Andre Ward boasts victories over a number of former world champions however declared that the toughest puncher that he confronted in his profession is one who by no means received his fingers on world honours.
Ward defeated Mikkel Kessler for the WBA super-middleweight crown again in 2009 and went on to make six defences of the belt, overcoming the likes of Arthur Abraham and Carl Froch after which unifying the titles by knocking out WBC champion Chad Dawson.
The ‘Son of God’ then stepped as much as light-heavyweight, the place he famously dethroned the beforehand unbeaten three-belt unified champion Sergey Kovalev, after which knocked the Russian out of their rematch, earlier than asserting a shock retirement on the age of simply 33 years outdated.
But, regardless of victories over a number of the largest names to have graced the 168lb division, Ward pointed in the direction of Colombia’s Edison Miranda when discussing the toughest hitting opposition on his résumé, in an interview with Boxing Information final yr.
“The toughest puncher was undoubtedly Edison Miranda – little doubt about that.”
Ward fought Miranda in 2009, two bouts earlier than his title problem with Kessler, and walked away with a unanimous resolution as he made his solitary defence of the NABF super-middleweight strap.
Miranda twice challenged for a world title, however fell brief to then IBF middleweight ruler, Abraham, in a 2006 factors defeat. 4 years later, he was stopped by Lucian Bute inside three rounds, when bidding for the IBF super-middleweight world title.
