Super Middleweight

WBO super middleweight champion Robert Stieglitz (46-3) easily defended his title on Saturday in his home country of Germany. The 32-year-old who was born in Russia but resides in Magdeburg, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany easily outboxed Isaac Ekpo (22-2) en route to a unanimous decision win.

His jab and work rate were the keys to winning an uneventful bout.

Per BoxRec.com, the three official judges had the fight scored as follows: Waleska Roldan 118-110, Andre Van Grootenbruel 118-110, Frank Michael Maass 119-109.

Despite his sparkling record, Stieglitz isn’t known as the most dynamic performer. Facing an awkward opponent like Ekpo didn’t make this fight any more aesthetically pleasing. Ekpo is one of those fighters that could probably make any opponent look boring. Usually, Stieglitz doesn’t need any help in that regard.

Fighters Rated tweeted about his losing battle with the Sandman while watching Stieglitz-Ekpo.

Even without a spectacular knockout or noteworthy showmanship, Stieglitz did what he almost always does: Win.

This was the second successful defense he's has had since he regained his title from Arthur Abraham in March. While he doesn’t get his name mentioned often when top-flight 168-pound fighters are discussed, Stieglitz has had a solid year. The win over Ekpo was his fourth in 2013 with no defeats.

The question for Stieglitz is if he can handle some of the bigger names at 168 pounds. BoxRec.com has him listed as the No. 2 super middleweight in the world. With Andre Ward having been removed because of inactivity, Stieglitz is second only to WBA and IBF champion Carl "The Cobra" Froch. 

Ward is back in action against Edwin Rodriguez on Nov. 16. If he wins and re-establishes control of the WBA Super World super middleweight title, then he’ll likely vault Stieglitz in the rankings.

Could Stieglitz handle Froch or Ward? German sports reporter Carolin Bluechel doesn’t like his chances against Froch, or George Groves, the Cobra’s opponent on Nov. 23.

This was undoubtedly a solid win for Stieglitz, but he still has a ways to go to silence the doubters.

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Britain's Carl Froch will defend his Super Middleweight titles in a bout later this year against fellow Brit George Groves, according to this report from uk.europsport.yahoo.com.

Froch won the IBF Super Middleweight title with a stunning five round destruction of then undefeated Lucian Bute last year. A bout before which Froch reportedly considered retirement after, win or lose.

In May of this year, Froch added the WBA Super World Super Middleweight (ridiculous that they introduced "Super" titles, I know) title when he avenged one of his two career losses by defeating Dane Mikkel Kessler.

Groves entered the equation as a realistic opponent recently when the IBF announced they had elevated him to the mandatory challenger spot following Adonis Stevenson's move to light heavyweight. This announcement left Froch facing the choice of vacating his title in search of a rematch with the only other fighter to defeat him in Andre Ward, or to accept Groves as the mandatory challenger and go ahead with the defense.

Froch told the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast through talksport.co.uk that he felt Groves was not ready to fight him. While admitting that nothing is definite in boxing, and acknowledging an affinity for all fellow fighters, Froch simply stated while Groves may be ready for him one day, that day has yet to come.

It seems that the straps Froch has fought so hard to achieve mean enough for him to postpone the chase of a redemption fight against Andre Ward to make sure he gets his mandatory defense in to satisfy his obligations. Either that or he feels Groves is far enough below his level to make him a nice "busy fight" without much risk to his future aspirations being derailed.

Whether Groves is ready for a title shot yet is up for debate for me. He seems like a decent fighter, has not really faced the quality of opponent required to gain a world title shot yet for me.

Groves' top victories to date are held over domestic rival James DeGale in 2011 and a then 43-year-old Glen Johnson in December. I think it would suit Groves better to face a grizzled veteran like Marco Rubio, or test himself against a former champion like Arthur Abraham, Andre Dirrell or recent Froch foe Mikkel Kessler before making the leap in quality to take on Froch. It's better to see if he's at a world class level yet by facing a recent champion than diving into the deep end of a title fight too soon, he's only 25 as it is so he has plenty of time.

