Early life

Andre was born in Oakland, California, the son of Frank Ward, an Irish American, and Madeline Arvie Taylor, an African American. Andre's paternal grandparents were Harold Ward and Florence B. Ward. His father inspired him by regaling him with stories of hard fought battles and triumphant victories. Given the choice to fight or pursue other sports, the young Andre chose boxing with the dream of becoming a world champion. Andre's career started when his father took him to a boxing gym when he was nine years old. Ward's godfather, Virgil Hunter, became his trainer and still trains him today.

Amateur career

Ward started boxing in 1994. From 1998 to 2004 he did not 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 at Middleweight.

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 becoming the first American boxer to capture gold in 8 years.

His results were:

• • 1st round - Second Place at the 1st AIBA American 2004 Olympic Qualifying Tournament
  • 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

Professional career

Super middleweight

Early years

Ward made his pro debut on December 18, 2004 by scoring a second round TKO over Chris Molina. 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.

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 regional NABO super-middleweight title. Ward dominated Ravelo for most of the fight en route to a TKO victory in the eighth round.

On May 16, 2009, at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, Ward defeated Edison Miranda by unanimous decision. The scores were 116-112, 119-109, 119-109 for Ward. Ward showed he had an inside game as well as an outside game. Miranda couldn't stay up with Ward's versatility around the ring.

On September 12, 2009, at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California, Ward defeated Shelby Pudwill by TKO in the 3rd round.

Super Six World Boxing Classic

Ward vs. Kessler

Main article: Mikkel Kessler vs. Andre Ward

Andre Ward defeated Mikkel Kessler on November 21, 2009 for the WBA super-middleweight championship in the Super Six World Boxing Classic. Kessler was the strong favorite going into Showtime's Super Six tournament. In a career-defining performance, undefeated hometown favorite Ward put the U.S. on the board in the Super Six and captured the WBA super-middleweight title with a dominant 11 round technical decision over Denmark's Kessler in their Group Stage 1 bout. The fight was stopped in round 11 due to cuts on Kessler's face caused by what was deemed unintentional headbutts by Ward. The fight went to the scorecards and Ward was far ahead by scores of 98-92, 98-92 and 97-93 at the time of the stoppage.

In January 2010 Jermain Taylor announced his exit from Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament. The Ring Top 10 ranked super-middleweight Allan Green was selected as his replacement and challenged Andre Ward on June 19. Ward, defending the WBA super middleweight title, outclassed an opponent who spent most of the fight with his back against the ropes. Ward defeated Green by unanimous decision on June 19, 2010. Though the 30-year-old gamely fought on, the knockout he needed to win never appeared remotely likely and he looked a spent man by the end as he picked up the second loss of his 31-fight pro career.

Ward was exempt from the final preliminary fight in the Super Six because he had already secured a number one position in the elimination rounds and his designated opponent (Andre Dirrell) had dropped out of the tournament. Instead, Ward successfully defended his WBA super middleweight title, unanimously outpointing another Top 10 ranked super middleweight, Sakio Bika, in front of a sparse crowd at Oracle Arena on Saturday night. Fighting in front of his hometown crowd as part of a dual-site co-main event, Ward didn't land many big shots but repeatedly hit Bika with a stinging left jab that the challenger was unable to counter. Ward won all 12 rounds on one judges scorecard and was ahead 118-110 on the other two.

Ward vs. Abraham

Main article: Andre Ward vs. Arthur Abraham

Ward's next title defense came against Top 10 ranked super middleweight Arthur Abraham on May 14, 2011 in Carson, California. Ward started out slow with Abraham, trying to find a way to penetrate his tight defense. After a competitive first few rounds, Ward seized control of the fight, using his ring savvy and instincts to control Abraham. Although Abraham was somewhat passive at times, he gave an earnest effort and frequently threw combinations that were mostly blocked by Ward. Abraham hurt Ward a couple of times in the final round, but it wasn't enough to finish Ward, who had dominated the fight and won a lopsided unanimous decision.

