Andre Ward: Recovered, Rejuvenated and Ready to Win
Ward returns to the ring after 14 months off on Saturday.
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The Champ Is Here - It’s been more than 12 months since Olympic gold medalist and super-middleweight champion Andre Ward has stepped into the boxing ring. He was nursing a shoulder injury which inadvertently led to a dispute over his title with the World Boxing Council. Nevertheless, Ward’s faith is strong, and he is ready to defend his title against Edwin Rodriguez on Nov. 16. BET.com talked to Ward about his year off, the expectations of his return and his future in boxing. — Dominique Zonyéé(Photo: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
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From TKO to Timeout - It was Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012, at the Oracle Arena in his hometown of Oakland, California, when Andre Ward knocked light-heavyweight champion Chad Dawson down three times, ultimately defeating him in round 10. Dawson had had enough. Ward’s shoulder gave out, too. (Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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How Bad Was the Injury? - When an MRI revealed that Ward’s shoulder maintained significant swelling and inflammation, his doctor recommended surgery. Although there was a fight already scheduled against middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik, Ward underwent surgery to repair a tear on his right shoulder on Jan. 4 and the fight against Pavlik never happened.(Photo: Alexis Cuarezma/Getty Images)
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WBC Controversy - The shoulder caused him to exceed the original recovery time of four to six months, so the WBC stripped him of his title due to inactivity. “I said, 'You know what? It’s time to take a stand,’” Ward told BET.com. “There are other fighters who have a longer layover than I did and they never took their titles.” He won that battle and his title was restored.(Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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Revelation - The dispute with the WBC reiterated the toughness of the business for Ward. “As boxers we have no union, no reps…I always call boxing the Wild, Wild West,” Ward said. “It’s always a battle.”(Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Bongarts/Getty Images)
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Recovery - As if battling for his title wasn’t enough, Ward was also battling recovery for his shoulder — a process that would take a physical and mental toll on him. “This entire experience has caused my faith in God to grow even more,” said Ward, a devout Christian. The support of the Well Christian Community, his wife and children gave him the strength to return to his career.(Photo: Alexis Cuarezma/Getty Images)
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“Guess Who’s Bizzack!” - After 14 months away from the ring, Ward announced his return to the sport in September. “It feels amazing to be back. It wasn’t easy because I had to battle back,” Ward said. “There was a lot that I had to overcome, so it was sort of a moral victory to get a fight…now that the fight is around the corner, it feels great!”(Photos: CSM /Landov)
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Reflection - As Ward prepares for his upcoming Nov. 16 battle, he says that over the year he has changed. “The preparation has been the same, but coming off of an injury, learning things about my body, I respect my body more,” Ward said. “I am doing things to recover that I have never done.”(Photo: Scott Heavey/Getty Images)
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Don’t Call It a Comeback - “I have 20 years in this sport, and I always try to be a max effort type of fighter,” Ward said. Ward returns to the ring on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 10 p.m. on HBO to defend his title and 26-0 record against Edwin Rodriquez. “I worked hard in training camp. Now it’s time to go out there and showcase my skills.”(Photo: HBO)
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What Will the Future Hold? - So now that he’s back, what’s next? Although Gennady Golovkin is in another weight class, fans would like to see Ward fight the 28-0 middleweight champion. “I would love to fight Golovkin, whenever that opportunity comes about,” Ward said. “A fight with him is definitely something that we are looking at.” (Photos from left: Tom Shaw/Getty Images, Al Bello/Getty Images)