Still, the powers that be within the IBF have designated Groves as their mandatory challenger for Froch's title, a title Froch took from an undefeated fighter. They have signaled their challenger, set a timeline for a defense and it seems both sides agree. While the date has yet to be set, it should take place in November or December and will undoubtedly create a huge buzz in England with two Brits battling once again for a Super Middleweight strap (writer remembering electrifying Eubank-Benn bouts).

*any reference to fighter records or titles held come from boxrec.com.

To almost no one's surprise, WBO super middleweight champion Robert Stieglitz (45-3) easily handled challenger Yuzo Kiyota on Saturday night at Energie Verbund-Arena in Dresden, Sachsen, Germany.

Stieglitz was never seriously tested and won by unanimous technical decision. After he battered the Japanese challenger for 10 rounds, a cut caused the referee to stop the fight and leave the decision to the scorecards.

Thankfully, the judges saw the same fight everyone else did and scored it 100-89, 99-90 and 99-90, all for the champion.

Kiyota was hurt at least three times during the bout. He showed toughness to take the punishment he did for 10 rounds with almost no reprieve. The cut over the challenger's eye was nasty, and because he was having no success in the ring, there was no reason to continue the beating.

Kiyota was so frustrated that at one point he threw Stieglitz to the canvas during a clinch. He was also penalized a point in the fifth round for hitting after the break.

While Stieglitz dominated the fight, some may wonder why he didn't stop Kiyota. He hit the challenger with some very hard shots but couldn't finish him.

Kiyota had only been stopped once prior to Saturday's loss. It is possible Stieglitz extended this bout once he saw that the competition level was so low. 

In essence, this fight was nothing more than a glorified sparring session.

Stieglitz can now move on to face bigger and better opponents at 168 pounds or even consider challenges at light heavyweight. Up to this point, Stieglitz has only faced one notable fighter in his career: Arthur Abraham.

Abraham handed Stieglitz his first loss in four years on Aug. 2012. However, Stieglitz quickly and decisively evened the score by stopping Abraham in the fourth round in March 2013.

At only 32 years old, Stieglitz has time to make a mark at super middleweight or light heavyweight, but the competition he faces moving forward will be miles ahead of what he saw on Saturday night.

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Sakio "The Scorpion" Bika (31-5-2, 21 KO) is the very definition of a gatekeeper in the super middleweight division.

On Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., he will refuse or reluctantly allow Marco Antonio Periban (20-0, 13 KO) claim to the WBC's brand of the 168-pound title. 

With the injured title holder Andre Ward recently given the "champion emeritus" designation, the title became vacant. The WBC decided to sanction Bika-Periban as a title fight for Ward's vacated belt.

Suddenly a fight that was to be a mildly entertaining bout on the undercard of the Adrien Broner vs. Paulie Malignaggi feature has taken on more significance.

Here is the information needed to catch this bout and some deeper analysis on the matchup.

The Book on Bika

Unconventional Route to Title Shot

Bika has had two shots at a share of the 168-pound crown in his career; he lost both attempts.

In 2006, he dropped a unanimous decision to then-WBO and IBF champion Joe Calzaghe.

In 2010, he lost another unanimous decision to Ward for the WBA title.

Those opportunities came and went in the manner most would expect, but this chance at title glory just seemed to happen for Bika.

He has a shot to capture the prize he's worked 13 years to obtain and he doesn't have to defeat an established champion to get it. Bika is in a great position, but he can't take his opponent lightly. If the 33-year-old Cameroonian isn't on his game, he could still be in for a disappointing evening.

In the Ring

Tough and physical is the best way to describe Bika's fighting style. He's a good but not great puncher who can wear opponents down with cumulative punishment and pressure. Before he was solved by Ward, he gave him a little trouble because of his somewhat awkward style.

