By Scott Gilfoid: WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward (27-0, 14 KOs) is rumored to be having some issues with HBO over a tune-up fight he wants to take, according to Steve Kim.
The rumor is that Ward wants an “expensive tune-up fight” and HBO isn’t going along with the program. Whether this is true or not is unclear, but even if it was, you can’t blame Ward for wanting to take a tune-up after he’s been out of the ring for the last 14 months.
“Word in the industry is that Andre Ward and HBO are butting heads because Ward wants an expensive tune-up fight, network is balking #boxing,” Steve Kim said on his twitter. “Basically, Ward feels he’s had a long lay-off (which he has), but should he be rewarded for that by HBO when it was self-inflicted?”
Ward hasn’t fought since he whipped Edwin Rodriguez in November of 2013. You can’t expect Ward to come back against a top flight super middleweight after that long time off from the ring. But importantly, it’s unreasonable for Ward to not get paid well for his fights. He is, after all, seen by many boxing fans as being the best fighter in the 168 pound division.
When you’re considered the kind of the division, you should get big money even for tune-ups. Heck, look at WBA/WBC light welterweight champion Danny Garcia. He gets big money for beating up on an unranked lightweight named Rod Salka. Garcia is considered to be the best fighter in the 140 pound division, and he’s making good cash for his mismatches.
Ward fighting a tune-up after a year and a half out of the ring is reasonable. But even if Ward wasn’t fighting a tune-up, it’s pretty much a tune-up even if he faces the best in the division. There are probably only two guys in the division that can give Ward a tough fight and that’s the Dirrell brothers.
If you throw guys like Carl Froch, James DeGale, George Groves and Mikkel Kessler in the ring with Ward, he’s likely to beat them badly in one-sided fights. That’s why it really doesn’t matter if Ward takes a tune-up or not, because it’s going to be a mismatch regardless of who he faces pretty much.
Ward recently signed a contract with Roc Nation Sports after ending his promotional contract with Goosen Promotions. He’d like to stay as busy as possible by fighting 2-3 times a year. If he’s going to be going through hassles just to get inside the ring it’s going to be a problem for him to fight.