Re-Visiting the Ward vs. Kovalev I “Robbery”
This article was published by Boxinginsider.com on 17th June, 2017: http://www.boxinginsider.com/columns/re-visiting-ward-vs-kovalev-robbery/
In the immediate aftermath of Andre Ward’s unanimous victory over Sergey Kovalev in their first fight last November, emotions from both sets of fans were running high and the controversial nature of the decision elicited some intense scrutiny of the judges’ scorecards. Cries of “robbery” flooded the web, with a deluge of fans enthusiastically taking up the “boxing is crooked” narrative. With the immediate rematch looming, here I take a look back and re-examine some of the perceptions, misconceptions and post-fight reaction to their first encounter. Read more
Ward Skips HBO Face Off: Prima Donna or Pre-Fight Gamesmanship?
This article was published on TheFightCity.com on May 11th, 2017. Thanks to Michael Carbert and Zachary Alapi for their help in editing and publishing the final version: http://www.thefightcity.com/andre-ward-skips-hbo-face-off-prima-donna-or-gamesmanship/
It’s fair to say that Andre Ward is not every fight fan’s cup of tea. In fact, it would be more accurate to say the reaction his name elicits online tends to be fairly scathing. Whether it is vitriol directed at the judges’ verdict awarded to him over Sergey Kovalev or scorn heaped on his “diva-ish” behaviour at the negotiating table, it seems few people have a positive word to say about the man these days. So with the news that he failed to show up for a planned HBO Face Off segment opposite his Russian rival this past weekend, it did not take long for the critics to once again come out in force. Read more
Who Should we Believe in the Ward-GGG Saga?
An edited version of this article was published on thefightcity.com on November 17th, 2016: http://www.thefightcity.com/golovkin-vs-ward-gennady-golovkin-andre-ward-kovalev-boxing/
As former super middleweight ruler Andre Ward prepares for his upcoming challenge against WBA/WBO/IBF light-heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev, a phoney war between his camp and that of another Eastern bloc pound-for-pound star, Gennady Golovkin, continues to rumble on. The latest round of the back and forth battle-by-media occurred when Triple G’s trainer, Abel Sanchez, recently stated that his star pupil has the beating not only of Ward, but 175lb champions Kovalev and Adonis Stevenson, too. Read more
Super Fight 2016: Sergey Kovalev vs. Andre Ward, “Pound-for-Pound”
This article was published by BoxingInsider.com on 15th November, 2016: http://www.boxinginsider.com/columns/super-fight-2016-sergey-kovalev-vs-andre-ward-pound-pound/
On November 19th at the 20,000-seat T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, two of boxing’s most highly rated fighters meet in a battle for the WBA, WBO and IBF light-heavyweight world championships. While the bout has not quite captured mainstream media attention in the manner of a Mayweather-Pacquiao type mega event, it is nevertheless a rare meeting between undefeated, elite talents in the prime of their careers. The fighters enter with a combined record of 60-0-1, with 41 knockouts. Below, I analyse the case for each man’s prospects of victory. Read more
Boxing’s Top Ten, “Pound-for-Pound”
Below is my take on the hypothetical ranking of boxing’s elite…
1. Floyd Mayweather
Surely the only position in the rankings not up for debate. Incredibly, Mayweather’s opposition seems to be getting better the older he gets. This is likely due to the big bucks thrown at his feet by cable TV company Showtime’s expensive drive into the boxing market, but let’s not complain. Mayweather already has fifteen years as an undefeated world champion behind him. There is little chance of him being knocked off this perch until that run ends.
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Matt O'Brien
Boxing Philosophy 