Bika's approach is more offense than defense, and to put it bluntly, he gets hit too much.

Trainer Kevin Cunningham was added in May of 2012 to help Bika "tighten up his defense," as Dan Rafael of ESPN.com noted. The results showed sparingly as Bika's instincts to brawl won out in some instances against Dyah Davis a month later and Nikola Sjekloca in February.

He'll definitely need to draw from Cunningham's defensive teachings against a long-armed, hard-punching contender like Periban.

The Book on Periban

Is He Golden Boy's Next Champion?

Being promoted by Golden Boy is like having an American Express card; membership has its privileges. First and foremost, it was Golden Boy that pushed the WBC to sanction this fight as a title bout.

That move has put Periban in position to win a title in what is his first fight against a known opponent. To say his resume prior to Saturday night's bout is nondescript would be putting it lightly.

Only boxing savants will recognize any of the names of Periban's past opponents. The bout with Bika will be his first 12-round fight. In fact, he's only had four 10-round contests.

That said, Periban is undefeated and he's looked impressive in his performances.

We'll see if he can take advantage of his GBP privileges.

In the Ring

Periban's predominant feature is his ridiculously long reach. Measuring 78" from armpit to knuckle, Periban's arm length could be a major factor.

So far in his career, he has used his jab to gain rhythm and to set up a thunderous straight right hand. Take a look at this explosive knockout of Shujaa El Amin (then known as Dion Savage) at the 2:45 mark of the video below.

The 28-year-old Mexican doesn't have great quickness, but he does have solid punching fundamentals. He's an effective puncher because of his length and power, but he will be severely tested by the more experienced Bika.

He'll finally be facing an opponent who won't just go away after being tagged with one hard punch.

Prediction

Bika will outwork Periban to claim a tough unanimous decision. Periban will have his moments, but ultimately Bika's experience, toughness and work rate will give him the edge.

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An elite boxer’s quest to erase a blemish on his record is one of the sport’s hallowed traditions. The impetus to seek redemption is what leads to classic rematches, unforgettable trilogies and the ability to forever link two fighters in the sport’s collective unconscious. For Carl Froch, let’s call his quest halfway done. 

Last Saturday, in front of a raucous crowd at the O2 Arena in London, Froch (31-2, 22 KO) defended his IBF super middleweight title against Mikkel Kessler, wresting the Dane’s WBA strap to unify titles in the process. More significantly, Froch got revenge against Kessler (46-3, 35 KO), who had beaten him in the best action fight of the Super Six World Boxing Classic. 

At 35, no one would fault Froch for slowing down, but, amazingly, the opposite seems to be happening. Against Kessler, Froch was the clear winner by virtue of his aggression, astonishing punch output and granite chin. Froch-Kessler II was on par with their epic first encounter, and the victory has ensured that Froch’s will enjoy a lucrative and marquee late career run. 

While Froch is indeed aging like the finest of wines, the reality is that his career is entering its twilight phase. Froch has speculated that he has four major fights left in him, according to SkySports.com, which leads to one logical question: Who should Froch fight to punctuate his career? 

Froch, historically, will go down as one of Britain’s most successful world-level fighters. With an 8-2 record in title fights, according to BoxRec, Froch has defeated many of his most accomplished contemporaries, and he has never shied away from fighting the best. 

Despite unifying belts for the first time in his career, Froch is still in the position of chasing Andre Ward, the lineal super middleweight champion and clearly the division’s best fighter. The proof is in Ward’s body of work and the fact that he soundly defeated both Froch and Kessler. For some, that makes the prospect of Ward-Froch II somewhat unappealing. 

Froch, however, made a strong case for a rematch with Ward (26-0, 14 KO) by how he defeated Kessler. Working in Froch’s favor, ultimately, is that he has markedly improved since losing the Super Six final. 

