Video: Andre Ward Does Oakland Proud
posted by Large
As a newly minted Bay Area resident, I was very excited to check out the Andre Ward/Edison Miranda fight this past Saturday in Oakland. Since I moved to Berkeley last year, I’ve gained a little familiarity with Oakland and its boxing scene, the centerpiece of which is the legendary Kings Boxing Gym, a gym that Ward, an Oakland native, is proud to call his fighting home.
The event was a huge success both for Andre Ward and also for the city of Oakland and its boxing culture. Over 8,000 fans came out to the Oracle Arena to see the fight, and I can tell you first-hand that it was a knowledgeable and passionate group. Walking the upper deck of the arena before I made my way down to press row, I saw many a righteous old-timer in Panama hat looking like he’d stepped out of some fight painting from the early 60′s. ‘Double the damn jab, son!†one yelled. ‘Or eat that left hook all night! Your choice.†These men did not start following this game yesterday.
For Ward, it was both a joyful homecoming and an important victory in the progression of his career. In a wholly deserved unanimous decision, he soundly defeated Miranda, ‘La Pantera,†the Colombian killer known for his relentless aggression and decapitating knockouts. It was an exciting, action-packed win on a big stage (a Showtime headliner) and likely will herald the next phase of Ward’s career, one where he challenges for a world title and fights for some big-time money.
No matter how high his star may travel, though, one imagines Ward always will be quick to bring it all back home. His connection to the city of Oakland and to his trainer since childhood, Virgil Hunter, is inspiring. And though it was on a small scale in comparison to the sports world at large, this night at the Oracle Arena was in many ways about as big as sports can be. I tried to convey a little of that sense in the video below (all shot with a Flip, so pardon the image quality… the first voice you hear is that of Hunter, one of the most thoughtful and articulate trainers in the sport. And one final note for all you Masians – check it when Ward gets all Mas-like and references Pryor/Arguello… man knows his shit.)
May 19th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
ward officially through his name into the 168 ring….which certainly makes that division alot more interesting(provided kessler actually does something)
large…how did you feel about andre not finishing miranda off? you think he couldnt close the deal…or prefered to just to punish him? i tend to to think miranda is a bit tougher than some give him credit for off the ko losses to pavlik and abraham…ive seen alot of people knock his chin
great job by stitch duran early on…that cut never became a factor…must be comforting to have a guy like that working for you….i wouldnt mind seeing SOG in there with froch…soon
May 19th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
lol..through=threw
May 19th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Finally got to see the fight, and….how in the hell did that one judge have it at 116-112?
Anyone else feel like there is enough talent between 160 and 175 for one really great division, and a whole lot of filler? Large, you sort of touched on this over at TSB…who does Ward fight now?
May 19th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
I think 168 is loaded right now: Froch, Kessler, Bute, Ward, Taylor, Green, Andrade, Dirrell – with the possibility of either or both Dawson and Hopkins dropping down for one fight or Pavlik and Abraham coming up. Fights between any of the above would be pretty interesting.
I like Ward . . . a lot. He disappointed me a little bit in the last two rounds when he didn’t try to finish Miranda. One thing I’ll give to the greats from the ’80′s like Leonard, Pryor, Hearns, Hagler – if the fight was going their way in a one-sided fashion, they tried to finish it. I saw Ward try until about the 11th of so and then he took his foot off the gas. Other than that – I really think we may be seeing the next big star. His fundamentals are much better than guys like Taylor and Lacy. He can fight inside and outside – righty or lefty.
If I had a billion dollars to spend on boxing (and if I were a promoter) – the four guys I’d want to sign right now to long-term deals (best young guys ability-wise – with high upside) would be Andre Ward, Paul Williams, Juan Manuel Lopez and Jorge Linares. What’s amazing is that Goossen-Tutor has two out of the four – and they have Chris Arreola. If they can hang onto those guys – they’re going to be pushing TR and GB for dates on HBO PPV for the next few years.
May 19th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
There were two main themes in the presser – that Andre did not knock Miranda out, and that he did not get knocked out himself. The second obviously was greatly to Ward’s credit, because he did eat some bombs, probably more than he should have. He said himself after the fight that he wasn’t thrilled with his performance for that reason, but I think it was clear that he was risking more than he usually does, or had to, in order to make an exciting fight.
It was the right thing to do because I thought it was the most exciting Andre Ward fight I’ve ever seen. He fought like a man on a mission and it ended up being pretty damn exciting to watch where I thought it might just be a boxing clinic of Ward dancing circles around the lead-footed Pantera.
Interesting that you bring up the last few rounds, Kurt, and Ward’s apparent decision not to go for the kill. I saw it more as going for the not-being-killed-himself. Even though it looked like some of the starch was out of Miranda’s shots by the late rounds, I thought Ward had had about enough of getting tagged and decided to get out of there while the getting was good. He didn’t entirely turn tail in front of the hometown fans, but I definitely had the sense that he knew he’d won an impressive fight and wanted to make sure he made it out on his feet. Seeing him after the fight, it was clear to me that Miranda’s punches took a toll on him. As, you know, they will.
