Kelly Swanson
Thank
you, everybody, for joining us today and I am thrilled to be hosting
this call for such an awesome fight. This is Andre Ward and Chad
Dawson's International Media conference call. We will start with one
team and then lead into the other.
Just
a couple of media notes, I do have a note here that the replay of 24/7 -
Road to Ward/Dawson will be airing Friday, 7:00 p.m. eastern and
pacific.
We
will also be sending out the fight week's schedule. There are great
opportunities planned for fight week and that is attributed to the
wonderful job the promoters have done.
At
this time, I'm going to introduce Dan Goossen, President of Goossen
Tutor Promotions. Then, we will be joined by "Bad" Chad Dawson and his
trainer John Scully. Dan?
Dan Goossen
Well,
thank you, Kelly. First off, thank you all for joining us today. I'm
going to make it short and sweet from my end, and then I'm going let you
hear from Chad Dawson and John Scully. I'll be hopping back on when
Andre gets on. Gary's in Germany right now, getting ready for his fight
against Sturm, so I'm doing this, as a courtesy to him.
First
off, Kelly mentioned the fight week schedule. Tuesday, we're going to
have the final open workout with Andre and Dawson. That will be
followed by Wednesday press availabilities for DeMarco and Molina.
Anyone that needs any interviews with Antonio DeMarco and John Molina,
Jr., please contact Kelly. That, in itself, is going to be a great
fight and a great way to open up the HBO Telecast. The final press
conference will be Thursday at 11:30 a.m., at a restaurant in Oakland,
which will be noted on the events schedule (update: FAZ Restaurant).
Then,
on Friday we're doing something a little bit differently. HBO came out
there and did their HBO, 24/7 - Road to Ward/Dawson. They really gave
it the full treatment, as if it was a Pay-Per-View Event. We're
appreciative of that, because I think it was important that both Ward
and Dawson got a chance to say something about themselves, other than
what they do inside the ring. They certainly deserved it, we thought it
was great, but what we're doing is a FanFest on Friday that will be
held at the Oakland City Center.
We've
got sponsors involved in this, including 95.7 The Game, the local radio
station in the Bay Area, one of the hottest ones coming out right now.
They're going to have a radio remote there. One of their sister
stations, KBLX will be also hosting the event live at the City Center,
along with Corona who will have a beer garden, for all you guys that
need a cold one, we're going to have a beer garden there. We've got
Everlast out there with their booth, City of Oakland, Oracle Arena,
ourselves. It's going to be a real festive celebration event within an
event to get ready for the main event on Saturday night.
HBO
will have a booth also, and all this will lead into the live weigh-in,
which will be at the same place, starting at 2:30, where we'll have
Molina/DeMarco, and Ward and Dawson weighing in, at the City Center. We
expect 3,000 to 4,000, 5,000 fans to attend this FanFest. Anyway, any
other questions you have regarding fight week or related to the fight,
Kelly's your go-to person. Andy Olson is handling credentials.
I'm
going to turn it over to John to say a few words, and I'll have Chad
say something, and then I'll leave you guys together with them. John?
John Scully:
Okay,
hello. I'm just obviously excited to be here. This is a huge fight
for us and a huge fight for boxing and I'm just happy to be a part of
it. I'm excited for Chad. I know how bad he wants this, and he wants
that recognition that this fight is going to bring, and I'm just proud
to be a part of helping him get to his goal.
D. Goossen
Thank you, John. Chad?
Chad Dawson
Yes,
I just want to thank everybody involved with the fight; you, Dan
Goossen or Gary Shaw, my promoter, and HBO for putting such a push
behind this fight. The HBO, 24/7 was great. I think it gave me and
Andre Ward a lot of exposure, and people liked it. Like I said, I'm
excited to be in the position I'm in. I'm excited about the fight, and
everything has been going great and I'm looking forward to Sept 8th.
D. Goossen
Thank
you, very much. Kelly, I'm going to throw it back to you. You handle
it with getting the media up there, and I'll be back when Andre gets on,
okay?
Q and A K. Swanson Thank you so much, Dan.
D. Goossen Thanks, take care.
Robert Morales, Los Angeles Daily News.
Chad,
I was just curious. You've already been Light-Heavyweight Champion,
obviously, so you've already tasted that World Championship stuff, but
how much would a victory over Andre Ward mean to you, a rank in your
career, especially since you're having to come down in weight to get it,
which we all know is very difficult in this game?
