OAKLAND—Andre Ward enjoyed a triumphant ring return, battering England's Paul Smith en route to a 9th round stoppage Saturday evening in Oakland, California.
Staged just five days after the Golden State Warriors bested the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games to win the 2015 NBA Championship, the Bay Area was in a celebratory mood all weekend. NBA MVP Stephen Curry was in attendance, along with Colin Kaepernick, starting quarterback for the NFL San Francisco 49ers, as well as reigning middleweight king and fellow Roc Nation Sports fighter Miguel Cotto.
Ward didn't disappoint his fellow Bay Area superstars, or the packed crowd on hand for his non-tltle fight, which aired live on BET as the first of a nine-show deal with Roc Nation Sports. There is an argument to be made that Smith made it that much easier for him by coming into the fight in poor shape, missing the 172 lb. catchweight by more than four pounds and coming in heavy during the rehydration check the morning of the fight.
The scale follies cost Smith $40,000 in fines, but Ward was fine with going through with the fight. Being away from the ring for 19 months made that decision a little easier, but the reigning super middleweight king looked like he hadn't missed a beat since last seen in a prizefight in Nov. '13.
The first few rounds were clinical, or your garden variety Andre Ward performance. Smith was barely able to make a fight of it, being picked apart by the unbeaten house fighter and eventually developing a cut over his left eye.
After all but giving away the first six rounds, Smith was able to score with a right hand midway through round seven. The shot caught the attention of Ward, who readjusted and found motivation to dial up the intensity.
It wasn't good news for Smith or his shredded skin. The cut began to gush to the point of warranting attention from the ringside physician prior to the start of the eighth round. Ward treated the wound like a bullseye, scoring with right hands upstairs and also connecting with uppercuts whenever Smith grew wise to his game.
The bloodletting continued through round nine until it was decided that Smith was beyond the point of saving or even offering a competitive performance. The official time of the stoppage came at 1:46 of round nine.
Ward moves to 28-0 (15KOs) with the win, his first since a 12-round decision over Edwin Rodriguez in Nov. '13. A lengthy legal battle with Goossen Tutor Promotions followed, sadly outlasting the life of the late Dan Goossen, who passed away last fall with the matter remaining unresolved.
Closure came earlier this year, immediately after which Ward signed with Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports. Saturday's homecoming was his first fight under the RNS banner, and also his first stoppage win in nearly three years—one which came in this very arena in stopping Chad Dawson inside of 10 rounds in Sept. '12.
The battle between unbeaten prospects Antonio Nieves and Stephon Young was advertised as a bout where someone's 'O' had to go. That didn't prove true by the end of the fight, which ended in an eight-round draw.
Both fighters had their moments in a highly entertaining scrap. Nieves was the busier fighter of the two and also the more accurate, but Young was able to land the more telling blows. Nieves was forced to overcome a cut over his left eye, though the blood was never a factor as he braved the storm and Young's power punches as neither fighter gave an inch.
The judges were rightfully torn by fight's end. Nieves won 77-75 on one card, while Young was awarded a 78-74 verdict. The third judge had it 76-76, leaving both fighters undefeated and their stocks rising in the process.
Nieves is now 12-0-1 (6KOs); Young sees his record move to 13-0-2 (5KOs).
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
ADD COMMENT VIEW COMMENTS (60)