s promoter Eddie Hearn appears more interested in putting Froch back in with Mikkel Kessler again for a third fight.

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Froch Wins and Will Again, but Not Against Ward

05/26/201305/26/2013 Paul Strauss

froch644 Froch dominated Kessler, and will again if they have a third fight. Kessler’s style is too predictable and not busy enough. He lost because he failed to manage distance very well. He failed to take advantage of his hand speed and straighter punches. Ward did not and will not make those mistakes.

Froch got away with his unorthodoxy, because (to use a baseball phrase), Kessler failed to keep his eye on the ball. Froch hardly ever makes that mistake, and Ward never does. He is always focused, and ready to take advantage of miistakes at an instant. Froch gets away with throwing looping shots, because someone like Kessler’s defense is too simple. He either tries to block the punch, and many times unsuccessfully, or duck under it.

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Ward open to fighting Froch in the UK

05/25/2013 Jeff Sorby

ward54 ward54 WBA super middleweight champion super middleweight champion Andre Ward says he’s open to a rematch with IBF super middleweight champion Carl Froch this year, whether in the UK or the United States, as long as Froch’s promoter Eddie Hearn shows him how badly he wants to make that fight happen.

Ward said to HBO: “At this point in my career I’m open to any fight that makes sense. A rematch makes sense. I don’t know if it’s going to be in the UK or the United States, but Froch’s promoter needs to show how bad he wants it. He [Froch] has a big fan base here, but he has to understand that I don’t have to come here. If I come here it’s because I want to reward the UK fans. He’s come off two big wins over Lucian Bute and Mikkel Kessler.

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