C. Dawson
The
weight problem was not difficult at all. My weight is good. I'm ready
to scale at 168 pounds. A victory of Andre Ward would mean a lot for
my career. We're talking about somebody who is rated very high on the
pound-for-pound list, and somebody who has a lot of recognition. He won
a Gold Medal in the Olympics. When you look at his resume, it doesn't
really get any bigger than that, especially winning a Gold Medal for the
United States, so I'm looking forward to the fight and going out there
and I'll prove everybody wrong.
People
are so wrapped up about the fact that I'm moving down to 168 pounds,
when they saw me at a seven-pound weight difference, but I'll make the
weight comfortably and I'll be ready to fight on the 8th.
Dan Rafael from ESPN.com
Chad,
listen, my question for you was, a little bit of what Robert was saying
about the 168, to make it. People, myself, a lot of people, make a big
deal about you coming down in weight for this fight.
First
of all, you said it's been going okay for you. My question for you,
though, is whatever happens in this fight; let's say you win the
Super-Middleweight World Championship, now you're Super-Middleweight
Champ, you're still Light-Heavyweight Champion; is this like a
one-and-done for you and you go back to Light-Heavyweight and just have
said I accomplished my goal, I won the Super-Middleweight title; or do
you think you could continue to make 168 if the right fight presented
itself in this weight class?
C. Dawson
I
definitely think I can continue to make 168. I'm, like you said, I've
kind of got the best of both worlds. If I go down, if everything works
according to plan and I win the title, and I'm looking for good fights
in either weight class. I think 168 is a lot more loaded than the
Light-Heavyweight Division is. I also do think that those guys at 168,
including Andre Ward, will be coming up to Light-Heavyweight real soon,
so as I say, I'm in a great position. I could go back to
Light-Heavyweight and wait for those guys or I could stay at 168 pounds
and contend against the Kesslers and Froch and those guys, so I think
it's a great position to be in.
D. Rafael
How
much of a difference has it been for you, then, in this training camp,
and maybe John could address this also, for you to drop that extra seven
pounds, compared to what you would normally do to make 175 in a normal
training camp to defend the Light-Heavyweight Title or to fight at a
Light-Heavyweight fight; has it been much different or is it just diet a
little bit more, run a little bit more, what's been the big
difference? You made 168 for so many years anyway.
C. Dawson
Yes,
just dieting; a lot of people don't understand, I came into training
camp at 178 and 180 pounds. I came into camp, just came, I got in and I
was 180 pounds, so like I told everybody before, it's not hard for me
to make the weight. I put another little bit extra mile on my runs and
I'm dieting, and that's something that I haven't done in years, and
that's diet. When I was fighting in Light-Heavyweight I was able to eat
what I wanted and still go into the weigh-in and make the weight, so
this camp, it was great.
It
just made me a little meaner, the fact that I can't eat what I want and
have to diet, so I'll be ready for the weigh-in. I'll jump on the
scale at 167, probably 168 pounds, and I'll prove everybody wrong, the
people who think that I'm not going to be able to make the weight, that
I'll be drained and dehydrated. That's not the case at all.
D. Rafael
Hey,
John, could you address that from your point of view, as the trainer.
Has there been any difference in his energy level, or do you know where
there are any particular problems, or things when it comes to him trying
to make this weight?
J. Scully
No,
like he said, and I didn't even actually know this, because Axel takes
care of all his cooking and food and everything. In the other training
camps, I didn't monitor the food at all, so I kind of assumed that he
was just dieting and eating the proper foods. Then, for this fight, I
said, "Hey, you sure we're going to make 168," and he said, listen, all
he's got to do is starting eating good. I didn't realize it before,
when we fought Hopkins, I mean he beat Hopkins on a diet that I wouldn't
have chosen, you know what I mean?
So,
now, with eating the proper foods and after discussing it with Axel, it
appears that it's not going to be a problem at all. I've read a lot of
blogs and people are really focused on this weight thing, but I think
it's a misguided direction of energy because it just doesn't seem to be
an issue.
D. Rafael
I
think it's just an unusual thing, that you see a prime champion like
Chad to drop weight to make a fight, where it normally is the other
champion, it would be Ward to move up. Maybe, Chad, you could just
address this also; some people say Ward insisted on 168, others say
catch weight, no problem. There's been back and forth, but what is your
side of the story is to how it came to be that you're making 168, as
opposed to either defending your title at 175 or defending your title at
some weight above 168?
