The Art Of Ward

Hall of Famers Andre Ward and Roy Jones Jr. welcome Mexico’s first-ever cruiserweight world champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez ahead of his Cinco de Mayo showdown with David Benavidez at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, May 2 (live on PBC Prime Video PPV). Zurdo opens up about the pay-per-view-level sparring sessions he shared with Benavidez, admits Benavidez has “weaknesses” he’s been studying in the gym, and breaks down how he plans to fight a volume puncher without matching him punch-for-punch. This is a Mexico vs Mexico fight for Cinco de Mayo — the holiday Floyd Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez held hostage for a decade.Roy Jones Jr. delivers an untold story about why he refused to spar the #1 ranked Reggie Johnson in 1991 — the “I’m not teaching you anything” rule that shaped his entire career — and Andre Ward pulls back the curtain on his Super Six standoff with Andre Dirrell and why he had to “love him from a distance.” Plus: Andre’s honest assessment of Benavidez’s move up to cruiserweight, the riddle Zurdo has to solve that nobody else has, and why Benavidez gets the 60/40 edge heading into fight week. 0:00 - Intro0:26 - Welcoming Zurdo Ramirez — Mexico’s First Cruiserweight Champion1:06 - Zurdo on Fighting for Cinco de Mayo (After Mayweather & Canelo)1:49 - How the Benavidez Fight Got Made2:11 - The PPV Sparring Sessions with Benavidez3:33 - Benavidez’s Strengths: Pressure, Volume & Power3:59 - Zurdo Admits Benavidez Has Weaknesses (But Won’t Say What)5:27 - Training at 34 — Is Zurdo Still in His Prime?6:07 - The Julian Chula Relationship & Game Plan9:46 - Zurdo’s Message to Benavidez & the Boxing World10:10 - Ad Break11:28 - Ward & RJJ Debate: Will Benavidez Carry His Weight at Cruiser?13:36 - The Riddle Nobody Has Solved: Benavidez’s Unbeaten Blueprint14:06 - RJJ’s Untold Story: Why He Refused to Spar Reggie Johnson in 199117:35 - Ward: Why He Kept His Distance from Fighters He Might Face22:12 - Ward’s Full Breakdown of Benavidez vs. Zurdo25:22 - Shoutout: Ayahna Gonzales & Combat U at Sacramento State27:00 - OutroSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andre Ward, Matt Barnes, and Urijah Faber hit Sacramento State for the first-ever Combat U panel, joined by university president Dr. Luke Wood, head basketball coach Mike Bibby, rising star Ayahna Gonzales, and more. This isn’t your typical fight podcast. This is a live event inside the only collegiate combat sports program in the country, where Hall of Famers across boxing, MMA, and basketball are building something nobody’s ever seen before.Andre breaks down what it means to be the GM of a college boxing team. Urijah lays out his full vision for creating a legitimate pathway from college to the UFC. Dr. Luke Wood shares his unbelievable journey from being born in prison and living in his car at Sac State to becoming its president. Mike Bibby talks about convincing Shaq to be the basketball GM in five seconds flat, coaching with his son, and what it’s really like rebuilding a program from scratch with 15 new players. And Ayahna Gonzales, Sac State’s first female boxing All-American, talks about her path from gymnastics to the ring and why she wants to be a doctor, not a pro boxer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andre Ward sits down with ALL THE SMOKE co-founder, Matt Barnes, for one of the most raw, unfiltered conversations in THE ART OF WARD history. Matt opens up about growing up biracial in Sacramento, fighting for respect on both sides, and the terrifying moment a racist incident at his high school turned into a hit on his life -- complete with NAACP intervention, 24-hour security, and a phone call from his own cousin in prison.Matt goes deep on his NBA career: getting cut and grinding through the D-League, finally getting a chance under Don Nelson, the vindication game where he lit up Mo Cheeks for 25 points and 7 threes while talking trash the whole time, the Warriors’ famous “We Believe” playoff run against the Mavs, and the moment Nelly looked him in the eye and said “your time is up.”But the core of this episode is the relationship with the late Kobe Bryant. Matt shares stories nobody has heard before. What their friendship was really like, the 4:30am workouts, Kobe’s belief that his next 20 years would be even bigger than his playing career, and a chance encounter in a grocery store with the man who was guiding Kobe’s helicopter the day he died.Plus: losing his mom to stage-4 cancer that her healthcare provider failed to catch six times, finding God, the Derek Fisher story and how it actually ended, and when he knew to walk away from the NBA and enter media.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie Taylor sits down with Andre Ward for an unforgettable conversation that spans her entire legendary career. From growing up in a rough area of Bray, Ireland during a heroin epidemic, to disguising herself as a boy just to compete because women’s boxing wasn’t sanctioned, Taylor’s origin story is unlike anything in sports.The two-time undisputed champion takes us through her impossible dream of winning Olympic gold before women’s boxing was even in the Games, the heartbreak of losing in Rio after stepping away from her father as coach, and how a cold call to her eventual coach in Connecticut and a message to Eddie Hearn launched one of the greatest professional careers in boxing history. Katie opens up about headlining Madison Square Garden, the electric Serrano trilogy (including the 74-million-viewer Netflix sequel), responding to “dirty fighter” accusations, and why she chose to make the third fight “boring” on purpose.Ward and Taylor also go deep on balancing intensity with family life, the