In terms of capping his career, Froch should absolutely strive to avenge his loss to Ward.

Since losing to Ward in December 2011, Froch bludgeoned former undefeated champion Lucian Bute, annihilated a respectable, but overmatched, Yusaf Mack and turned the tides on Kessler, who, in defeat, still proved he is a top super middleweight. During that same stretch, Ward scored a signature victory over Chad Dawson in a virtuoso performance, but he has since been idle due to injuries. 

With Froch peaking and Ward coming off a lengthy layoff, now is clearly Froch’s best and only window to avenge his other defeat. 

If Froch-Kessler II was partly an audition for a rematch against Ward, Froch scored high marks. Froch threw 1,034 punches, which essentially doubled Kessler’s output of 497, and his 668 power-shot attempts quadrupled Kessler’s 165, according to CompuBox (h/t SaturdayNightBoxing.com). Punch stats, of course, only provide limited insight into a fight’s narrative, but Froch’s stamina was certainly impressive. 

In absorbing thudding shots from Kessler, particularly during the dramatic final two stanzas, Froch only reinforced his warrior reputation, as he was able to rally and return fire on every occasion. After defeating Chad Dawson so handily, Ward might be forced to view Froch as his most compelling immediate option. 

Froch would naturally be a significant underdog against Ward—and rightfully so. There’s always the issue of where a rematch would take place, and Froch’s camp hasn’t been shy about wanting the fight to take place in the UK, according to Dan Rafael of ESPN.com. Ward could ultimately opt to pursue other options, and, as the division’s kingpin, isn’t in the position where he has to make concessions. 

Given Ward’s position of relative power, it makes sense to return to Kessler. 

A trilogy fight between Froch and Kessler would undoubtedly be compelling. Whether this bout happens immediately is almost irrelevant, and a third clash with Kessler should be part of Froch’s four-fight plan. 

Froch-Kessler III would generate massive revenue and be a huge promotion throughout Europe. Naturally, the bout would secure prime American coverage, and the first two encounters almost guarantee that a rubber match would produce similar fireworks. Because Kessler showed that he is still an elite-level fighter, Froch can again look to him as a viable option whether he fights Ward or not. 

Assuming Froch fought Ward and won, a subsequent defense (and victory) against Kessler would enhance his legacy by giving him the upper hand in a classic trilogy, while also propelling him to yet another major bout. Even if Froch lost to Ward, a return bout against Kessler could immediately propel him back into a string of important fights. 

And then there’s the Canadian variable. 

Froch is infamous with fans north of the border for defeating their two best and most important fighters: Jean Pascal and Lucian Bute. When Froch shockingly massacred Bute in May 2012, a rematch seemed unnecessary.

Bute briefly seemed keen on a return bout, but instead, opted for a comeback fight followed by a clash against former lineal light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal, whom Froch defeated for his first world title in 2008. 

Even though Pascal-Bute has been delayed, the winner of that fight is poised to make another run at boxing’s elite level. Assuming Pascal defeats Bute, the interest for Froch-Pascal II will be legitimate. Their 2008 bout was a closet classic, and fighting Pascal would be the ideal way for Froch to make his foray into the 175-pound division, should such a jump suit him. 

Froch-Pascal II will be massive in both Canada and the UK, and it is a fight that will be picked up by an American network. Much depends on whether Pascal looks sharp against Bute, but this fight will be an easy sell regardless of whether a title is at stake.   

Someone like Robert Stieglitz, who holds the WBO super middleweight title, would be an attractive option for the European market (especially), but there seem to be more lucrative options in Froch’s future. Bernard Hopkins, in that sense, springs to mind as “marquee” name for Froch to add to his ledger, but such a victory wouldn’t make or break Froch’s legacy. 

That said, defeating Hopkins was part of Joe Calzaghe’s important late-career run in 2008. Froch, of course, tried desperately and in vain to lure Calzaghe into a fight around that time. Symbolically, Froch could choose to steer clear of Hopkins, whose style is Froch’s antithesis. 