C. Dawson
Dan,
I guess, it doesn't really matter what the agreement was. When I
announced that I wanted to fight Andre Ward on HBO, I said 168 and you
could do a catch weight or we could do 175. That's what I said, and
they said 168. I'm not the type of person who is going to go back and
forth, back and forth. I told my promotor, Gary Shaw, to make this
fight, I'd do 168 and I'll go to Oakland, so I gave him every
advantage. I think that credits my ability and what I know I'm capable
of and what I know I could do in the arena. I don't care that the
fight's in Oakland. I don't care that it's at 168 pounds, because I
know I'll be comfortable and everything is going to go my way.
Alexis Terrazas, San Francisco Examiner.
Yes,
the odds makers right now have you as the underdog, and that's a
position that you always haven't been in, but why do you think that is
and do you take offense to that? Does that give you any extra
motivation fuel in your game?
C. Dawson
No,
I don't take offense to it at all. People, in fact, have their own
opinion. All I can say is that they're making the wrong bet. My
training camp has been great. I'm not worried about being the
underdog. Like you said, I've never been in this position before, and
it's maybe about time that I am in that position. It's going to give me
fuel and it's going to make me a better fighter.
A. Terrazas
Your
last two bouts were against a guy, in Hopkins, a really difficult
style, effective for him, but not necessarily a crowd-pleasing. Andre
kind of has that type of style, effective, difficult, not really
crowd-pleasing. How does that experience from those two fights, how
will that help you on September 8th?
C. Dawson
When
I fought Bernard, the second time, like you said, he's so tricky and so
crafty in the ring. He's very smart when it comes to that, and I did
what I had to do to win the fight, but at the end of the fight I knew I
could have done more. The fact that I've been in the ring with Bernard
for 14 rounds, I think it says a lot about me and how I can deal with
different styles.
I
fought everybody from Tarver to Glen Johnson and Bernard and Tomasz
Adamek, and those are all three different styles, so when they say that
Andre Ward can adapt to any style, I'm saying, wait, I can adapt to any
style and I can figure out how to beat any style. I'm a very
intelligent fighter when I'm in the ring and, come the eighth, everybody
is going to see that, and they're going to realize that I am a better
fighter than Andre Ward.
A. Terrazas
The
last question here, we all saw the 24/7, Chad, and you're a quiet guy,
you like to do your talking inside the ring, but how was this training
camp and leading up to this fight different? Are you used to these
cameras being all around your family and in the gym? Is that any
different, or are you just kind of taking it in stride and maybe
pretending they're not even there? How's that going for you?
C. Dawson
I
just pretend that they're not there. It's something that they had to
do. HBO wanted to be able to get inside and show the fans and the
boxing audience how we live outside of the gym and how we do training,
so it just comes with the territory. At the end of the day, you have to
get used to it. I think it was good that they showcased me and Andre
Ward's lifestyle and our families and everything, and it was a great
look. People loved it, so it was great. There was no problem with it
at all.
Jason Gonzalez, MaxBoxing.com.
Chad,
I already got John's take on this matter, I want to get yours.
Considering you have a victory over Bernard Hopkins in the boxing
calendar year of 2012, would a victory over Andre Ward make you the
Fighter of the Year?
C. Dawson
I
don't know. I don't worry about those things, honestly. I don't
know. I don't really care. My whole focus is getting this victory. If
they want to make me Fighter of the Year, I'll be glad to accept it,
but right now that's not even on my mind.
J. Gonzalez
Okay.
Now, the second question, do you buy into the hype that Andre's a dirty
fighter with the head butting and the elbowing, the elbows on the
inside of the clinches, and whatnot?
C. Dawson
No,
because I've never been in the ring with him, so I don't know. I can't
buy into something that I've never experienced. I've watched his tapes
and I've been studying him, but I can't say that he's a dirty fighter.
I'll have to judge that when I get into the ring with him on the
eighth.
Bob Velin, USA Today.
One
of the questions I had was kind of asked, but I will maybe put it a
different way. Do you feel that being on 24/7 gives people a different
idea of who Chad Dawson is, more of a family man than maybe what people
thought? Has that been a help for you?
C. Dawson
I've
always considered myself to be a family man. I felt people saw that,
too. My family is at every fight. My family comes first before
anything. At the end of the day, my job is to raise my kids and be a
good husband, and that's what I try to do. I try to live my life like
that. Only good things come to people who live their life like that, so
that's what I try to do.
I
try to show my kids right from wrong and just be there for them at any
time, so whatever the people got out of the 24/7 is great, because when I
watched it, it made me see that, even though I already know that, but
family is definitely more important than anything else. I love my
family. I love my wife. I love my kids, so that's just how I am, it's
just me.
B. Velin
You
both have styles of not necessarily wanting to go toe-to-toe with
somebody, but avoiding punches. Do you see any way that this fight
could turn into a slugfest, a toe-to-toe battle?
