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Last week was sort of a ‘Resurrection’ period as boxing was concerned, fighters involved were not only trying to win but to make a statement proving to the boxing world that they truly are back to the top. The week saw two notable fights, one was involving former super middleweight and pound for pound elite Andre ward returning to ring after a 19 month period against Englishman Paul Smith who was trying to get back to winning ways after 2 consecutive losses.
The other match saw Adrien”The Problem” Broner taking on “Showtime” Shawn Porter in a fight which was labelled as the “Battle of Ohio” with both men needing a win to stay in contention for a title fight in future.
Andre “S.O.G” Ward was coming back after a long period on the sidelines due to contractual disputes with his promoter but is now back after having signed with rapper Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports agency. The former super middleweight and Olympic champion needed the fight badly as his title belts were stripped and his reputation was on the line due to long period of boxing inactivity.
Smith on the other hand was trying to get back to winning ways but was landed a blow when he found himself heavier than the weight limit at the weigh-in and was subsequently fined 20% of his match purse. The bout proved to be as tough as the weigh in for Smith as he was on the back foot right from the start.
Ward’s excellent footwork and superior boxing skills proved too much for Smith as apart from a good right landed by Smith in the 8th round, the bout was fairly easy for Ward. Smith was bloodied from Ward’s heavy punches and the fight came to a halt in the 9th round when Smith’s trainer threw in the towel which gave the victory to Ward. With the victory Andre Ward has shown he hasn’t lost a bit of his skills due to inactivity and is ready to take on bigger and better fighters in future.
Adrien “The Problem” Broner was once hailed as the heir apparent to Floyd Mayweather Jr., but a defeat to Argentinean Marcos Maidana dented his stature heavily, Broner has been on a comeback trail ever since with 3 victories on the trot, Porter on the other hand was looking to up his claim for a title shot with a win over the former champion.
It was Porter who took his chances and came out all guns blazing with constant pressure and body work which unsettled Broner in every way, Porter landed a beautiful punch to the head of Broner and rattled him in the first round. The following rounds were in similar fashion with Porter getting inside and hurting Broner’s Body at will. The match took a turn on the later rounds when Broner knocked Porter down with a beautiful left hook in the 12th, but it was all too late as Porter’s early round dominance gave him a well deserved victory via unanimous decision.
The final score-cards read 114-112, 115-111, 118-108 all in favour of Porter. Broner will have to take the defeat as a sign of his lack of focus in boxing and should concentrate more on his talent than trash talking. Porter on the other hand has made a statement with this win and takes his record to 26-1 with victories over notable fighters like Devon Alexander, Paulie Malignaggi and now Adrien Broner. A future title fight seems a real possibility and if Porter can do what he did in this fight then Glory won’t be hard to come by.