By avoiding the “Hopkins trap,” Froch could also one-up Calzaghe. Froch now finds himself in the position Calzaghe did around 2008, and it would be classy and fitting if part of his four-fight finale involved giving the next generation of young British super middleweights—namely George Groves and James DeGale—a genuine shot. 

Groves might be a hair closer to fighting Froch than DeGale at this juncture, but either bout would be absolutely massive in the UK. By showing that he is willing to give others the shot Calzaghe never afforded him, Froch’s legacy would only be enhanced—win or lose.  

Regardless of who Froch fights, expect the opponents to be elite. Froch hasn’t fought a soft touch in ages, and his final four bouts (potentially) won’t be any different. It almost seems like Froch has fought twice the 10 world title bouts he’s actually contested—and there’s a darn good reason for that.

Carl Froch avenged one of his two career losses with a thrilling decision victory on Saturday over Mikkel Kessler. Could Andre Ward be next on The Cobra's vengeance path?

Kessler got the best of the IBF Super Middleweight titleholder back in 2010, handing Froch his first defeat as a professional in a WBC championship bout via unanimous decision.

Three years later, Froch was determined to show that he is an improved fighter. It certainly showed. According to BBC Sport, The Cobra put in quite the night, throwing 998 punches, landing 272 blows.

Kessler did his part to make it a memorable fight for fans, landing 178 of his 567 attempts in an intense effort.

In his post-fight interview, Froch indicated interest in a rubber match with Kessler. Via ESPN:

Froch: "The difference was my work rate. I was light on my feet ... It's one apiece. Who knows. You fancy a third one? Best of three."

— ESPN Boxing (@ESPNBoxing) May 25, 2013

However, with one loss now avenged, Froch should look to seek revenge against Andre Ward. The two super middleweights met back in 2011 in the Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament.

Ward scored the victory via unanimous decision, but Froch showed that he belonged in the same ring as the champion, earning plenty of rounds as two judges scored the fight 115-113.

Two years removed from their first bout, the time is now for Froch to get the opportunity to avenge the only other blemish on his record.

Ward is a fighter with few equals in the division. Despite his lack of activity, his 10th-round TKO victory over light heavyweight Chad Dawson showed that he is a true champion of the division.

Ward,who was sitting ringside for the bout, seems keen to the idea:

While there are many who would argue that Ward would still top Froch, we won't know for sure until these two settle it in the ring once again. Between Ward's inactivity and Froch's resurgence as the clear No. 2 fighter in the division, it's a must-see fight that would generate plenty of buzz.

Carl "The Cobra" Froch (31-2) avenged one of only two losses in his career on Saturday. The 35-year-old from Nottingham delighted his countrymen in attendance at the O2 Arena in London.

He defeated Mikkel "The Viking Warrior" Kessler (46-3) by unanimous decision to unify two portions of the super middleweight championship.

After another epic battle, Froch and Kessler must agree to a tie-breaking third fight. The next time the two elite super middleweights clash, it should be at a neutral site.

The first bout took place in Kessler's native Denmark. The best place for a third fight is somewhere outside of both men's home countries.

Ryan Bivins of Sweet Boxing at least agrees a third fight would be great to see.

Would rather watch #FrochKessler 3 than #WardFroch 2... #boxing

— Ryan Bivins (@sweetboxing) May 25, 2013

Froch deserved the unanimous decision in a thrilling bout.

Per the HBO telecast, the official scorecards read 118-110, 116-112 and 115-113 in favor of Froch. Though most would agree Froch won the fight, an eight-point edge was a bit exorbitant. 

Froch's jab controlled most of the fight. He established it early and rode that weapon to victory. In the 12th round, the Cobra left no doubt who the winner was. He fought like he wanted to finish Kessler and cemented a strong performance.

