Is Andre Ward 21st Century’s Most Under-Appreciated Boxer? Fans Get Into Heated Debate

Retiring at the peak of one’s career and at the right age is always a hard call. The allure of fighting never fades away and fighters believe they have one more fight left in them. However, Andre Ward was different. He hung up his boxing gloves at 33, with the unified light heavyweight belt still on his waist in 2017. But has he done enough in his career? Boxing fans have decided.

The IFL TV posted the American boxer’s resume in one of their posts, citing the accolades and seeking the fans’ opinion on whether they believed he was the most underrated boxer of the 21st century. It seems not many are ready to give him the title. So, what did they say?

Andre Ward’s resume: loaded or razor thin?

The post listed the notable names Ward, 40, had fought in his 13-year-long boxing career. The notable names that pop up are Carl Froch, Chad Dawson, Arthur Abraham, Sakio Bika, Mikkel Kessler, and Paul Smith. However, he is most known for his two fights against Sergey Kovalev, which also closed his illustrious career.

As the 32-0 record holder, he also collected gold in the super middleweight and later light heavyweight divisions. His amateur days were also glorious, as he bagged a boxing gold at the 2004 Olympics. His dominance during his active career can be gauged by the fact that he was pound-for-pound number 1 when he reigned as a light heavyweight champion. But is it enough to warrant praise from fans?

Boxing fans take a call

One fan believed Ward was not underappreciated. Instead, they chose Tim Bradley. They wrote, “I don’t think he’s under appreciated, he was #1 on most P4P lists for years. Tim Bradley is under appreciated.”

A user recalled the two fights Ward had with Kovalev. While he scrapped a win against Kovalev in their first encounter, the second one ran into controversy, as many believed that the low blows induced the stoppage. Similarly, many continue to believe that Kovalev deserved to win in their first encounter. They replied, “Yeah [100 emoji]. First kovalev win was elite, made the right adjustments and edged him out. 114-113 for me, as a big kovalev fan. 2nd fight performance was overshadowed by bad refereeing.”

Someone called Ward one of the most “overrated boxers,” and continued, “Naa. One of the most overrated boxers in history. Kovalev won fight 1 easy & got egregiously robbed.”

A comment read, “He robbed Kovalev in the 1st fight.”

Another fan labeled Ward the “Khabib of boxing.” Notably, Khabib Nurmagomedov announced his retirement early and didn’t stick around long to defend his UFC lightweight title. They said, “The Khabib of boxing. Brilliant with huge potential for huge fights but retired early. What could have been. Paul Smith.”

One boxing fan believed Ward’s fight with British boxer Paul Smith deserved more recognition. They declared, “The Paul Smith win often gets overlooked when talking about his best nights.” The two exchanged punches in 2015 when Smith fought his heart out but suffered a knockout loss.

Someone candidly admitted that they couldn’t remember any Ward fights.

What do you make of Andre Ward’s resume? Do you believe he is under-appreciated? Let us know in the comments below.