By Allan Fox: Andre Ward (28-0, 15 KOs) is making a big step up in moving up to the full weight of the light heavyweight division against one of the biggest punchers in the weight class in Sullivan Barrera (17-0, 12 KOs) on March 26.
Ward, 31, won’t have the benefit of a catch-weight for this contest like he did in his last fight against super middleweight Paul Smith last June. Ward says Smith rehydrated to 192 or 193 for that fight, and he still was able to beat him. Smith was also fat at the weight, and nothing like a true light heavyweight, who typically rehydrates to a solid 190+ pounds.
Ward-Barrera fight will be televised on HBO Boxing and will be taking place in Ward’s home city at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. The crowd will be a pro-Ward crowd, but Barrera is accustomed to fighting in front of hostile crowds, as he had a long amateur career in Cuba, and it involved him doing a lot of traveling outside of his country.