C. Dawson
You
got to look at the fact that you got two young guys with a lot on the
table and a lot to lose and a lot to gain, so I think that this fight is
going to eventually turn into, as the rounds go on, you're going to
have two guys pushing and two guys that are determined, so I definitely
think that the fight can turn into that type of fight, the fight that
people want to see.
B. Velin
Do you feel that Andre has the power to hurt you if he connects?
C. Dawson
I
don't know, because anything can happen in boxing. I've seen guys with
the least punching power hurt guys, so I'm not even going to think
about that. My whole thing is just going in there, winning this fight,
and doing it in a great fashion and giving the crowd a great fight.
Lem Satterfield, TheRing.com.
John,
you and I discussed this a while ago, and Chad just kind of mentioned
it with Bob, that there is a lot on the line for these guys, and for the
first time in a while you have two guys who are considered the best in
their division and they've already, not just based on their talent, but
their pedigree and who they've beaten along the way, so given that, how
much does it matter to Chad and to you to have that, potentially that
Sugar Ray Leonard/Thomas Hearns type of battle, or would it still be an
acceptable achievement to have sort of like a Roy Jones/Bernard Hopkins,
the first fight that they had, which wasn't necessarily a dog fight,
but to recognize the skill and ability of the fighters?
J. Scully
For
me, as the trainer, especially, the whole thing is winning, above all
else, above the crowd, above the legacy, above everything, winning is
the most important thing, and that's how we have to approach the fight.
I do think that Chad has the ability and the potential to open up more
and be more exciting, and I honestly have the feeling that Andre is
going to bring that out of him.
I'm
surprised that after seeing Chad in the first Glen Johnson fight, the
way he responded like a warrior, I think a lot of people think that
that's like a weakness with him, but I read where people have said, "Oh,
man, Andre's going to get inside," and he's going to do this and that,
and I actually think, and he can tell you better, but I think Chad wants
him to come like that.
I
think Chad welcomes him making it a good fight. I think the better the
fight is, the more Chad is going to like it, because it's going to draw
out all of the things that he has in him, because the fact of the
matter is, and I know this from knowing Chad since he was a kid, there
is so much talent and power and explosiveness that the fact is he's
never shown, he hasn't had to show, because he's won the majority of
these fights so easily, so I think it could very well turn into the
fight people want to see, and I think contrary to the belief of some
people, I think it's going to favor Chad if it turns into that kind of
fight.
L. Satterfield
Chad, do you have any reaction to what I just said?
C. Dawson
No,
I'm just looking for a great fight. I know that Andre was a great
fighter, and like Scully said, this is a fight I wanted because I know
what type of fighter that it takes to bring the best out of me and Andre
Ward is that pedigree of a fighter. He can bring that and I'm pretty
sure that he knows that I got the same thing in me to bring the best out
of him, so that's why I say everybody that's down on the fight and
saying that it's going to be a boring fight, you can't say that because
you've got two guys that are on top of their game, two guys in their
prime, you got two guys that are the best in their divisions, and we're
really fighting for something. It's not like we're fighting for
nothing, we're fighting for something, and what we're fighting for is
something big, so, like I said, I do believe that this is going to be a
very exciting fight.
L. Satterfield
Okay.
One last question for you, one of the fights that I look at in your
career, some people don't give you as much credit for beating the
Tarvers and the Johnsons because they were older fighters, and even
Bernard, but the Adamek fight was at a time where both of you guys were
undefeated. I think you went down once, he went down, and he hadn't
lost until he lost to Klitschko, since then. How much of that fight do
you look at as making you the fighter that you are now, and do you think
you deserve more credit for that win than maybe you have gotten?
C. Dawson
I'm
thinking I've gotten the credit for that fight. I think people know
what I can do and they just haven't seen it, but when they see that Chad
Dawson again, which is going to be on the eighth, I think that people
will start to give me more credit.
L. Satterfield
What
is that, Chad Dawson? Can you go back to that fight and kind of put -
you went down in that fight and you had to come back - what questions do
you feel you answered then that you will bring back on September 8th?
Can you talk a little bit about it?
C. Dawson
That
I'm a warrior, that I've been in a ring 33 times, I've been hit, I've
been hurt, I've been down, and I've gotten back up, and that's going to
always be my style of fighting. Whenever I get hurt, the first thing
that pops in my head is to come back. I come back meaner and I come
back tougher, so that's just me, and that's the fighter I'm going to try
to continue to be.
Richard de Ocio, Fresno Examiner.