role of faith in the fight game, walking away on your own terms, and what legacy really means when the gloves come off for good. This is a must-watch for any boxing fan. 0:00 - Intro & Ring Magazine Awards2:57 - Growing Up in Bray, Ireland & Falling in Love with Boxing9:02 - Disguising as a Boy & The Impossible Olympic Dream12:48 - Discipline, Sacrifice & Dominating the Amateur Scene16:39 - Can Katie Taylor Turn Off the Intensity?19:35 - Humility, Work Ethic & Staying Grounded21:52 - 2012 Olympic Gold: The Day Ireland Stood Still25:38 - Rio 2016 Heartbreak & Stepping Away from Dad29:40 - Cold Calling Her Way to the Pros & Eddie Hearn34:45 - Becoming Undisputed & The Sanction Fee Pain37:17 - Taylor vs Serrano I: The Instant Classic at MSG47:15 - First Pro Loss, Torn Calf & The Comeback49:08 - Serrano II on Netflix: 74 Million Viewers & Mike Tyson57:53 - “Dirty Fighter” Accusations & 2-Min vs 3-Min Rounds1:05:01 - Serrano III: The Art of Adjustment1:08:31 - Retirement, Legacy & Walking Away on Top1:12:33 - Faith & IdentitySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mr. Lueshing denies certain statements made in this podcast, which have been removed as a courtesy. In one of the most powerful and revealing episodes of THE ART OF WARD, Andre Ward sits down with Lisa McClellan, the sister and primary caretaker of former two-time WBC Middleweight Champion Gerald "G-Man" McClellan. Lisa drops bombshell after bombshell, from the missing mouthpiece before the infamous Nigel Benn fight to Don King holding a champagne celebration in the hospital lobby during Gerald's emergency brain surgery. This is a story every boxing fan needs to hear. For more information on how you can help, check out the Ring of Brotherhood Foundation: https://ringofbrotherhoodfoundation.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andre Ward sits down with one of boxing’s most polarizing figures — Bill Haney. From the streets of East Oakland to federal prison at 22 to building Devin Haney into one of the best fighters in the world, Bill holds nothing back. He reveals the day Devin sparred Floyd at 16, drops the full 10-man hit list, takes responsibility for the Ryan Garcia PED situation, and opens up about being the only one who got away from Oakland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andre Ward & Roy Jones Jr. got you covered after an exciting weekend of boxing. Madison Square Garden delivered Saturday night on a electric night. Shakur Stevenson controlled Teofimo Lopez with distance and dominance, while Keyshawn Davis returned from a layoff to stop Jermaine Ortiz in emphatic fashion. Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington thrilled his hometown with a knockout, and Jarrell Miller went viral after his hairpiece flew off mid-fight. This recap covers every storyline from Ring VI and more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andre Ward opens up in this special bonus edition of WARD ROOM like never before about the lead-up, drama, and everything surrounding his first fight with Sergey Kovalev. From lawsuits and missed fights with Gennady Golovkin, to HBO’s pressure, to the shocking reality of having his knee drained just two hours before walking into the ring, this is a special you don’t want to miss. Ward breaks down the knockdown, the headlines calling Kovalev a “monster,” the behind-the-scenes tension with his team, and how he found the strength to push through adversity and win one of the most defining fights of his career.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The legends return! Andre Ward and Roy Jones Jr. are back with a brand new HALL OF GAME. Dre & Roy recap Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua and the aftermath of the stoppage heard around the world. Plus, Shakur Stevenson joins the show to talk about his highly anticipated matchup with Teofimo Lopez at Madison Square Garden, and Dre & Roy breakdown what they saw in the thrilling NFL regular season finale between the Ravens and Steelers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Art of Ward, Andre Ward sits down with Hall of Famer Tim Bradley live at the House of Boxing in San Diego. Bradley calls out Jake Paul AND his trainer J’Leon Love to a “two for one” fight in the same night—and reveals why he’s training at 5:30 AM to back it up. The two-division, five-time world champion also shares the untold story of discovering Terence Crawford’s greatness during a sparring session, the truths behind his trilogy with the legendary Manny Pacquiao, plus his incredible journey from being expelled in second grade to the Hall of Fame.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andre Ward and Andre Berto sit down with Lamont Roach ahead of his December 6th WBC interim title fight against Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz in San Antonio. Roach breaks down the controversial Tank Davis fight where a voluntary knee wasn’t called a knockdown, explains why the rematch never happened, and reveals his complete game plan to dominate Cruz at 140 pounds. From Shakur Stevenson negotiations falling through to calling out Gary A. Russell and his DMV rivals, plus going viral on Twitch during training camp – Roach holds nothing back in this Hall of Game episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

RING IV brings fireworks with Devin Haney and Abdullah Mason both lacing up for action on the year’s most stacked card. Haney & Mason sit down with Andre Ward & Roy Jones to discuss their upcoming bouts, and what to expect in the future. Also, could Mayweather vs. Pacquiao II actually happen? Dre & Roy give their take on the possibility of a sequel to the biggest fight of all time, and if it’s really worth it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.