Unbeaten former two-division champion Andre Ward has been training with Terence Crawford in preparation for his fight against Israel Madrimov on August 3 in Los Angeles.
At 40 years old and still looking young, Ward (32-0, 16 KOs) could drop in weight, return to the ring and potentially earn a big payday in a rematch with Carl Froch or another big name in the 175-pound division. Froch is 47 and looks to be in good shape for his age. A rematch would be interesting for British fans, if not American fans.
Ward retired at the height of his power in 2017, missing out on the big money being paid to light heavyweight champions Dmitry Bivol, Artur Beterbiev and soon-to-be Saudi Arabian David Benavidez.
If His Excellency Turki Ararcik were to invite Ward to an event, there would be a ton of prize money up for grabs, but he'd likely be up against some tough opponents. To qualify for such an event, Ward would need to provide value to the fans, and the only way that could happen is by playing against a real human being.
It's been seven years since IBF, WBA and WBO light heavyweight champion Ward defeated Sergey Kovalev by eighth-round knockout on June 17, 2017. Ward surprisingly retired after that win rather than continue to defend his title against the talented Beterbiev or Bivol.
Saudi Arabia is now a hotspot for some of boxing's biggest fights, and you can't blame Oakland, California native Andre Ward if he's hoping to make a buck there, fill his bank account and make a comfortable retirement.
A first career loss would be tough for Ward, but the prize money would make it worth it, but even if he hadn't retired in 2017, he would likely have already lost twice to Bivol and Beterbiev. That's one way of looking at it, and if he's hung up on wanting to protect his prized unbeaten streak, so be it.
It would be interesting to see Ward take on David Benavidez in one of the bouts in Saudi Arabia, and if he wins that bout, a title fight against the winner of a Beterbiev-Bivol showdown between two undefeated fighter-both would be ideal.
