Who is Andre Ward, why has he retired, what is his net worth, what was his boxing record and what titles did he win?
Unbeaten American calls it a day after 32 straight wins and titles at both Super Middleweight and Light Heavyweight
ANDRE WARD has sensationally claimed that he’s “leaving” boxing after a glittering career in the ring.
Here’s all you need to know about the legendary fighter:
Who is Andre Ward?
Andre Ward is now a former undefeated American boxer who fought and reigned as champion at both super middleweight and light heavyweight.
The 33-year-old had an orthodox stance, stood at 6ft 0in and had a reach of 71in.
Ward won a gold Olympic medal at the 2004 Athens games before turning professional later that year.
He was an Under 19 National Champion and also a two-time US National Champion before that, winning 115 of his 120 amateur fights.
Ward is married to his high school sweetheart and has three sons and a daughter.
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He’s a devout Christian who lives in California and spends time visiting schools, prisons and youth facilities to help and inspire those in need.
Ward also appeared in the 2015 Rocky spin-off movie ‘Creed’.
What was his boxing record?
Ward boasted an absolutely stellar record as a professional boxer.
He won all 32 of his fights, with 16 of those coming by KO.
Amongst those he beat were Mikel Kessler, Arthur Abraham, Carl Froch and Sergey Kovalev.
What titles did he win?
Ward won a mound of titles during his time in the ring.
His first belt was the WBO-NABO super middleweight title in 2008, which was soon followed by the NABF super middleweight title the following year.
He added the WBA (Super) super middleweight title to his collection later in 2009 before winning the WBC, The Ring and lineal super middleweight titles in 2011.
2016 saw Ward win the WBO International Light Heavyweight title, with the WBA (Undisputed), IBF and WBO light heavyweight titles coming later in the year.
Ward then scooped The Ring light heavyweight title in 2017 in his last fight against Kovalev.
Why has he retired?
In the words of the man himself, Ward claims he is “leaving” boxing.
He said: “I want to be clear – I am leaving because my body can no longer put up with the rigors of the sport and therefore my desire to fight is no longer there.
“If I cannot give my family, my team, and the fans everything that I have, then I should no longer be fighting.”
What is his net worth?
There are various reports of Ward’s net worth, with the general figure accepted to be $8million BEFORE his final fight against Kovalev in June 2017.
Ward is believed to have pocketed a whopping $6m from his most recent bout.
That would put his net worth at around a tasty $14m.