Photo by Will Hart
On Saturday, March 26, 2016, Andre Ward established himself as a legitimate Light Heavyweight contender with a clear, unanimous decision victory against Sullivan Barrera at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California.
Ward won with scores of 117-109, 119-109, and 117-108 in the HBO-televised fight.
In Round 1, Ward set the pace by pawing with his jab and landing powerful jabs to the body. Wards left hand and his footwork continually prevented Barrera from landing combination punches.
Indeed, as Barrera pushed forward, Ward either moved away or smothered Barrera’s offense by closing the distance and leaning to his left side. This also proved effective on the ropes and allowed Ward to land a counter left hook that dropped Barrera in Round 3.
Ward, a native of Oakland, California, continued dominating the fight, controlling Barrera with left hooks and right hands, though eating a few right hands of his own.
Barrera, a native of Cuba, was dropped in Round 8 from a low-blow, which was caused Ward to lose a point. The lead was too high, however, and had no effect on the outcome as Ward cruised to victory.
When asked about a potential fight with Kovalev, Ward said that it was a matter of time and that he’d have to let his team decide if Kovalev would be his in his immediate future.
Who do you think wins the matchup? Let us know in the comments section.