John
in how you're preparing Chad for this fight. Obviously, we talked
about the weight cutting and that could be something that's going to be
an issue. Now, taking a look at what's it's going to be like in the
ring, how do you think the fight is going to play out, initially, right
from let's say rounds one to four? Is that going to be a feeling out
process of determining what kind of fight Andre Ward's going to bring to
the table, or do you think Chad's going to be able to impose his will
early, whatever your strategy is going to be, and if you could shed some
light into the strategy?
J. Scully
Without
going too much into detail, I'll say this as a basic overview that's
always in play with Chad. I've always said that I feel Chad is in the
Mayweather, Roy Jones type of realm where more often than not, the
opponent is going to have to deal with Chad, more than he's going to
have to deal with them.
He
has certain things that he was born with, certain things, just the
mentality that he has, and his approach to the fight that forces people
to have to adjust to him. His height, obviously, is one of those things
that just can't be avoided. You have to adjust. I think, more than
all of the Andre's recent opponents, I think we're going to be able to
implement out style because, like I said, without giving too much away,
I've watched all of Andre's fights and I don't feel that any of his
opponents, as good as they were, they weren't able to establish their
own game plan. They had to adjust to Andre's, and I felt that some of
that was because of their physical limitations that Chad obviously
doesn't have.
Put
it this way, I think, going into this fight, Andre, when they went
looking for sparring partners, they probably had a tough time finding
someone that could bring to the table what Chad is going to bring to the
table.
R. de Ocio
Yes,
and, Chad, just to follow up on that, how do you think you're going to
come out and answer the opening bell for that fight on September 8th?
C. Dawson
Just
going out and bringing energy, just bring energy. I just want to be
more active and I'll just bring a lot of energy to the fight, and impose
my will.
Robert Hough, FightNews.com.
Hi,
a couple of questions for Chad Dawson. I've done a good bit of work
with Andre Ward over the years, interviewing him and Virgil Hunter, and
Virgil's made what might be a subtle point in that his people have noted
Mr. Ward can fight in a variety of styles, which poses, perhaps,
challenges in the ring.
But
also, from Hunter's perspective, challenges in preparing because it's,
to his size, difficult to get the good sparring partners who can
replicate what he can do. Can you talk some about how you're preparing
for that? Is it a matter of sparring both with guys who have got that
big strong inside game and can do more of the sharp-shooting style, or
doing some of each, or what's your approach in sparring on that front?
C. Dawson
First
of all, we've had great sparring, I think the sparring that we've had
is a lot better than what we've expected, so on that note, everything is
great. I'm not worried about finding guys to emulate him too much,
because we got guys that emulate him very well. I'm just prepared, I'm
ready to go, and I'll be ready on the eighth.
R. Hough
A
quick follow-up, I talked to you briefly in Sacramento, California in
2007, Gary Shaw was nice enough to bring you over to press row and you
were super gracious and Gary said, "Chad doesn't travel with a posse, he
travels with his family." We talked on 24/7 some, by the time the
Pascal fight came around, there were 30 people around you in your
entourage, and they all disappeared after that fight didn't go your
way. Can you talk some about how things got from that point in '07 when
it was you and your family to you and 30 people around you?
C. Dawson
Yes,
but when I said that, I wasn't talking about, like at the fight, me
walking around with 30 people, but after the fight, when I got back home
to New Haven. I mean, I didn't travel with those guys. When I came
home, I was embraced by 30 guys that I hung around with, that I would go
out with. We'd always be together.
And
to touch on that, I think every fighter goes through that type of
situation. When you're up, everybody wants to be around you and be
there to hold your coattail, but when you're down, nobody really knows
what to say to you, or nobody dares to pick you up and tell you, "Look,
Chad, man, it's okay, you'll bounce back." So, when I lost to Pascal,
when I got home, it was literally maybe a handful of people that said,
"It's okay, we know you'll bounce back," but everybody else
disappeared. No phone calls, no nothing, and that just put my mind in a
different place. I'm a different person from that. I learned who my
real friends are and who my real friends aren't.
Like
I said, I think every fighter or anybody who's ever been at the level I
was at has been through that, from the Michael Jordans to the Kobe
Bryants, Lebron James, I'm pretty sure they all experienced it.
R. Hough
Are you a Celtics fan?
C. Dawson
No, I'm a Miami Heat fan.
R. Hough
Yes, well, Ward likes the Lakers, so you might have something to talk about.
C. Dawson
Yes.
R. Hough
What
I got from what you said in the 24/7, it seems like between fights you
have sort of gotten away from having 25, 30 people around, is that
correct?
