Anthony Joshua is one of the elites in heavyweight boxing right now! But could he have beaten the undefeated Andre Ward? The ‘S.O.G’ thinks no way. He even goes as far as to name the fighter who would have put on a tougher challenge. Ward, of course, retired from the sport back in 2017 after defeating Sergey Kovalev via eighth-round TKO. But is he planning a comeback against Joshua?

No, he is not! Actually, Ward was in an interview with Boxing News recently. There, he told the boxing journalist Declan Warrington that his predecessor – deemed the best before him, would have put on a more formidable challenge than ‘AJ.’ So, the only question left unanswered is – who is this guy?

Who could be better than Anthony Joshua? Oleksander Usyk? Andy Ruiz?

During the interview with Warrington from Boxing News, the journalist asked Ward if he could have beaten Anthony Joshua in a fight. In response, the retired boxer claimed, “The big, one shot would have been my concern with Anthony Joshua.” He went on to describe his perception of Joshua’s fighting style. “[Joshua’s] trying to box and be cute as well,” said Ward.

Ward suggested because of Joshua’s fighting style, he could have anticipated the big right hand that would end the fight and avoided it to eventually win. That’s when Ward claimed Joe Calzaghe would have been much more difficult to deal with. “Joe Calzaghe would have been a tougher fight. A different style and a different mentality,” said Ward. He even reaffirmed his statement of X later. Ward doesn’t just think Calzaghe would have been tougher than ‘AJ,’ he also has a lot of respect for the man.

Get the EssentiallySports Daily Newsletter. Stay ahead of the game with daily updates, exclusive stories, expert takes, and the biggest moments from the world's most popular sports.

Andre Ward on Joe Calzaghe

Before Ward named Calzaghe the more formidable fighter, Warrington questioned Ward about how good Calzaghe was. It’s worth mentioning that England’s Calzaghe retired from the sport as an undefeated boxer back in 2008. He fought the likes of Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins at the end of his career, defeating them all.

Also Read: “Who Is the Worst..”: Joe Calzaghe Tears Apart Paul Malignaggi for Labelling Him “The Most Overrated Boxer of All Time”

So, Ward praised Calzaghe, claiming he was extremely competitive while highlighting his drive to be better. “Man, Calzaghe – he was another guy, a competitive type of person…Always prepared the right way; loved the father [and trainer Enzo] doing it with his dad, and he had that drive about him. He was a dog,” said Ward. He concluded by saying he has nothing but respect for the man.

While it’s unlikely that Ward would ever get in the ring with Anthony Joshua, it’s interesting to learn how the pundits in the industry view modern elite boxers. Do you think Anthony Joshua could defeat Andre Ward? Do you think Joe Calzaghe was better than Joshua? 

Watch This Story: Anthony Joshua Lends Hand Of Support To Dillian Whyte After Failed Drug Test