Ward mapping out his future after Froch, wants Bute and Kessler

By Boxing News - 08/07/2011 - Comments

Image: Ward mapping out his future after Froch, wants Bute and KesslerBy Sean McDaniel: WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward (24-0, 13 KO’s) always is mapping out his future direction after his Super Six finals bout against WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch (28-1, 20 KO’s) on October 29th at the Boardwalk Hall, in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Ward, 27, wants to fight International Boxing Federation (IBF) super middleweight champion Lucian Bute next after Froch and then provided that Ward can get by Bute, he wants to fight a rematch against Mikkel Kessler, who Ward easily beat by a 11th round technical decision in his first fight of the Super Six tournament in 2009.

Ward doesn’t like the fact that he never got credit by a certain segment of boxing fans and wants to make it clear that his win over Kessler was no fluke by showing that he can do it again just as easily as he did the first time. While I can see Ward getting a fight against Bute, I don’t think Kessler will want any part of a rematch with Ward. It was too one-sided, and I doubt Kessler will want a second helping of Ward, not when he can pick up the WBO super middleweight title the easy way with a win over the current champion Robert Stieglitz. Kessler can easily hold onto that title for at least two years with the kinds of fighters that the World Boxing Organization has ranked in their top 15.

Speaking with ringtv, Ward said “We have business with Carl Froch to handle, first and foremost. But beyond that, obviously, you know, Lucian Bute is a natural fight we could take a look at. There’s also a rematch with Mikkel Kessler.”

Ward goes on to say that he might consider moving up to the light heavyweight division to take on certain fighters. However, Ward would still fight mainly at super middleweight. He’s not really interested in taking on 46-year-old Bernard Hopkins, a fighter who many boxing fans think Ward fights similar to. He would fight him if the fight “Made sense” in terms of money but he feels it’s not really necessary because of all the other guys out there for him to fight.

To get to the Bute and Kessler fights, Ward has to win the Froch bout. To do that he’s going to have to show a good work rate and a willingness to slug at times because that’s what Froch will no doubt be trying to do.



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