C. Dawson
Yes,
yes, I've definitely gotten away from that. You see me after the fight
now and I'm in the house with my family, bringing my kids to school
every morning, picking them up, making sure that my home, my kids, and
my wife are straight. That's my whole game. That's how I live my life
now.
Colin Seymour, Examiner.com
Hi,
this is Colin Seymour. I'm glad to meet you, Chad. I'm in
California. When you were out here in California, you were treated a
little bit inhospitably. It seemed to me that Virgil Hunter was really
trying to get under your skin and he's very good at that. Did he
succeed in any way?
C. Dawson
He
failed with a big F. Yes, he got an F for that, but I've been in the
ring with Bernard and I've been at a press conferences with Bernard,
I've been in a press conferences with Tarver. I've experienced all of
that, and those guys didn't get under my skin, so I don't know what
makes him think he would get under my skin, but I'm fine and, like I
said, he flunked that test.
C. Seymour
It's
got to be tough coming out to Andre Ward's hometown and he's got
thousands of people flocking around him. You were talking about the
people who are actually around you, but what about the people that are
just your fan base, who are they and how much can this fight do to
expand your fan base?
C. Dawson
I
mean it could do a lot. I don't know what type of crowd I'll have out
there in Oakland, but I wouldn't care if I had one fan in the audience,
as long as my family and my closest friends are there, it doesn't matter
to me, so everything is great.
K. Swanson
Okay,
that was Chad's last question, so we are going to thank the Champion,
the WBC of Ring Magazine, Light-Heavyweight World Champion for joining
us, along with his trainer, John Scully. Thank you so much, you guys,
and we will see you next week. Looking forward to a great fight. Dan
Goossen has returned to the line, and so has Andre Ward and Virgil
Hunter. Dan, can you take it from here?
D. Goossen
Okay,
great. Andre, it's great to have you out here. Virg, we won't keep
you guys long. Let's open it up with Virgil to say a few words, then
we'll have you say something, Andre, and then we'll get to the Q&A.
Virg, how is everything going in training?
V. Hunter
Everything
is going great, Dan. The camp is going well. We've winded down the
last week. I'm very pleased from where we're at and what we need to
do. We're very in sync on what we need to do, and very in tune on
what's lying ahead. In that respect, I couldn't be more happy. I'm
glad the fight is getting close. All the heavy work is pretty much out
of the way, and now we're just looking forward to a big evening in
Oakland, California.
D. Goossen
You
mentioned a big evening in Oakland, California, it's amazing out
there. I kind of touched on it at the beginning with the press, at the
beginning of this call, and we've got tremendous sponsors out there.
We've got 95.7 The Game, that's one of the hottest sports talk shows out
there in the Bay Area right now that are our sponsor, along with the
City of Oakland, the Oakland Tribune. We've got Azad Watches. We've
got Corona, a lot of support out there. Everlast, and I think it just
shows the importance and the bigness of this fight and how the City of
Oakland and the Bay Area in itself are embracing it, and looking at this
is their Superbowl.
Andre, why don't you say a few words on how training is going, everything else, and then we'll throw it to the media.
A. Ward
Not
really much to say, obviously, we've been having our head down and
working. I lost track of how long camp has been going on and how much
time we've got left. I'm just focused on putting in the work every
single day. Like Virg said, everything is going according to schedule.
The other side, they've been doing a lot of talking, and that's fine.
We've been quiet, we've just been working, and we just, as always, we
want to talk about us come fight night, September 8th.
Lem Satterfield, TheRing.com
Hey,
Andre, I asked this of Chad, also, and also Virgil; this fight is
obviously between two of the best in this sport. I've been talking to
people about it and different fans and they all see it as going either
two ways. There can be a Roy Jones/Bernard Hopkins type of fight where
you have two really highly skilled guys kind of sitting back and
measuring each other, or you could have a Sugar Ray Leonard/ Thomas
Hearns type of fight because you have two great athletes who obviously
have built up a great pedigree, not just on their talent, but they've
shown it in the ring. Virgil, what kind of fight do you see happening?
Andre, what kind of fight do you see happening, and all the
possibilities?
V. Hunter
Well,
first of all, the fight in itself is going to be exciting, and I think
you have two determined athletes, there's a lot at stake. I'm sure
they're very much aware of some of the criticism and the critiques that
have come that way where it's amazing to me where people can
predetermine the outcome of a fighter, even speak in a negative tone of
what they think.
It's
unfortunate today that the purist has been pushed aside for what is
deemed, in my eyes, as we no longer teach the art of boxing anymore. We
just put some gloves on people and we just point them in the middle of
the ring and say, "Go, and swing, and keep swinging, and keep your hands
down and get hit in the head, any time you want."