Ward vs. Froch

Main article: Andre Ward vs. Carl Froch

Andre Ward won the Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament in a bout against WBC super-middleweight champion Carl Froch. Ward and Froch were rated #1 and #2 respectively by Ring magazine, and the vacant The Ring super-middleweight title was on the line, as well as Froch and Ward's super-middleweight titles. Over the first seven rounds, Ward outboxed Froch, successfully using his jab to neutralize Froch and beating Froch to the punch from a distance and at close range. In the later rounds, Ward seemed to take his foot off the gas, leaving Froch to win a couple rounds near the end of the fight, though they were close and fairly competitive rounds. The judges scorecards were 115-113, 115-113 and 118-110, all in favour of Ward. Ward won the vacant The Ring super-middleweight title and is also regarded as becoming Lineal champion with his Super Six World Boxing Classic win against Froch, despite some independent sources rating undefeated IBF title holder Lucian Bute #1 or 2.

The World Boxing Council Board of Governors voted to make Ward "Champion in Recess" due to a broken hand Ward had sustained during the Super Six tournament.

Ward vs. Dawson

Ward's next fight was set for September 8, 2012 against Lineal/The Ring light-heavyweight champion Chad Dawson. The fight was at 168 lbs for Ward's super-middleweight titles. It ended in round ten with a technical knockout victory for Ward when Dawson asked the referee for the fight to be ended with the words: "It's over. I'm finished. I'm done."

In the first two rounds, Ward and Dawson felt each other out, with neither fighter having much success, though Dawson was able to land a few counter right hooks as Ward lunged inside. In the third round, Ward dropped Dawson with a left hook and dominated the round. Again in the fourth round, Ward was able to drop Dawson, in another dominating round. From fifth round until the end of the fight, Ward was able to neutralize Dawson's jab and work rate, seemingly out boxing and frustrating Dawson throughout. Then, in the tenth round, Ward dropped Dawson to a knee after a solid combination, which prompted referee Steve Smoger to stop the fight after Dawson could not continue.

Ward was scheduled to defend his super middleweight titles against former Lineal/WBC/WBO/The Ring middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik on January 26, 2013 at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, California. However, an injury sustained by Ward originally postponed the bout for 4 more weeks and the fight was expected to take place on February 23, 2013. The injury was more severe than originally thought and led to the cancellation of the fight as well as the subsequent retirement of Pavlik.

On March 23, 2013 the WBC stripped Ward of the WBC super-middleweight title belt for being inactive for a long period of time, and for failing to face a mandatory challenger. They granted him champion emeritus status. Ward claimed a shoulder injury that required surgery was the reason for his inactivity, but the WBC claimed that Ward had not provided any medical evidence or even given them a rough availability date.

On May 20, Ward relinquished the champion emeritus title, stating that he did not believe the WBC had the right to strip him of the world title because he was willing and able to defend it within the period specified by the WBC's rules. Ward was praised for standing up to the WBC.

Ward vs. Rodríguez

Ward spent most of 2013 recovering from injuries, and feuding with promoter Dan Goossen, over the inclusion of a co-manager in Ward's promotional contract. The case has been to court or arbitration on 3 separate occasions. Each time, Goossen was deemed in the right. Ward defended his WBA and Ring titles against unbeaten Edwin Rodríguez in Ontario, California in November of 2013 with a wide unanimous decision. The fight started with rough tactics until Jack Reiss made an unprecedented move, penalizing both fighters two points each and warning them that he would end the fight if it did not clean up. Ward went on to dominate the rest of the fight.

Ward spent all of 2014 inactive, still feuding with Goossen. Dan Goossen died of complications from liver cancer in September 2014, leaving the future of Andre Ward's boxing career even further in doubt.

On February 19, 2015 the The Ring reportedly stripped Ward of his Ring Champion belt due to him not having defended his title against a top #5 contender in the last two years.

On November 12, 2015 in advance of his upcoming move up to the light heavyweight division, Ward vacated his WBA super middleweight title. Ward originally claimed the belt in November 2009 with a victory over long-time champion Mikkel Kessler in his opening fight of the Super Six tournament.

Light heavyweight

Ward vs. Barrera

Ward made his light heavyweight debut against Sullivan Barrera, who was undefeated at the time, in his hometown at the Oracle Arena. En route to a wide unanimous decision victory, Ward dropped Barrera to the canvas in the third round as he turned a left hook while on the ropes. Ward dictated the pace for the vast majority of the bout, showcasing formidable strength, sharp timing, speed, and ring generalship against the highly experienced and powerful Cuban.

