Andre Ward facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Andre Ward
Ward in 2011
Statistics
Real name	Andre Michael Ward
Nickname(s)	S.O.G. ("Son of God")
Rated at	Super middleweight Light heavyweight
Height	6 ft 0 in
Reach	71 in
Born	(1984-02-23) February 23, 1984 (age 41) San Francisco, California, U.S.
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	32
Wins	32
Wins by KO	16
Medal record Men's amateur boxing Representing  United States Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens Light heavyweight

Andre Michael Ward (born February 23, 1984) is a famous American former professional boxer. He competed from 2004 to 2017. Andre Ward finished his boxing career without a single loss. He won many world championships in two different weight classes. These included the unified super middleweight titles from 2009 to 2015. He also held the unified light heavyweight titles from 2016 to 2017.

When he was the light heavyweight champion, The Ring magazine ranked Ward as the best pound for pound boxer in the world. In 2024, ESPN named him the 7th greatest male boxer of the 21st century.

As an amateur boxer, Ward won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics. He then became a professional boxer later that year. He became very well-known when he joined the Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament in 2009. In this tournament, he won the World Boxing Association (WBA) super middleweight title from Mikkel Kessler. In 2011, Ward beat World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Carl Froch in the tournament final. This win brought him both titles and the vacant Ring magazine title. That same year, The Ring and the Boxing Writers' Association of America named Ward "Fighter of the Year."

In 2016, after not fighting much for a while, Ward moved up to the light heavyweight division. He won the WBA, International Boxing Federation (IBF), and World Boxing Organization (WBO) titles from the undefeated Sergey Kovalev. This earned Ward the "Comeback of the Year" award from The Ring. He successfully defended his titles against Kovalev in a rematch a year later. After that, he retired from boxing. Ward was added to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2021, which was the first year he was eligible.

Early Life and Boxing Start

Andre Ward was born in San Francisco, California. His boxing journey began when his father took him to a boxing gym in Hayward, California, at nine years old. Later, his godfather, Virgil Hunter, took care of him and became his boxing trainer. Virgil Hunter remained his trainer throughout his entire career.

Andre attended Hayward High School.

Amateur Boxing Career

Ward started boxing in 1994. In 2002, he won the Under 19 National Championship. He was also a two-time U.S. National Champion in 2001 and 2003 in the middleweight division. Ward finished his amateur career with an impressive record of 115 wins and only 5 losses.

Amateur Highlights

• 2001 United States Amateur Middleweight Champion
• 2002 Under 19 National Championship
• 2003 United States Amateur Light Heavyweight Champion
• Won the Light Heavyweight gold medal for the United States at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. He was the first American boxer to win gold in 8 years.

Olympic Results (2004)

• 1st round – Second Place at the 1st AIBA American 2004 Olympic Qualifying Tournament
• 2nd round – Defeated Clemente Russo (Italy) 17–9
• Quarterfinals – Defeated Evgeny Makarenko (Russia) 23–16
• Semifinals – Defeated Utkirbek Haydarov (Uzbekistan) 17–15
• Gold Medal Match – Defeated Magomed Aripgadjiev (Belarus) 20–13

Professional Boxing Career

Super Middleweight Division

Early Professional Fights

Andre Ward made his professional debut on December 18, 2004. He won by a technical knockout (TKO) in the second round against Chris Molina. In his second fight, Ward won by a unanimous decision against Kenny Kost, even after being hurt in the second round. Ward continued his winning streak, including a disqualification win against Roy Ashworth.

He won his next three fights by knockout. Then, on November 19, 2005, he faced Darnell Boone. Ward was knocked down for the first time in his career in round four. Despite this, he still won the fight by unanimous decision.

After the Boone fight, Ward won his next six matches. These included TKO victories over undefeated boxers like Andy Kolle and Francisco Diaz. On November 16, 2007, Ward beat undefeated Roger Cantrell by TKO in the fifth round in Saint Lucia.

At this point, Ward had 14 wins and no losses. He was set to fight Allan Green, but the fight was called off. Ward then defeated Rubin Williams by TKO in the seventh round on March 20, 2008. Ward's punches caused a cut over Williams' eye, leading the referee to stop the fight.

On June 20, 2008, Ward fought Jerson Ravelo for a regional title. Ward controlled the fight and won by TKO in the eighth round. On May 16, 2009, Ward defeated Edison Miranda by unanimous decision. Ward showed he could fight well both up close and from a distance. Miranda admitted that Ward was tougher than he expected.

On September 12, 2009, Ward defeated Shelby Pudwill by TKO in the third round.

Super Six World Boxing Classic Tournament

Andre Ward joined the Super Six World Boxing Classic, a tournament for top super middleweight boxers.