Kessler had said he would retire if he didn't beat Froch, but boxing fans know retirement pledges aren't always truthful.

It is difficult to think the 34-year-old would walk away after having his share of moments on Saturday. The Viking Warrior landed a few hard shots on Froch's chin that wobbled him.

The 11th round was especially good for Kessler. Froch's chin was tested in this round as hard lefts and rights found their mark.

Kessler landed 55 percent of his power shots, but Froch outworked him by throwing 366 power punches to just 165 for Kessler, per CompuBox.

With each man owning a win over the other as the predominant crowd favorite, it is time to see them duke it out in front of fans without such a clear rooting interest. Froch said in his blog he would be open to a third fight, if second fight was as good as the first.

Saturday's clash was certainly another stirring confrontation. In a third meeting, perhaps Froch would win again, or maybe Kessler will prove to be the better man.

The point is, nothing is settled just yet between these two men. A rubber match without the energy of the crowd spurring one over the other would be a nice close to a great rivalry.

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For boxing, it's going to be the good old days all over again in London, England this May 25. When Carl Froch (30-2, 22 KOs) squares off with Mikkel Kessler (46-2, 35 KOs) for the IBF and WBA super middleweight titles, it will be a return to prominence for a weight class that has been among the glamor divisions of the sport in recent years.

From 2009 to 2011, the Showtime Super Six tournament brought together the best available 168-pounders on the planet and set up the framework for them to fight. The tournament gave us some of the most interesting fights in the sport over those two years, and it established a true world champion at super middleweight: Andre Ward.

Froch and Kessler were both major players in the Super Six.

Kessler lost to Ward in the opening round, then came back to beat Froch by unanimous decision in an exciting, competitive fight. But he subsequently withdrew from the tournament due to an eye injury suffered in the loss to Ward.

With new life in the tournament, Froch proceeded to battle his way back through into the finals, where he also lost to Andre Ward in November of 2011.

In September of 2012, Ward put an exclamation point on his tournament victory by TKOing light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson in 10. Since that night, the debate has been whether or not Ward deserves to be viewed as the true pound-for-pound king.

Meanwhile, Froch and Kessler have soldiered on, continuing to demonstrate that they are Nos. 2 and 3 in the division. Last May, Carl Froch exposed previously undefeated Lucian Bute, stopping him in five. Later in the year he knocked out Yusaf Mack.

Kessler stopped both Allan Green and Brian Magee last year. Those two guys may not be world-beaters, but they haven't exactly made careers out of being steamrolled, either.

So two years after the Super Six solved everything, everything has remained pretty much the same. The IBF and the WBA will recognize the winner of this bout as their world champion. But everybody knows the fight is really about establishing who is in second place behind Andre Ward.

As a result, people will speculate on whether or not the winner will fight Andre Ward. If Froch wins, it's natural. After he avenges his first career loss against Kessler, the perfect storyline would be for him to go after Andre Ward next.

Kessler's only other loss came to Joe Calzaghe in November of 2007. Calzaghe would go on to retire undefeated without ever rematching with Kessler.

On the media call I participated in last week, both Froch and Kessler acknowledged that they would like to have a rematch with Ward, though they were understandably more interested in talking about the extremely difficult fight staring them in the face.

But the winner of this fight is going to be spoken about as a possible future opponent for Andre Ward. He might have beaten them both in fairly decisive fashion already, but neither has gone anywhere since.

I am predicting that Froch will win this fight, but I am far from convinced that he will fight Andre Ward next as a result. I think there's a good chance he fights fellow Brit George Groves, an undefeated prospect who looked outstanding against Glen Johnson.

If Froch can get by that one, I think he will have the star power in London to lure Andre Ward across the pond.

On the media call, Froch made it clear that he would prefer to fight Ward in London. “Now it's Andre Ward's turn to travel the world and show he's a true champion,” Froch stated.