Professional boxing record

29 fights, 29 wins (15 knockouts, 12 decisions, 1 disqualification), 0 losses
No.	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round, time	Date	Location	Notes
29	Win	29-0	Sullivan Barrera	UD	12	Mar 26, 2016
28	Win	28-0	Paul Smith	TKO	9 (12), 1:45	Jun 20, 2015
27	Win	27-0	Edwin Rodríguez	UD	12	Nov 16, 2013
26	Win	26-0	Chad Dawson	TKO	10 (12), 2:45	Sep 8, 2012
25	Win	25-0	Carl Froch	UD	12	Dec 17, 2011
24	Win	24-0	Arthur Abraham	UD	12	May 14, 2011
23	Win	23-0	Sakio Bika	UD	12	Nov 27, 2010
22	Win	22-0	Allan Green	UD	12	Jun 19, 2010
21	Win	21-0	Mikkel Kessler	TD	11 (12), 1:42	Nov 21, 2009
20	Win	20-0	Shelby Pudwill	TKO	3 (10), 2:16	Sep 12, 2009
20	Win	19-0	Edison Miranda	UD	12	May 16, 2009
18	Win	18-0	Henry Buchanan	UD	12	Feb 6, 2009
17	Win	17-0	Esteban Camou	TKO	3 (10), 2:46	Dec 13, 2008
16	Win	16-0	Jerson Ravelo	TKO	8 (12), 2:37	Jun 20, 2008
15	Win	15-0	Rubin Williams	TKO	7 (10), 2:51	Mar 20, 2008
14	Win	14-0	Roger Cantrell	TKO	5 (10), 1:56	Nov 16, 2007
13	Win	13-0	Francisco Diaz	TKO	3 (8), 2:59	Jul 14, 2007
12	Win	12-0	Dhafir Smith	TKO	6 (8), 2:47	May 17, 2007
11	Win	11-0	Julio Jean	TKO	3 (8), 2:04	Mar 29, 2007
10	Win	10-0	Derrick Findley	UD	6	Nov 16, 2006
9	Win	9-0	Andy Kolle	RTD	6 (8), 3:00	Apr 29, 2006
8	Win	8-0	Kendall Gould	UD	6	Feb 23, 2006
7	Win	7-0	Darnell Boone	UD	6	Nov 19, 2005
6	Win	6-0	Glenn LaPlante	KO	1 (6), 2:59	Oct 1, 2005
5	Win	5-0	Christopher Holt	RTD	3 (6), 3:00	Aug 18, 2005
4	Win	4-0	Ben Aragon	TKO	3 (6), 0:59	Jun 18, 2005
3	Win	3-0	Roy Ashworth	DQ	3 (6), 2:56	Apr 7, 2005
2	Win	2-0	Kenny Kost	UD	6	Feb 10, 2005
1	Win	1-0	Chris Molina	TKO	2 (4), 0:40	Dec 18, 2004

Titles in boxing

Major World Titles:

• WBA (Super) super middleweight champion (168 lbs)
• WBC super middleweight champion (168 lbs)

The Ring/Lineal Championship Titles:

• The Ring super middleweight champion (168 lbs)

Regional/International Titles:

• WBO NABO super middleweight champion (168 lbs)
• NABF super middleweight champion (168 lbs)

Special Titles:

• WBC Recess super middleweight champion (168 lbs)
• WBC super middleweight champion emeritus (168 lbs)

Achievements
Preceded by Mikkel Kessler	WBA Super Middleweight Super Champion November 21, 2009 - November 12, 2015 Vacated	Vacant Title next held by Fedor Chudinov
Vacant Title last held by Joe Calzaghe	The Ring Super Middleweight Champion December 17, 2011 - February 19, 2015 Stripped	Vacant
	Lineal Super Middleweight Champion December 17, 2011 - June 20, 2015	Vacant
Preceded by Carl Froch	WBC Super Middleweight Champion December 17, 2011 - April 11, 2013	Vacant Title next held by Sakio Bika

Personal life

Ward married his high school sweetheart Tiffiney in 2009, with whom he has three sons and a daughter. Ward lives in Danville, California, just outside of Oakland. A devout Christian, he regularly visits places in his area such as schools, prisons, and youth facilities to help his community and engage and inspire people with his story.

Filmography

In 2015, Ward made his acting debut in the American sports drama film Creed as the light heavyweight boxer Danny "Stuntman" Wheeler.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]