Andre "S.O.G." Ward is widely considered the No. 2 pound-for-pound boxer in the world. Despite that designation, his paydays have fallen far short of the expected revenue for a talent such as his. Ward blames his promoter, Dan Goosen, for his lack of jackpots, and the fact that he's never once fought in Las Vegas.
Some fans and boxing insiders though, place much of the blame on Ward himself for simply not being a compelling enough character. He's often compared to Floyd Mayweather Jr.; both are extremely skilled boxers with decent, but not explosive knockout power who rely on speed and technique to win fights. Yet Mayweather recently commanded a $50 million payday while Ward earned $2 million to get roughed up by Edwin Rodriguez.
"Part of his issue is himself," respected boxing writer Kevin Iole said. "I've covered Floyd Mayweather since his amateur days. I see how hard Mayweather works to market and promote himself. Andre Ward doesn't do that."
In 2009, Ward said as much himself. "I'm not going to throw chairs, I'm not going to cuss, I'm not going to do that kind of stuff because you don't have to do that. You don't have to act like that, and you don't have to live like that in order to be successful."
Another writer, ESPN's Dan Rafael said of Ward, "He's not Floyd Mayweather, standing out there waving his money around. He's the guy you'd want as your neighbor, but not necessarily the guy you want to spend $50 or $60 to watch on pay-per-view."
Another issue is one that plagued Roy Jones Jr. throughout his career-there is simply no match for him. In the Super Six tournament, Ward obliterated everyone in his path. Outside of taking on Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., a big name but a man hardly capable of defeating him, there's no Canelo Alvarez as a compelling B-side to face him.
Right now, it appears Ward is turning to Brit George Groves, who recently lost a controversial fight to Carl Froch. Ward conquered Froch in Atlantic City back in 2011. Groves had Froch stunned recently, but allowed Froch to regain composure and earn a hotly contested stoppage.
I would consider fighting George Groves next. He showed a lot his last fight. He's a good fighter & deserves a shot.
— Andre S.O.G. Ward
Ward is also open to rematching with Froch, but he has lobbied unsuccessfully to take on S.O.G. in the UK. Ward has refused for good reason; he defeated Froch on fairly neutral turf, so to fight again in Froch's home country doesn't make a ton of sense.
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.