When
Andre Ward defeated Sergey Kovalev in back-to-back fights in 2016 and 2017, he was the consensus best fighter in the world. He was also a man with options.
Yet, out of nowhere, he announced that he was walking away from boxing at the age of 33. Since then, fans have wondered whether the 2021 Hall of Famer would ever return.
Ward, now 41 and content with his life, has dismissed that notion – until now. He said in a self-recorded video that if fans want to see the former two-division champ fight again, there is one man who could get him to do so.
“Me and
Anthony Joshua,” Ward said. “That’s a fight I would take at Wembley Stadium. Most days, I don’t miss it. I’m very content, doing what I’m doing in life right now, but I can see myself fighting him.”
Nowadays, it seems as if everybody wants a piece of Joshua. The former unified heavyweight champ has been mentioned by
Tyson Fury,
Oleksandr Usyk, and of course,
Jake Paul.
All signs, at least according to promoter Eddie Hearn,
point to him facing Paul in his next fight.
Joshua, 35, hasn't fought since he was brutally knocked out by Daniel Dubois last Sept. 21 at Wembley Stadium.
Still, Ward, who won titles at super middleweight and light heavyweight, doesn’t view the British star as a shot fighter. In fact, he believes Joshua has plenty left in the tank.
AJ no longer holds a heavyweight title. So in terms of accomplishments, Ward wouldn’t be able to call himself a three-division champion with a victory. Financially, however, the American could hit the jackpot.
However, Ward insists the challenge of fighting Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) is enough to get him to dust off his gloves and get back in the ring.
“It’s a dangerous fight for my legacy, it’s a dangerous fight across the board," Ward said. "But that’s a fight that would get me in the gym and get me in the mindset that I need to be in to go to war. I know he's getting ready to fight Jake Paul, but I'm talking about a real fight, for legacy."
Joshua left a comment on the video, which read: "Payday payday.".