You
can't help; it's always got to be of certain, to me, a division of fans
who are going to appreciate what boxing is truly all about. It's also
going to be those fans who really don't understand boxing and can't get a
grasp of what this sport truly is, unless they see something that they
consider much exciting today, in terms of 100 head shots landing within
five rounds, and bloody noses and busted eyes and things like that, but
it is what it is. I expect a great fight and I know coming from my end,
Andre Ward is not a boring fighter. When you dominate, he could appear
boring, but when we talk about action, he's an action fighter, without a
doubt.
L. Satterfield
Andre, do you have anything to add to that?
A. Ward
You
know what, my mind's set. I'm on a one-track mission and that's to get
my hand raised. I think if you really watch my fights, I do a little
bit of everything in my fights. I think the knock is like Virg said, if
you don't take a certain amount of punishment, then, people who are
really not, I don't want to say ignorant of the sport, but people who
like a certain type of fight, if you don't take a lot of punishment or
it doesn't seem like you're getting hit that often, you're reluctant,
you're getting tired of being boring.
Well,
the guys that make it in this sport, the greats, the guys that can
still walk and talk when their careers are over and still live their
lives like Sugar Ray Leonard and guys like Floyd Mayweather, Bernard
Hopkins, those guys, obviously they took shots, they're in the sport of
boxing. Those guys are masters, and I've always been trained to be a
master, and that's what I'm going to continue training to become is a
master of the sport, where even though no fight is easy, you make it
look a certain way.
So,
I'm really oblivious to what people are saying, how they feel about the
fight. I think it's a great match up. I think the match and the
credentials speak for themselves, but I'm locked in, I'm getting my hand
raised.
L. Satterfield
You
brought something up that's interesting is the fact that even though
there's been fights like the Froch fight and the Kessler fight where
observers thought it was going to be potentially some of that blood and
guts, and when you came into the Super Six, people thought maybe you
were going to be exposed as someone who couldn't take this or that.
What is it about your ability, Virgil, both of you, that has allowed you
to neutralize other fighters and kind of mute their attack as opposed
to what people thought they were going to see?
A. Ward
Well,
it's tough to say. At the end of the day, we put in our work, we
study, we do all the things we're supposed to do, and then from there,
it's just the desire to win and the desire to come out on top. Like I
said before, none of those fights were easy, but we found a way to get
it done. I think that's the mark of a potentially great fighter.
L. Satterfield
Virgil?
V. Hunter
It's
just plain and simple, Andre Ward knows how to fight. It's like in any
other sport, when you know your craft and someone's on the receiving
end of that craft, then it's made to look easy. Look, there're a lot of
times we can say that these two guys had a tremendous amount of heart
because they went in the middle of the ring, they dug their feet in the
canvas, and they went toe-to-toe. I, in particular, think that's an out
and it's a margin of error.
Let
me tell you something, man, any fighter if you gave him a choice, if
you gave them the opportunity, if I had a magic wand and I said, I can
poof you here and you can go up to a fight and you won't take no
punishment. Or I can poor you here and you can go into to a fight and
you'll give some of the greatest toe-to-toe fights in history. I
guarantee you he's going to take the one where he's taking no
punishment. It comes down to ability, it comes down to talent, and it
comes down to understanding the art and the craft of boxing.
So,
when you see two guys going toe-to-toe, nine times out of ten, if you
look at all their fights, these fights suggest this because there're
limitations somewhere. So, they were taught how to fight in such a way
that they missed a lot of things that the game offered in terms of
developing craft.
So,
I can't be fooled. Every single person who looks for this fight-if
they had a son that chose boxing and they had an opportunity to have a
coach that'll teach their son how to hit and not to get hit, they're
going to take that coach before they take one that'll say, well, I'll
take your son and he'll give just as much as he takes. They're going to
take that coach that says, I can have your son hit and not get hit.
So, to me, that's excitement in boxing, mastering that craft. So,
again, I say it's limitations on the other fighter.
Even
when you look at Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns, you saw strategy
in that in fight. Now, when they got older and they lost some of their
physical ability and attributes, the second fight was a little bit more
action packed. They didn't, there was lesser athletic ability, they
were a little older. But, that first fight, that was a very strategic
fight. It was not what you would call a slam, bam, drag-you-to-the-mud
type fight.
