WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward (28-0, 15KOs) returned on Saturday night, and wiped out Paul Smith in nine rounds at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. It was Ward's first fight since November of 2013, when he won a twelve round decision over Edwin Rodriguez.
The fight with Smith took place at a catch-weight of 172-pounds, but Smith blew the weight by over four pounds and then failed to make the rehydration limit on the morning of the fight. By the time they stepped in the ring, Smith was said to be a cruiserweight.
Based on the catch-weight for Saturday's fight, many were wondering if Ward was potentially going to make the jump to the light heavyweight division.
Not so, says Ward's trainer Vigil Hunter to BoxingScene.com.
Ward's next fight, says Hunter, will take place in the super middleweight division.
"He's not a 175-pounder yet. The misconception is this - everyone says that he fought at light heavyweight in the Olympics, but what they don't know he never weighed over 170 in the Olympics. He literally had to eat breakfast and drink a Gatorade to make weight in the light heavyweight division. He and Andre Dirrell were friends and they made a pact that Dirrel would fight at 165, so he said 'I'll just go up and fight at 178,'" Hunter told BoxingScene.com.
"I thought he would grow, but he never got past 170. That's why when he came back, he fought as a middleweight for eight or ninth fights. That's what they don't know. He was never a light heavyweight, he just fought in the light heavyweight division. We're not leaving the super middleweight division until we take care of unfinished business and get things that we need to get done. If he grows into a light heavyweight, then we'll move up. That's our collective decision."
http://www.boxingscene.com/andre-ward-remain-168-confirms-hunter--92638
The fight with Smith took place at a catch-weight of 172-pounds, but Smith blew the weight by over four pounds and then failed to make the rehydration limit on the morning of the fight. By the time they stepped in the ring, Smith was said to be a cruiserweight.
Based on the catch-weight for Saturday's fight, many were wondering if Ward was potentially going to make the jump to the light heavyweight division.
Not so, says Ward's trainer Vigil Hunter to BoxingScene.com.
Ward's next fight, says Hunter, will take place in the super middleweight division.
"He's not a 175-pounder yet. The misconception is this - everyone says that he fought at light heavyweight in the Olympics, but what they don't know he never weighed over 170 in the Olympics. He literally had to eat breakfast and drink a Gatorade to make weight in the light heavyweight division. He and Andre Dirrell were friends and they made a pact that Dirrel would fight at 165, so he said 'I'll just go up and fight at 178,'" Hunter told BoxingScene.com.
"I thought he would grow, but he never got past 170. That's why when he came back, he fought as a middleweight for eight or ninth fights. That's what they don't know. He was never a light heavyweight, he just fought in the light heavyweight division. We're not leaving the super middleweight division until we take care of unfinished business and get things that we need to get done. If he grows into a light heavyweight, then we'll move up. That's our collective decision."
http://www.boxingscene.com/andre-ward-remain-168-confirms-hunter--92638
