Andre Ward Shuts Out Alexander Brand Over 12 Dreadful Rounds

There is no denying his immense talent.

When Andre Ward was ruling the super middleweight division, he was conquering elite level foes and he was sensational in doing so. During that time in the not-too-distant past, the boxing world collectively tuned in to see how amazing Ward would look. But ever since his lengthy hiatus due to nagging injuries and contract squabbles, the “Son of God” still dominates his foes but he’s anything but entertaining when he does.

And Saturday night was no different.

Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) took on grotesquely overmatched sparring partner Alexander Brand (25-2, 19 KOs) in the main event of an HBO-televised card from Oracle Arena in Oakland, Ward’s home city. What transpired in the ring was no surprise: Ward won every second every round. But Ward played it safe throughout and kept the 39-year old away with his brilliant boxing, never taking any chances inside the ropes.

Brand was cut on his right eyelid in the seventh and never came close to doing anything of note against the former king at 168 pounds. When it was finally over, Ward was unsurprisingly awarded the unanimous nod with grossly uneven scores of 120-108 across the board.

It seemed that Ward could have dispatched of his out-gunned foe whenever he wanted but he strung him along until the end, likely in an attempt to get more rounds in before he cashes in big in November when he takes on undefeated powerhouse Sergey Kovalev.