Smigga turned down his own shot at Ward too
Thursday 5 March 2015 14:25, UK
A Carl Froch and Andre Ward rematch has been ordered but, having turned down a shot at the No 1 super-middleweight himself, Paul Smith can't see it happening - on these shores at least...
I've said for a long time that I don't see Andre Ward fighting at super-middleweight again.
I just can't see Ward coming over here. Maybe it it's a 2am start so it fits in with American broadcast, maybe if he is paid silly money, but I just can't see it. Love or loathe him, he is the best super-middleweight in the world.
But after the WBA ordered a rematch this week, I might be wrong. It may well have changed and it might well bring the best out of Carl Froch, but does he really want to go and fight Ward again?
There aren't many who would want to do that - including myself. I was offered Ward after the initial Arthur Abraham fight last year and without sounding defeatist or coming across like I didn't have the belief, I had to ask myself if I really wanted a shot at him?
Ward wanted it to get him back in the frame but I am never one just to take a fight for the money. I know I'd only have had a puncher's chance against him - and so to do most super-middleweights. I am not putting myself or anyone down, I just think he is that good, I really do.
Ward has nothing left to prove at 168lbs. He has been ordered to fight Froch again but with no disrespect to Carl at all, I don't think he will reverse that original decision.
Yes, the inactivity has been brought up and it could play a part, but it's not like Ward's been sat around doing nothing while all those contractual issues have been sorted. He might need a 12 to 14-week camp to get right back on it. Carl doesn't even need that long, he's another one who is always training.
European
I just can't see Ward coming over here either. Yes, Eddie Hean is right, Carl might be the bigger draw over here but a lot of America just treat us as European, as opposed to British. It sounds odd but we consider Britain as Britain and the likes of Germany, Italy and France as Europe. But whenever I'm out there, Americans call me "European" - and the bottom line is, they don't like the decisions that happen over here!
They are very, very wrong about that. We have seen our own fighters robbed on their own soil and while we will all recall Ricky Burns against Raymundo Beltran, we are still the only country in the world that often work against our own!
I just can't see Ward coming over here. Maybe if it's a 2am start so it fits in with an American TV broadcast, maybe if he is paid silly money, but I just can't see it.
Love or loathe him, Ward is the best super-middleweight in the world.
If Gennady Golovkin stepped up to fight Ward I can see that fight happening. Maybe even Ward stepping up to light-heavy to take on Sergey Kovalev or Bernard Hopkins could happen. I am sure that's the same for Carl, but with him, that Las Vegas option is still there.
Personally I think he deserves it and I can understand why. So why not wait for Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr? Let him have a warm-up, get over that elbow injury - I am going for an operation on mine by the way - then take him on in.
There are so many 'if's' and 'buts' and 'rights' and 'wrongs' but if Ward and Froch fight again, I'll have definitely got it wrong!
