Andre Ward

Infobox Boxer


name=Andre Ward
realname=Andre Ward
nickname=S.O.G. (Son of God)
height=height|ft=6|in=0
weight=Super Middleweight
nationality=flagicon|USA American
birth_date=birth date and age|1984|02|23
birth_place=San Francisco, California,
flag|USA
style=Orthodox
total=16
wins=16
losses=0
draws=0
no contests=0
KO=11

Andre Ward (born February 23, 1984) is an American boxer who won Gold at the 2004 Summer Olympics in the light heavyweight division, the first American boxing gold in 8 years.

Personal

Ward lives and trains in Oakland, California. He has two sons and a daughter.

Amateur career

Ward started boxing in 1994 and won over 90 matches as an amateur.From 1998 to 2004 he didn't lose a single match.In 2002, he won the Under 19 National Championship and was also a two time U.S. National Champion in 2001 and 2003.

Amateur Highlights

* 2001 United States Amateur Middleweight Champion
* 2002 Under 19 National Championship
* 2003 United States Amateur Light Heavyweight Champion
* Won the Light Heavyweight gold medal for the United States at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. His results were:
** 1st round - Bye
** 2nd round - Defeated Clemente Russo (Italy) 17-9
** Quarterfinals - Defeated Evgeny Makarenko (Russia) 23-16
** Semifinals - Defeated Utkirbek Haydarov (Uzbekistan) 17-15
** Gold Medal Match - Defeated Magomed Aripgadjiev (Belarus) 20-13

Pro career

Ward made his pro debut on December 18, 2004 by scoring a second round TKO over Chris Molina. Ward dropped Molina in the first round with a straight left cross to the chin that drove him into the ropes and down on the second strand. Ward, continued to dominate the action and dropped Molina for the second and final time with another sharp left hook to the jaw. The referee waved off the bout at 40 seconds of the second round.

On February 5, 2005 Ward fought in his second pro fight against Kenny Kost. Ward overcame a rocky second round, in which he was hurt by a left hook, to win by unanimous decision. Ward defeated Roy Ashworth on April 7, 2005 by disqualification, after Ashworth committed numerous fouls on Ward, including shoving Ward to the canvas and hitting him in the back of his head.

Ward won his next three fights, all by knockout, before going up against Darnell Boone on November 19, 2005. Ward was knocked down for the first time in his career in round four. Despite the knockdown, Ward went on to win by unanimous decision.

After the fight with Boone, Ward went on to win his next six fights, including TKO victories over undefeated Andy Kolle and Francisco Diaz. On November 16, 2007 Ward beat undefeated Roger Cantrell by fifth round TKO in Saint Lucia.

On March 20, 2008, at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, Ward defeated Rubin Williams by seventh round TKO. Ward hit Williams with jabs and straight left hands almost at will, opening a bad cut over Williams' left eye in the process. The cut would force the referee to stop the fight.

Ward faced Jerson Ravelo on June 20, 2008,in Georgetown, Cayman Islands, for the vacant WBO NABO super middleweight title. Ward dominated Ravelo for the majority of the fight en route to a TKO victory in the eighth round, claiming the vacant WBO NABO super middleweight title.

External links

* [http://www.usolympicteam.com/26_885.htm Andre Ward's U.S. Olympic Team bio]
*
* [http://www.andre-ward.com Andre Ward's Official fan site]
* [http://www.amazon.com/dp/0871139502 A Fighter's Heart] Andre Ward covered in this book by writer Sam Sheridan
* [http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=sportsnetwork&page=olymp/news/BON3462271.htm Recap of Ward's gold-medal winning bout in '04] by Sports Network