Froch made no excuses for his loss to Ward, calling the champion a “top, top fighter who knows how to win boxing matches.” But Froch clearly enjoys his ever-rising stardom in his native country and would prefer to fight keep fighting there going forward.

And for business purposes, it might make a lot of sense to do Froch-Ward II in London. On last week's media call, Bernie Bahrmasel said that Kessler-Froch II had sold 18,000 tickets in about three hours.

If Froch fought a rematch with Ward, I have a hard time believing it would sell as well in Vegas as it would in London.

Froch has the kind of fans who would be able to rally around the argument that he was an even hungrier and more determined fighter than in the past, and that with 20,000 of his countrymen screaming support, he might have a chance to beat the great champion from the states.

In Vegas you are mostly going to meet the hard-bitten realists who know there's no reality-based reason to expect that Carl Froch would be able to beat Andre Ward now. After all, he didn't come close last time.

First of all, I don't believe a lack of determination and focus has ever been a problem for Carl Froch. His problems with Andre Ward mostly stemmed from the fact that Ward had a pretty easy time reading him and reacting. He was able to stop Froch from even getting into position to throw his punches.

Ward is still 29 and has never had a truly hard night's work in his life. So I have no reason to expect him to be anything but completely sharp whenever he next gets in the ring.

And I just don't see Carl Froch ever beating a completely sharp Andre Ward. Still, Froch has looked great since his last fight with Ward, and if a return fight ends up happening in London, I will be excited for it.

But I think Ward will have a pretty easy time outclassing Carl Froch once more.

If Kessler manages to come out on top against Froch, I think a rematch with Ward is the only possible fight he will want. And I think he will struggle even more than he did in the first fight.

Ultimately, I don't think either Froch or Kessler would have much chance at all against Ward. A rematch with Froch would probably do better as a big-time fight.

And it would end up looking a lot like their last fight, except that Ward might win even more decisively.

But this should have nothing to do with how we view the fight this weekend, and true boxing fans know this. In Froch's own words, Kessler-Froch II is “a proper, big fight between two warriors.” Forget about any alphabet soup titles; there is so much pride on the line here between these two that we are guaranteed 12 hard-fought, action-packed rounds.

This should be a night when what happens in the ring will be a lot more important than anything the rest of us can say or write about it.

Of the generation of elite boxers approaching their late 30s, Floyd Mayweather’s career is the standard to which all must be held and measured. Mayweather (44-0, 26 KO), 36, has won eight world championships in five weight classes and multiple lineal titles and has set a new standard for defensive and counterpunching excellence. 

Mayweather sports a ridiculous 21-0 record in title fights, and he has defeated 19 current or former world champions. But to simply go through the laundry list of Mayweather’s statistical accomplishments fails to capture the essence of his greatness.

In truth, Mayweather possesses something less quantifiable: He has become a crossover star, who transcends boxing, and is practically known as much for his persona as his sublime skills. 

With Mayweather’s career easing toward retirement, will Andre Ward, the logical heir to Mayweather’s mythical pound-for-pound perch, ever be mentioned in the same breath as the man known as “Money?” 

The answer to this question is somewhat complex and can be broken down into two categories: boxing skills and accomplishments and transcendent qualities. 

Ward (26-0, 14 KO), who at 29 is currently in his prime, can absolutely be mentioned in the same breath as Mayweather in terms of skill and overall boxing ability. While Ward employs a less fluid and spectacularly defensive style than Mayweather, he is a master technician who possesses genius boxing IQ and defensive abilities that rival Mayweather’s in terms of effectiveness. 

More significantly, Ward’s most recent victory, a 10th-round bludgeoning of lineal light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson, showed he can provide offensive flair.

That Ward stopped and dominated his most talented opponent to date suggests that, perhaps, ruthless offensive instincts are simply another piece of the puzzle that is falling into place. What is scary for any fighter hovering around 168 or 175 pounds is that Ward seems to still be improving and adding new wrinkles to his arsenal. 

