Andre Ward - Another reason why he is a class act

[Fitz]

I don't know if anybody has been following this the last week, but Andre Ward was stripped of his WBC title and awarded the WBC Emeritus champion. Ward wasn't happy, and pretty much told the WBC to get lost, and gave up the Emeritus title.
I really love the stance Ward took here, and the boxing fans should be aware on what Ward did. It was a great thing to do for boxing (even if it doesn't amount too much), and it's nice to know that there are still guys out there like Ward.
I just can't think of a better guy that represents America, a true class act and seems to be one of the most honest and proud guys.
Here is an article on the situation.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/boxing/and...52657.html

Quote:Andre Ward tells the WBC to get lost, and hopefully he is the first of many

Super middleweight champion Andre Ward was lavished with praise on Monday when he essentially told the WBC to stick their gaudy green title belt where the sun doesn't shine.

But Ward's actions won't amount to much, because there are few boxers who are willing to take the same stance.

Despite the fact that boxing's major sanctioning bodies routinely cheat, manipulate the rankings, strip fighters of titles they won in the ring, coerce them into giving up their fight-worn equipment and almost daily break their own rules, boxers are desperate to have them.

Few boxers are willing to take a stand like Ward did and tell these morally and ethically bankrupt grounds to get lost. It's going to take fighters like Floyd Mayweather Jr., Wladimir Klitschko, Canelo Alvarez, Juan Manuel Marquez and other high-profile boxers to follow Ward's lead for his action to have any kind of an impact.

Rest assured, though, that's not going to happen in our lifetime.

Ward won his WBC title by defeating Carl Froch in the finale of Showtime's Super Six tournament in 2011. He then successfully defended it last year with a dominating performance over long-time light heavyweight king Chad Dawson. He'd planned to defend it in January against Kelly Pavlik until a shoulder injury that required surgery forced its postponement.

Last month, the WBC stripped Ward of its belt and named him its champion emeritus. That move was a way for it to get sanctioning fees for two titles in the same class, a common trick for sanctioning bodies.

On Monday, though, Ward opted not to play that game. In a statement released through his publicist, Ward told the WBC he didn't want the emeritus title.

After careful thought and consideration with my family and team, I have decided to relinquish my WBC Super Middleweight World Champion Emeritus Title. As has been recently reported, the WBC elected to strip me of my world title belt, making the upcoming bout between Sakio Bika and Marco Antonio Periban for the vacant Super Middleweight Title. After consultation with my manager James Prince and attorney Josh Dubin, it is my belief that the WBC did not have the right to strip me of my World Title and name me Champion Emeritus. We voiced our position to the WBC, and after several discussions, have agreed to disagree with their interpretation of the facts and rules. In our opinion, we feel strongly that I did not violate the rules in any manner whatsoever.

Ward is right, of course. For years, boxing's major sanctioning bodies have manipulated the sport unfairly and, on occasion, unlawfully, with the goal of maximizing revenue.

Promoters and television executives frequently scream about the horrors of the sanctioning bodies -- Currently, the WBA, the WBC, the WBO and the IBF are the four, ahem, major sanctioning groups -- but they're complicit because they play the game when it benefits them.

The sanctioning body belts probably mean less in the U.S. than they do anywhere else in the world, but even in the U.S., they still for some reason carry weight. TV executives want title bouts on their air and thus are willing to do business with the Jose Sulaimans and Gilberto Mendozas of the world when it suits them.

A world where sanctioning body belts didn't exist is but a dream. Fighters want them and, in most cases, are paid more for fighting for them. Fans continue to support them by attending shows that are for sanctioning body belts in greater numbers than those that are not. And TV people want the drama of a title on the line and so they turn their heads to the frequent abuses.

It's not going to change any time soon. They won't rank a fighter who holds another organization's belt. They'll manipulate the ratings. They'll break the rules to allow one fighter to do what he wishes while stripping others who strictly follow the rules.

Ward's actions were admirable, but ultimately meaningless. And it should be noted that Ward is an established fighter who has a television contract with HBO and can expect significant paydays each time out. He's not a young, anonymous champion still living paycheck to paycheck.

If a large number of Ward's fellow champions were to take the same action, it might mean something.

Until then, it's best to appreciate the great actions in the ring and pay as little attention as possible to the sanction bodies and those who run them.

[Snoop]

Great post Fitz, thanks for the share. This part of the article spoke volumes:

Quote:Few boxers are willing to take a stand like Ward did and tell these morally and ethically bankrupt grounds to get lost. It's going to take fighters like Floyd Mayweather Jr., Wladimir Klitschko, Canelo Alvarez, Juan Manuel Marquez and other high-profile boxers to follow Ward's lead for his action to have any kind of an impact.

Rest assured, though, that's not going to happen in our lifetime.

Damn fucking right. Probably because Ward still values what many high-profile boxers no longer have these days. Principles.

[Romulus9]

I hate the WBC. Hate them. It's amazing that the two oldest sanctioning bodies, the WBC and the WBA, are the creators of the most ludicrous standards and practices in the sport. Open scoring, endless 'interim', silver, emeritus and whatever else titles, the WBA's 'regular' and 'super' world championships, shameless preferential treatment of anyone even remotely related to Julio Cesar Chavez, laughable ratings, punishing fighters for unifying championships by stripping them for taking a better and more legitimate fight instead of defending against someone they were paid off to place at #1. The list could go on and on and on.

