Los Angeles, CA– Is 2004 Olympic gold medalist Andre “SOG” Ward (19-0, 12 KO’s) the real deal? Unfortunately the public won’t get to find that out Saturday as Ward looks to refine his skills in a tune-up bout against journeyman Shelby Pudwill (22-3-1, 9 KOs) on Showtime Saturday night, live from Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, CA. On the undercard future Hall of Famer, the former middleweight, super middleweight and cruiser weight champion and heavyweight contender James “Lights Out” Toney (71-6-3, 43 KO’s) takes a shot at reviving his career for another run for the heavyweight title when he faces a “stiff” in Matthew Greer (12-5, 11 KO’s). Greer on paper appears to have a punchers chance, since he’s stopped 11 of 12 victims, but against Toney who has never been stopped in over 80 fights, this seems seems unlikely.
GREER SHOULD GET HIS EARS BOXED
To be frank, unless Toney’s skills and conditioning have completely diminished expect Toney to pull out an easy win. In addition the cable network will be broadcasting the WBA super middleweight title defense between Denmark’s Mikkel Kessler (41-1, 31 KOs) and #1 (cough) contender Gusmyr Perdomo (16-2, 10 KOs) that takes place the same day in Denmark. Ward who in no way is overlooking his current assignment meets the Dane later in the year as part of Showtime’s 168 lb. tournament. Neither fighter can afford to make a misstep here. Kessler appears to have a much more difficult opponent than Ward on Saturday, time off, seeing that he hasn’t fought in almost a year. Assuming both guys take care of business, lets break down the potential match up between Ward and Kessler.
BREAKING DOWN WARD CHALLENGE OF KESSLER IN NOVEMBER
Assuming both guys take care of business, lets break down the potential match up between Ward and Kessler.
1) Speed: Ward. The Dane is by no means slow, but Ward possesses superior hand speed and mobility. Kessler tends to stand straight up, and pull straight back when pressured. This could be a major flaw that the speedy and crafty Ward can capitalize on.
2) Power: Kessler
Mikkel has heavy hands, a solid jab and a powerful right hand. He isn’t known for throwing many combinations, but he is pretty solid in his approach, even if at time it appears robotic. In this fight though, It may not come down to power.
3) Defense: Even
Ward and Kessler both are good at getting away from shots due to their mobility. Ward is quicker, but the Dane tends to keep his hands high, while ward defensively is just more elusive.
4) Chin: Kessler
Kessler to my knowledge hasn’t hit the canvas in his career, Ward however has been buzzed in a couple of fights. Andre has adjusted to the pro game pretty nicely, and one wouldn’t expect a knockout in this match considering both guys are extremely smart fighters
5) In Fighting: Ward
In beating the dangerous Edision Miranda (32-4, 28 KOs) , this was Wards best trait. He showed that he can box and bang, can fight at angles, and knows how to get good leverage on punches on the inside.
6) Ring smarts: Even
While Ward probably is the more dynamic fighter, Kessler has an edge in professional experience, while Ward was one of the finest American amateurs in years. Both guys are thinkers in the ring, trying to minimize mistakes while hoping to catch their opponent off guard. Mikkel is the more aggressive of the two, while Ward is more of a counter puncher. However the Oakland native showed versatility backing up Miranda on the ropes and landing effectively in his last fight.
Prediction: Ward by a close unanimous decision. Ward appears to be coming into his own, a true superstar in the making!
Kevin Perry