Kathy Duva: “Andre Ward is terrible but Canelo is super, if they go to the ring I’ll have to pick Canelo”
By: Hans Themistode
The world of boxing is always arguing loudly about some hypothetical match. From fans banging their heads against the wall claiming that Floyd Mayweather will hit a circle around “Sugar” Ray Leonard to pundits around the globe suggesting that Muhammad Ali will beat Tyson Fury, despite the disparity in height and weight heavy.
Over the past few years, a theoretical challenge, in particular, has captured the imaginations of many.
With Canelo Alvarez rising and falling across multiple weight classes, the Mexican star has cemented himself as the best in boxing in the minds of many, following his undisputed run at 168 pounds. . However, before Alvarez took the place of the man to beat, Andre Ward proudly held that title.
In addition to Ward becoming the unified world champion in the 168-pound division, he would go on to become a unified tennis player in the 175-pound division. With Ward abruptly retiring in 2017, after a round of 16 victory over Sergey Kovalev, Alvarez is now confidently marching through Ward’s old field.
As a result, fans have been constantly salivating about a mock match between this pair. In the end, while Alvarez hardliners have sided with the current star, and Ward fans are standing firmly in his corner, Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events, has seen Both men were close and personal, believing that she knew who would have prevailed if they entered the ring against each other.
“If they were in the ring, I would have to pick Canelo,” Duva said in an interview with Fight Hub TV. “Andre Ward is brilliant but Canelo is sublime. I was amazed by what he accomplished. As good as Ward is, he doesn’t challenge himself the way Canelo does. He’s spent years sitting out, voluntarily, he doesn’t have to.”
When Duva was in hiding, from 2013 to 2014, Ward publicly feuded with his former promoter, Dan Goossen. The source of their problems stems from a contractual dispute. Initially, Ward believed that Goossen was never his only promoter. Instead, Ward suggested that their partnership was split between Goossen and his co-promoter Antonio Leonard. With Leonard turning down the painting for money, Ward took the matter to Goossen. Though things eventually worked out, Ward spent a full year and a half out of the ring, before returning full-time in 2016.
Regardless of Ward’s advertising problem, he continued exactly where he left off. To end his career in the Hall of Fame, Duva watched from the seat next to him as Ward delivered the previously undefeated pounder, Sergey Kovalev, with consecutive beatings.
However, when Duva puts Ward’s track record with Alvarez’s, she believes it’s unquestionable.
“Nothing against him, he has managed his career however he needs to. But when you compare what he’s achieved with what Canelo has achieved, it’s night and day. I know he’s an excellent fighter and he’s great with head-to-head fights. He certainly did a very productive job with Sergey. We knew it was coming, we did everything we could to stop it but he was so good. I don’t know if that will work for Canelo or not. He’s been there and done so much more.”
In 2019, in an unexpected move, Alvarez brilliantly made the jump from the official 160-pound class to the light weight division. The Mexican-born tennis player will go on to rip Kovalev’s WBO world title. In doing so, Alvarez became a four world title player. In the end, Duva couldn’t determine who fought better between Alvarez and Ward. Clearly, however, Duva believes that if the two meet in the ring at any point, Alvarez will win.
“If you ask me to choose who will win if they go head to head, I don’t know who is the better fighter because you can put two great fighters together twice and get two different results. But head-to-head, Canelo beats basically anyone he wants to fight. ”