Alexis Terrazas from The San Francisco Examiner
You've
always been a guy, maybe the best that I've seen in action early and
all that, active today that is really effective at making the other guy
adapt to you. In other words, you take them out of their game plan, you
do such. But how will you do that against Dawson? A pure boxer, a guy
who's a southpaw, he's tall, and ultimately he's good. So, how are you
going to make him bend to your will, so to speak?
A. Ward
Well,
I have 12 rounds, number one and really the foundation is what it's
been for every single fight, that's getting myself in tip-top shape, my
mind is right, I'm ready for war, and we have a game plan and whatever
adjustments need to made along the way, they'll be made. I mean, I
can't give you this blueprint on how it's going to be done, but the idea
is for it to get done regardless of how it gets done.
A
lot of people are making a big deal about Chad's height and reach and
that's a given. He's got the height and reach advantage, but you've got
to look at it from my standpoint, from the athlete's standpoint, I'm
not enamored with that. I'm not spooked by the height and the reach
deficit. I'm coming to get a job done September 8th, and it's no
different than any other fight that I've been in. Whether it's Abraham
who's short, squatty, and explosive, Carl Froch who's strong, long, and
wiry. I mean, at the end of the day you got to find a way and I've
always said that and September 8th will be no different.
A. Terrazas
Is
it going to be like a mixture, though, of maybe fighting on the inside
and maybe staying outside, or are you going to try to use that as kind
of a game plan?
A. Ward
Once
again, I can't give you a blueprint on exactly what's going to happen,
this is a fight. So, if we knew exactly how it was going to happen,
that'd be great, but you don't know. But, again, if you watch my fights
and if you're familiar with my fights, that's what we do. We show what
we have to show. Whether it's inside, outside, the key is not to be
one-dimensional, so I think you're accurate when you say that.
A. Terrazas
Okay.
What concerns you most about fighting Chad and fighting at home?
Fighting at home usually is kind of chalked up as an advantage, but not
always. So, what's your concerns about Chad Dawson in Oakland?
A. Ward
I
really don't have any concerns. I respect my opponent. I understand
who I'm fighting. I watched Chad for years. Obviously, I've honed in
on him a little bit more as of late since this fight had been signed and
whatnot. But, I don't know if concern is the right word. We respect
the other side. They seem to be doing some good work over there.
There
should be no excuses when this fight is over. I'm looking forward for a
tremendous fight. Once again, I got another great competitor at the
other end of the ring, but I plan on getting my hand raised. I
sacrificed a lot to get to this point and I still feel like it's
timing. That's what it kind of what it boils down to.
Once
again, from the athlete's standpoint, I don't get caught up in a lot of
the things that are out there. I'm a one-track-mind. I've been in
training camp for a long time. I've been preparing for this fight for a
long time. So, some of the other things don't even come into my mind
in terms of what I'm concerned about.
As
far as fighting at home, obviously, it's different in terms of it being
the home base, but I'm just looking forward to giving the fans a great
show. My zone is going to be as if me and Chad Dawson are the only two
people in that arena. That's how I approach these fights. Then when
it's all said and done, I can show the fans my appreciation for coming
out.
A. Terrazas
I'll
let you go with this, Andre, we all called it 24/7. This was one of
the highest publicized part of your career. How are you dealing with
these cameras, man? Is it just any other fight, or is it maybe a little
different and getting used to?
A. Ward
I'll
be honest, I mean, I think being in the Super Six, the cameras, and
that tournament going on for as long as it did, I probably had more
cameras and more responsibilities from that standpoint. We've been here
before in term of having the cameras. We've still got to stay focused
and get our work in, it's just being documented. They were in and out.
I think the show turned out to be great, and God willing, I look
forward to being back on 24/7 real soon.
Dan Rafael, ESPN.com
Andre,
first off, one of the reasons, I guess, that you haven't fought since
you won the Super Six at the end of last year, part of the reason
anyway, was because you had that hand injury that you had before the
Froch fight. You gutted out the Froch fight, got the win, let the hand
get better. I'm curious, how is the left hand?
A. Ward
My
hand is fine. I've had zero hand problems, period in this camp. In
previous camps, I've wrapped my own hands and did a pretty good job, but
I've taken the time to have someone, Robert Garcia, here in the Bay
area, wrap my hands every day and it's had a tremendous effect on my
hands in terms of not having any injuries, but that specific injury,
it's fine. I've had no problems.
Here in the Bay area.
D. Rafael
I want to make sure I didn't too confused there. Virgil, have you noticed any problems?
V. Hunter
No.
There's absolutely no problems with the hand at all, it's strong. We
did the proper thing to rehabilitate it, the proper rest and the proper
rehabilitation exercises. The hand has presented no problem at all.