Good for Andre Ward. Here's hoping others follow his lead and tell some of these people to keep their idiotic belts. What's truly hilarious is that the IBF had its offices raided by the feds in 1999 (for racketeering, taking bribes for rankings, and all of the other things)... and they're the least offensive of the three 'major' organizations of the moment. I'll put the WBO in the major category now since that's largely recognized, and has been since the mid-90s when WBO champions went from people like Francesco Damiani to Riddick Bowe and Oscar de la Hoya, in spite of the fact that Frank Warren does whatever he wants half the time in Europe.

Still, I hate the WBC most of all.

[fsenties4]

Funny thing is that the WBC worte an article in his Facebook page proudly announcing the decision of making Ward the Emeritus champion.

After reading it, I wrote to them asking why did they do apply their rules to him, but not to Vitali Klitschko, who fought on the exact same date as Ward did, and what's more, he's not even injured, but he still is the champion.

Or to Floyd, who won his ww belt in sept 2011, then went on to fight in another division for another sanctioning body, then went to jail!! and it was until may 2013 (20 months later) that he defended the belt.

Of course, I haven't received any answer from them.

[Dickagon]

he's been my p4p #1 for awhile, i do like that cat too. he doesn't try to impress anybody or pretend to be anything. it's too bad Jr will probably end up with his strap after beating some chump

[Fitz]

(05-27-2013 09:19 AM)Snoop Wrote:  Great post Fitz, thanks for the share. This part of the article spoke volumes:

Quote:Few boxers are willing to take a stand like Ward did and tell these morally and ethically bankrupt grounds to get lost. It's going to take fighters like Floyd Mayweather Jr., Wladimir Klitschko, Canelo Alvarez, Juan Manuel Marquez and other high-profile boxers to follow Ward's lead for his action to have any kind of an impact.

Rest assured, though, that's not going to happen in our lifetime.

Damn fucking right. Probably because Ward still values what many high-profile boxers no longer have these days. Principles.

Yep, this was a good thing and I think all boxing fans should be made aware on what Ward did. It was a great thing to do purely on principle and he deserves respect for telling them to get fucked in so many words.

[jlupi]

Rocchigiani almost put them under yrs ago for similar shit, about time someone finishes them off.

[Romulus9]

I'm really trying to clean up my language.

But fuck Jose Sulaiman.

Quote:While WBC/WBA super welterweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez was accepting the WBA version of the 154lb title in Panama, WBC President Jose Sulaiman held court in Mexico City, saying Alvarez has four or five days to give up either the WBC or WBA belt. Sulaiman stated that the WBC never accepted Alvarez’ April 20 bout with Austin Trout as a unification fight and that the fight was seen as a defense of his Canelo’s title. He also said that the WBC extended him the deadline to relinquish the WBA belt without realizing it. “I’m surprised that Saul still hasn’t said which title he is going to keep,” said Sulaiman. “With all the years as champion of the Council, with all the support he received from our organization, he has to respect us. If he wants to go, no problem, but decide with which organization to stay.” For now the WBC expects Alvarez to stay with them and accept that the WBC doesn’t accept unification fights.

[Dickagon]

(05-28-2013 09:31 PM)Romulus9 Wrote:  I'm really trying to clean up my language.

But fuck Jose Sulaiman.

Quote:While WBC/WBA super welterweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez was accepting the WBA version of the 154lb title in Panama, WBC President Jose Sulaiman held court in Mexico City, saying Alvarez has four or five days to give up either the WBC or WBA belt. Sulaiman stated that the WBC never accepted Alvarez’ April 20 bout with Austin Trout as a unification fight and that the fight was seen as a defense of his Canelo’s title. He also said that the WBC extended him the deadline to relinquish the WBA belt without realizing it. “I’m surprised that Saul still hasn’t said which title he is going to keep,” said Sulaiman. “With all the years as champion of the Council, with all the support he received from our organization, he has to respect us. If he wants to go, no problem, but decide with which organization to stay.” For now the WBC expects Alvarez to stay with them and accept that the WBC doesn’t accept unification fights.

no wonder boxing sucks so much dick now, trying to unify just about ruins your career.

[Snoop]

(05-28-2013 09:31 PM)Romulus9 Wrote:  I'm really trying to clean up my language.

But fuck Jose Sulaiman.

Quote:While WBC/WBA super welterweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez was accepting the WBA version of the 154lb title in Panama, WBC President Jose Sulaiman held court in Mexico City, saying Alvarez has four or five days to give up either the WBC or WBA belt. Sulaiman stated that the WBC never accepted Alvarez’ April 20 bout with Austin Trout as a unification fight and that the fight was seen as a defense of his Canelo’s title. He also said that the WBC extended him the deadline to relinquish the WBA belt without realizing it. “I’m surprised that Saul still hasn’t said which title he is going to keep,” said Sulaiman. “With all the years as champion of the Council, with all the support he received from our organization, he has to respect us. If he wants to go, no problem, but decide with which organization to stay.” For now the WBC expects Alvarez to stay with them and accept that the WBC doesn’t accept unification fights.

Nah man, tell us how you really feel.