SHARKSPAGE

Andre Ward World Boxing Classic open workout photos, conference call quotes

ANDRE WARD LANDS A LEFT HOOK IN WEDNESDAY OPEN WORKOUT AT KINGS GYM

WARD ANSWERED QUESTIONS FROM TELEVISION, PRINT AND ONLINE MEDIA RINGSIDE

ANDRE WARD IS TIED WITH 4 WBC BOXERS AT 2 POINTS, WITH 1 FIGHT IN HAND

Oakland’s Andre Ward (21-0-0, 13 KOs) returns to Oracle Arena to face Tulsa native Allan Green (29-1-0, 20KOs) for the second round of Showtime’s Super-6 World Boxing Classic tournament on Saturday, June 19th. Ward is coming off a stunning 11th round stoppage of tournament favorite Mikkel Kessler last November that shocked the national and international boxing community, but it was an outcome that many local boxing pundits did not consider an upset. The 2004 Olympic gold medalist will face a grizzled veteran in Allan Green, a late tournament replacement after Jermain Taylor withdrew due to a brutal 12th round KO at the hands of Arthur Abraham last October.

A photo gallery from Wednesday’s open workout at King’s Gym in Oakland is available here.

Quotes from the Tuesday conference call with WBA Super Middleweight champion Andre Ward, #8 ranked Super Middleweight Allan Green (Ring Magazine), and Ward promoter Dan Goossen.

[Q] Can you compare Allan Green with any boxers you have faced in the past?

[Andre Ward] “I don’t know if I can compare Allan with anyone I’ve ever fought before. At the end of the day each fighter has his own strengths and his own weaknesses. If you’re going to become a great fighter you have to learn to exploit his weaknesses so that’s what we’re working on. But I don’t get caught up in trying to compare this guy with that. At the end of the day I look at June 19 as a fresh night. And it’s all about showing up on that night. So even though we’ve studied tape I expect a better Allan Green than what I’ve seen on tape. I’ve prepared myself mentally for this to be the toughest fight of my career.”

[Q] Allan Green has had some negative things to say about you. Has that bothered you?

[Andre Ward] “Bother me? No. Use them? Absolutely. I don’t read a lot of press before the fight but I get people coming up to me all the time saying, ‘Did you hear this or did you hear that?’ I’ve been like since the amateurs but for some reason I live like a lamb before the fight. I’ve heard his comments on Fight Camp 360 and you better believe I use that. It bothers me in a good way because I constantly have something to prove and that’s what not a lot of people realize. I think a lot of people think I’m coming in here really well rested and really enjoying the fact that I’ve got a championship. But it’s been all work. For me, I try to say as little as possible before a fight. I’m not going to stand there and get pushed down or get bullied but at the end of the day I just shut my mouth, work hard and take care of business. So that’s what I plan on doing 11 days from now.”

[Q] What does it mean for you to fight in Oakland?

[Andre Ward] “It’s a huge deal for me to be fighting in Oakland. There’s a lot of negative things that come out of this city, but there’s also a lot of good. In this economy people are coming out and spending their money on these fights and having a good time. It’s exciting to see people excited about these fights; for fathers to be bringing their kids. Even women who would never go to a fight come up to me and my wife and say I bought a ticket and I’m coming to the next fight. It’s a lot of positive recognition and it’s one of the reasons I’m in this sport. It’s not to make money or build a legacy but to make a positive impact. We’re slowly and surely doing that and it’s very dear to my heart.”

[Q] How are you going to approach this fight?

[Andre Ward] “If he (Green) has a chip on his shoulder then that makes two of us. I’ve been away from my family for a long time. I’m a bit irritable. He’s desperate to win but I want to keep my title. I don’t know if it’s now or it it’s later but I know eventually I’m going to get respect for the dog that’s in me and for the bite down that I have. It’s about going out there and taking care of my business. I expect him to have a chip on his shoulder because I definitely have one on mine. It’s just go time. At some point the talking just stops and it’s about just showing up. If Allan Green beats me I’ll take my hat off to him. I don’t make excuses. And I expect the same from him if I beat him. What I’m prepared for is a dog fight. I’m prepared for anything he’s got.”

[Q] What is the condition of your knee injury that caused the fight to be pushed back from its initial date of April 24th?

[Andre Ward] “My right knee is fine. We’ve had no issues with the knee throughout our entire training camp. Coming off of surgery there are certain things you need to do in rehabilitation just to keep the muscles and the hamstring and all the different muscles that wrap around the knee; just keeping them strong. The knee has really been a non-issue in this camp.”

[Q] Andre Ward currently looks like the class of the tournament, what do you need to do to beat an Andre Ward?

[Allan Green] “Andre looked great against Kessler but I’m not Kessler. Mikkel Kessler really couldn’t deal with a lot of things that Andre was doing. I’m slick guy and I’m a sharp guy. I’ll fight however my opponent wants to fight. If I have to be slick I’ll be slick. If I have to box I will box. If I have to brawl I’ll brawl. I expect a thinking match. I can’t give my game plan. Andre is not the easiest guy to fight with his style but I understand how to fight him because I fought a lot of those guys in the amateurs. I understand his style.”

[Q] You had to wait a long time before you could join the World Boxing Classic tournament. What are your thoughts about not being a part of the original six, and being able to compete now?

[Allan Green] “I think I belonged in the tournament originally. As far as (Andre) Dirrell goes I don’t think he was ready. The thing I didn’t understand was Jermain Taylor getting into the tournament. No offense against Jermain but we fought on the same show and I won my fight and he lost his fight. I got pushed back to ShoBox and he got put into the tournament. That’s what I didn’t understand.”

[Q] Is your back against the wall a little bit, coming in late and needing to get enough points to make it to the next round of the tournament?

[Allan Green] “I’m not coming into this tournament thinking about points. I’m thinking about victories. With victories come points. I don’t want to put any more pressure on myself than I already have. The only points I’m worried about are the points in the fight. And that’s up to the judges. So I can’t worry about that. I can’t put pressure on myself like that.”

[Andre Ward promoter Dan Goossen] “Here is the way I look at it, we are all in this together. I am working hand in hand with Lou DiBella and Antonio Leonard… With the Ward victory, and we anticipate that, it still leaves the tournament in great shape because all the other fights have certainly gone in directions that a lot of people didn’t anticipate. We believe we have a fighter, I know there has been a lot of talk about Allan Green, as well as they should. He is a tremendous athlete, certainly a world class fighter, and he has a lot of belief in his abilities. We don’t have a problem with that, but when you get ready for an Andre Ward you get ready for something you have never encountered before. Andre has all the goods. One of the reasons we got into this tournamnet from the outset, was to make it to the finals, to win it, and to become a major pay-per-view star. The tournament itself is great for the fans, and great for the network, but more importantly our target was always Andre Ward being a pay-per-view star.”