I guess I agree with you, Kurt – an all-time great goes for the kill. Then again, where I once gave Chad Dawson a world of shit for not going whole hog to stop Tarver, I don’t know – Miranda was a very live bull. For some reason I gave Ward a pass on that one. He gave it his all for at least nine rounds and I think sometime during the 10th he realized it just wasn’t going to happen, and it probably wasn’t no matter what he did. He’s just not a big puncher – that much is clear. What was nice about that fight was that for once that fact didn’t seem to matter as far as the excitement level of the fight.
Ward/Froch seems to be on everyone’s mind now. Will Andre go over to England for that? One thing’s for sure – they have got to get him a title shot pronto.
116-112 – unbelievable. I gave Ward every round but the 12th. Dan Goossen actually gave me some shit about that, but I just thought Andre didn’t do enough to win the last round while Miranda kept bringing the fight. The overwhelming consensus on press row was that if Miranda won a round, it was the sixth, when he definitely landed his best punches of the fight.
May 19th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Hey Large,
Don’t know if you watched the broadcast yet or not – basically Andre’s corner told him to just box the last two so I can’t fault him. He was just following instructions. I was disappointed though because it looked like in the 10th or so that he was building towards a crescendo where he was going to wear Miranda out and stop him. He landed a volley of awesome shots and it looked like he was trying to close the show – then he took his foot off the gas. Maybe it was fatigue – maybe just following instructions – but he definitely played it safe after that. He took a few shots, but Miranda was definitely wearing down (mentally and phsyically), if he’d pressed it I think he could have gotten him.
I guess I’m just a little weary of the Mayweather/Hopkins/Jones, Jr. mentality. I’d like to see someone who isn’t satisfied with just looking pretty and being the better athlete in there. I’m looking for some killer instinct. I thought I saw some – but then it ebbed and the fight ended with a whimper not a bang.
Having said that, I loved the first 10 rounds. I especially loved that Ward got rough with Miranda on the inside and ripped in those body shots. He showed me he’s not just a fancy Dan – he can rumble. He’s still a work in progress but I am very high on him. A fight between him and Froch would be delightful. A fight between him and Taylor would be tremendous for six rounds. I’m a huge fan. Here’s to hoping he keeps fighting in the Bay Area. Just wish he was around when I used to live on Addison St. in Beserkley
May 20th, 2009 at 8:18 am
I didn’t see Miranda as a very live dog in the final 2 rounds. I thought the long exchange on the inside (I think i was the 9th round) took a toll on Miranda. He had no pop after that.
I was very impressed with Ward’s performance and would love to see him get a title shot. Of course, those type of things don’t always work out. I’d still be happy to see him in the ring with Green, Taylor, or even Bika. All recognizable names, all would be his toughest fight to date.
May 20th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
kurt…i hear you with linares…whats his deal? i think he hurt his shoulder not too long ago right? cause i remember he beat oscar larios…and then after that…he took steps backwards…and whats his deal with his promoters? hes promoted by a japanese based promoter? teiken i think? hes still real young…23…so they are probably taking it slow if hes having problems staying healthy…but youd think at this point hed have been on After Dark a few times….certainly a guy youd love to see top rank get ahold of
May 20th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Large – I forgot to actually look at the piece you shot. I thought it was just something from the presser that was up on YouTube. Another masterstroke buddy – really enjoyed it. The background from the trainer was great. I especially liked the Miles Davis sample and the random pair of luscious boobs with a Superman S t-shirt you threw in there. Luscious boobs are always welcome in a boxing piece (or otherwise).
May 20th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
Thanks Kurt – and allow me to add that those luscious boobs, though indeed luscious, did have a purpose. Did you see that t-shirt? It was ill, not just a superman shirt (when I was shooting her, though, the girl did have the unbelievably sexy sauciness to ask me, “are you sure you’re just shooting my shirt?”). Seriously, though, look at it again. If you watch it again too you’ll see that I’ve upgraded the quality considerably. Finally got around to asking Iberg for the NoMasTV Youtube info, so now I can upload bigger files. Makes a huge difference in the images. I’m a start shooting these shits in HD too. I’m really enjoying the videography thang. Nice change of pace from pounding the keyboard all the livelong day.
And yeah, man, Ah Leu Cha. One of Bird’s most beautiful compositions in the humble estimation of Large. I wonder how long it is before No Mas becomes a forum for jazzheads. It seems like it could be any day now.
May 21st, 2009 at 10:02 am
Right after I wrote my comment I went back and looked at the lusciousness again and saw that it wasn’t an S but a C for Columbian. They make them luscious in Columbia obviously – lol. Looking forward to the higher quality images – keep them coming. If you combine boxing, luscious boobs and cool jazz – it’s unstoppable. Build it and they will come . . .
May 21st, 2009 at 11:16 am
Boxing, boobs and be-bop. I think we may have a new slogan.
May 21st, 2009 at 3:00 pm
in other news, but news of interest to any boxing fan… did anyone catch floyd jr. on sportscenter yesterday going at it with brian kenny? here’s the entire 13 minute interview. this dude floyd is too much.
http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/clip?id=4187100&categoryid=null
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