So, while Ward might have a different style and skill set than Mayweather, he remains a virtuoso in his own right. 

Realistically, Ward will likely make the jump to 175 pounds at some point, though he still won’t come close to matching Mayweather’s feat of claiming titles in five weight classes. And yet, while Mayweather has, at times, been criticized for not striving to make the best possible fights at the right moments (Manny Pacquiao circa 2010 anyone?), Ward has gone out of his way to seek out top competition. 

In fact, Eric Raskin makes the very salient point that since 2009, Ward’s resume is more impressive than Mayweather’s, which only strengthens the claim that Ward, as a boxer, is at the same superior level as Mayweather: 

Mayweather has beaten some high-profile foes, but there are asterisks almost everywhere: He didn't try to make weight for the Juan Manuel Marquez bout, thus gaining an unsportsmanlike advantage he never needed; he sucker-punched Victor Ortiz, again taking a legal but unnecessary shortcut; he got rocked by Shane Mosley; he had a tougher time beating Cotto than Austin Trout did a few months later. 

Again, they were all quality wins, and Mayweather is undoubtedly still very close to the peak of his powers. But Dawson, Mikkel Kessler and Carl Froch were all pound-for-pound top-20 fighters when Ward convincingly beat each of them, and in Ward's lesser tests, he might not have lost a round to Allan Green, Sakio Bika or Arthur Abraham.

In fact, he hasn't lost more than two rounds to anyone in his entire professional career except for maybe Froch—who, by the way, currently resides one spot outside ESPN.com's current P4P top 10. 

Instead of easing into a post-Super Six title defense, Ward opted to fight the aforementioned Dawson in a bout that carried pound-for-pound implications. But one has to wonder about the broader recognition of Ward’s scintillating run, which started with a shockingly one-sided victory over Kessler and has currently stalled after his frighteningly complete destruction of Dawson. 

Simply put, has Ward’s peak, in terms of a string of major fights against elite opponents, already occurred? And if so, have fans and pundits actually given him the widespread and mainstream respect and appreciation he deserves? 

It is in terms of recognition, whether positive or negative, Mayweather will always surpass Ward. It is almost arbitrary, in a sense. Ward could clean out his division (perhaps he already has), fight and dominate the absolute best opponents and do everything the “right way,” so to speak. But it won’t matter. He will never be the crossover star and pay-per-view cash cow whom Mayweather has become. 

Mayweather uniquely dictates his promotional destiny and has the kind of contractual and logistical freedom that, perhaps, no fighter in the sport’s history has ever held. He’s the ultimate freelancer, and this entitlement has helped Mayweather create a lucrative empire buttressed by his celebrity status and lavish lifestyle. 

Interestingly, part of the reason that Mayweather makes so much money every time he fights is because he is just as reviled as he is respected. Naturally, Mayweather’s boxing brilliance must be acknowledged, but a large chunk of those pay-per-view buys are coming from folks desperate to see him lose (a prospect that seems unlikely). 

Mayweather matches his perfect record (the ultimate justification of his antics) by flaunting his wealth and verging on petulance in episodes of 24/7 or All Access, which is perfectly fine. But it is this cultivation of celebrity that Ward—a humble and faith-driven man—cannot emulate. 

It is not in Ward’s nature to adopt the same entertaining persona that Mayweather has perfected. This reality, however, isn’t something to lament.

Few boxers ultimately get to Mayweather’s level of popularity. Oscar De La Hoya, Ray Leonard and Muhammad Ali similarly captured the public’s imagination, albeit for different reasons. While one could certainly add names to this list, the point is that it is an exclusive club. 

The bottom line is that Andre Ward will just keep on doing what he does: winning fights and proving his greatness in the ring. And really, would someone as confident in himself and his abilities as Ward necessarily want to be mentioned in the same breath as Mayweather? 

Ward, it would appear, at least deserves a breath of his own.