Ward vs. Kessler

Ward's first fight in the tournament was against Mikkel Kessler on November 21, 2009, in his hometown of Oakland, California. Kessler was a strong favorite and held the WBA super middleweight championship. Ward won his first world title by technical decision in the 11th round. The fight was stopped because Kessler had cuts on his face from accidental headbutts. Ward was far ahead on the judges' scorecards when the fight ended.

Ward vs. Green

In January 2010, Jermain Taylor left the Super Six tournament. Allan Green was chosen to replace him and fight Andre Ward on June 19. Ward defended his WBA super middleweight title. He clearly outboxed Green, who spent most of the fight against the ropes. Ward won by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 120–108 for Ward. Ward was happy to defend his title and felt like a "real champion."

Ward did not have to fight the final preliminary match in the Super Six because he had already secured the top spot. His planned opponent, Andre Dirrell, had to leave the tournament due to health issues. Instead, Ward successfully defended his WBA super middleweight title against Sakio Bika on November 27, 2010. Ward won all 12 rounds on one judge's scorecard and was ahead on the other two. Ward later said it was his toughest fight as a professional.

Ward vs. Abraham

Ward's opponent in the semi-final was Arthur Abraham on May 14, 2011. Ward started slowly, trying to get past Abraham's strong defense. After a few close rounds, Ward took control of the fight. He used his boxing skills to manage Abraham. Abraham tried to throw punches, but Ward mostly blocked them. Abraham hurt Ward a couple of times in the final round, but it wasn't enough. Ward won by a clear unanimous decision.

Ward vs. Froch

In the Super Six final, Ward fought WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch on December 17, 2011. Ward and Froch were ranked #1 and #2 by The Ring magazine. The vacant Ring magazine super middleweight title was also on the line.

Ward won the Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament by unanimous decision. In the first seven rounds, Ward outboxed Froch, using his jab effectively. He landed punches from a distance and up close. In the later rounds, Ward seemed to slow down, allowing Froch to win a couple of rounds. An MRI later showed that Ward had broken his left hand in two places during the fight. The judges scored the fight 115–113, 115–113, and 118–110, all for Ward. Ward said he was "ecstatic" about the win. Froch praised Ward, saying he was "very good defensively" and that he lost "fair and square."

The WBC later made Ward "Champion in Recess" because of his broken hand.

Ward vs. Dawson

Ward's next fight was on September 8, 2012, against WBC and The Ring light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson. The fight was held at 168 pounds for Ward's super middleweight titles. Dawson had recently won a big fight against Bernard Hopkins. Dawson wanted to drop down in weight to challenge Ward.

The fight ended in the tenth round with a technical knockout for Ward. Ward dropped Dawson with a left hook in the third round and again in the fourth. Ward controlled the fight, outboxing and frustrating Dawson. In the tenth round, Ward dropped Dawson to a knee after a strong combination. Dawson told the referee, "It's over. I'm finished. I'm done," and the fight was stopped. Ward was far ahead on all judges' scorecards.

Ward vs. Pavlik Cancelled Fight

Ward was supposed to defend his super middleweight titles against Kelly Pavlik in January 2013. However, Ward got an injury that required surgery. This led to the fight being cancelled.

On March 23, 2013, the WBC took away Ward's super middleweight title. They said it was because he had been inactive for a long time and hadn't faced a mandatory challenger. Ward said his shoulder injury was the reason for his inactivity. Ward later gave up the "champion emeritus" title, saying he believed the WBC didn't have the right to take his world title.

Ward vs. Rodríguez

Ward spent most of 2013 recovering from injuries. He also had disagreements with his promoter, Dan Goossen. Ward defended his WBA and Ring titles against undefeated Edwin Rodríguez in November 2013. The fight started with some rough tactics. The referee took two points from both fighters and warned them to clean up their fighting. Ward then dominated the rest of the fight and won by a wide unanimous decision.

Ward did not fight at all in 2014 due to his ongoing issues with Goossen. Dan Goossen passed away in September 2014.

In February 2015, The Ring took away Ward's Ring champion belt. This was because he had not defended his title against a top challenger in the last two years.

Ward vs. Smith

In April 2015, Ward announced he would return to the ring after 19 months away. He had signed with Jay Z's Roc Nation Sports. On June 20, he fought British boxer Paul Smith at the Oracle Arena in California. Ward won by TKO in the ninth round. Ward was winning every round when the fight was stopped. Smith weighed more than allowed for the fight and was fined. On November 12, 2015, Ward gave up his WBA super middleweight title as he prepared to move up to the light heavyweight division.

