Just in case you didn’t believe your senses, this fight is actually going to happen. Believe it. And to top things off, Paul Smith came in overweight after stepping on the scales.
Hot favorite Andre Ward came in at 171.8 pounds, while Smith a staggering 176.4 (4.4 over the 172 catchweight limit). Not that it should make much difference to the bout’s outcome.
The former Super Middleweight champion will be fighting Britain’s Paul Smith at the Oracle Arena, Oakland, California. The RocNation promoted event is a mismatch in every sense of the word, it has to be said. Even as a tune-up opponent for the undefeated Andre Ward – who has claimed the scalps of 168 pound elites like Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler – this is really scraping the barrel.
Ward (27-0, 14 KO) has some ring rust on him following 18 months of inactivity, sure, but he should be sharing the ring with someone a little more capable. We can expect the former champ to resume his (former) Super Middleweight Rankings top spot by late 2016. If he stays active and lands the fights necessary, that is.
No one doubts the warrior spirit of Smith (35-5, 20 KO) – who could after his first encounter with Arthur Abraham? – but he stands next to little chance of scoring an upset here. The distance between these fighters, in terms of boxing ability and smarts, couldn’t be greater.
Hey, these fights happen, as we all know. And it is what it is. (Thank goodness we have Broner vs Porter to look forward to this weekend!)
Boxing News Online caught all the action from the Ward vs Smith weigh-in:
We’d rather avoid asking what your pick is going into this bout, fight fans. So just tell us what method of victory Ward wins by. Knockout, or will Smith surprise us all by going the distance?
The BoxingBase.com writing staff provide worldwide boxing news, coverage and analysis – they can be contacted via email and social media.