Light Heavyweight Division

Ward vs. Barrera

In January 2016, it was announced that Ward's first fight in the light heavyweight division would be against Cuban boxer Sullivan Barrera on March 26, 2016. Ward said he was moving up in weight to challenge himself against the best. Ward won by a clear unanimous decision. He knocked Barrera down in the third round. Ward controlled the fight, showing good strength and boxing skills. When asked about a possible big fight against Kovalev, Ward said he always wanted to fight the best.

Ward vs. Brand

On June 28, 2016, Roc Nation Sport confirmed that Ward would fight one more time before his big match with Kovalev. He fought Alexander Brand on July 30 in Oakland, California. This was Ward's eighth and final fight in his hometown. Ward won by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 120–108 for Ward. Brand seemed to just want to survive the 12 rounds. Ward controlled the fight with his strong jab. Ward told HBO he was excited to fight Kovalev next.

Ward vs. Kovalev

Ward fought the unified IBF, WBA (Super), and WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev on November 19, 2016. This was Ward's first time fighting in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Ward was knocked down in the second round. However, he won a controversial decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 114–113 in his favor. Ward said he got up after being knocked down by the hardest puncher in the division. He took the fight to Kovalev and finished strong. Ward won Kovalev's WBA (Super), IBF, and WBO light heavyweight titles, becoming a world champion in two weight classes.

Some boxing experts felt the judging was unfair, saying Kovalev won the fight. Others believed Kovalev tired out later in the fight. Ward earned a career-high $5 million for the fight.

Ward vs. Kovalev II

Negotiations began for a rematch between Ward and Kovalev. On March 24, 2017, Kovalev confirmed he had signed his part of the deal. The rematch took place on June 17, 2017. The fight was called No Excuses. Ward told the public, "You got what you asked for -- now you have to see me on June 17. This time leave the excuses at home."

The fight ended with controversy in the eighth round. Ward landed a right hand that hurt Kovalev, followed by several low blows. The referee, Tony Weeks, stopped the fight with Kovalev sitting on the middle rope, clearly hurt by the low blows. At the time of the stoppage, two judges had Ward ahead, while the third judge had Kovalev ahead.

Ward praised Kovalev after the fight, saying he was a good fighter. Kovalev said the fight could have continued and pointed to the low blows that hurt him.

On August 23, 2017, Ward announced that his contract with HBO had ended. He was still with Roc Nation Sports.

Retirement from Boxing

On September 21, 2017, Andre Ward announced his retirement from boxing at 33 years old. In a statement, he explained, "I am leaving because my body can no longer put up with the rigors of the sport and therefore my desire to fight is no longer there." He added that he wanted to leave the sport at the very top. Ward ended his career undefeated with 32 wins, with 16 of those wins coming by knockout.

On December 15, 2020, Ward was announced as being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2021.

Fighting Style

Andre Ward's trainer, Virgil Hunter, says Ward uses his speed and smarts in the ring to control how far away he is from his opponent. He also has high accuracy with his punches and is good at counterpunching. Ward is naturally left-handed but fights in an orthodox stance (right-handed). His best punches often come from his lead left hand, including a sharp, quick jab that he aims at both the body and head.

Because of an injury and surgery to his right shoulder, Ward relied even more on his left hand. Sometimes, he would even switch to a southpaw (left-handed) position to land his powerful punches. In Ward's fights, it was common to see him land his own punches, especially short left hooks and uppercuts, while clinching (holding his opponent close), weaving, and blocking his opponent's punches. He says his unique "formless" style comes from studying boxers like Roy Jones Jr., Bernard Hopkins, and Floyd Mayweather Jr.. Ward also uses his jab effectively to the body even when he's out of punching range. Boxing writer Zachary Alapi has suggested that Ward is one of the best "in-fighters" in boxing. He is "merciless when it comes to wrestling in the clinch while simultaneously throwing punches to prevent a break."

Professional Boxing Record

Boxing Titles Won by Andre Ward

Major World Titles

• WBA (Super) super middleweight champion (168 lbs)
• WBC super middleweight champion (168 lbs)
• WBA (Super) light heavyweight champion (175 lbs)
• IBF light heavyweight champion (175 lbs)
• WBO light heavyweight champion (175 lbs)

The Ring Magazine Titles

• The Ring super middleweight champion (168 lbs)
• The Ring light heavyweight champion (175 lbs)

Regional and International Titles

• WBO–NABO super middleweight champion (168 lbs) (2 times)
• NABF super middleweight champion (168 lbs)
• WBO International light heavyweight champion (175 lbs)

Pay-Per-View Fights

Film and TV Appearances

See also

In Spanish: Andre Ward para niños