Known by far as the best super middleweight in the world, Andre Ward is the best fighter in all of boxing. The man hasn’t lost a fight since he was 12 years old. Throughout the course of his career, Ward battled the tough fights, embraced the high stakes, and ultimately stood by ending his career undefeated and on top of the sport. The half-black fighter changed boxing at its core as he was one of the best fighters in the world often proving himself against the best. 

Boxers like Ward should be celebrated, but the news these days lean more towards the news of his retirement – and if he will return. 

Andre Ward: Facts, Retirement, Networth and More Details About His Life! 

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is Andre Ward’s net worth?

Andre Ward is a retired American professional boxer who has a net worth of $8 million. During his retirement, Andre possessed eight world titles in two weight classes. Andre Ward was a WBA (Super), WBC and The Ring Super Middleweight Champion, among his many accolades.  Ward was a Gold Medalist at the 2004 Summer Olympics in the Light Heavyweight division – this would have brought in some money for the pro boxer. Let’s also look at some other ways in which he added to his net worth: 

In 2013, Ward wasn’t fighting only once a year. He wasn’t fighting at all. He battled promoter Dan Goossen in an attempt to break his contract, arguing that the Ali Act was being violated, but several lawsuits and court hearings proved unsuccessful. After Goossen passed away in September 2015 from liver cancer, the promotional company and Ward went on to mutually agree on a settlement to split up and, in January 2015, Ward got into a contract with Roc Nation Sports to usher in music mogul Jay-Z’s foray into boxing. 

After 2016 came the fights that will define Ward’s career. 

Andre Ward amassed $1.85 million when he fought Sullivan Barrera in June 2016. The fighter gained another $5 million fighting Sergey Kovalev in November 2016. He also amassed a career-high $6.5 million guaranteed when he battled Sergey Kovalev for a second time in June 2017. 

Andre Ward’s net worth also went high in 2015 when he made his acting debut in the American sports drama film and Rocky franchise spin-off, Creed. He played the part of the light heavyweight boxer Danny “Stuntman” Wheeler and got to reprise his role in Creed II, released on November 21, 2018. While the royalty checks keep coming in, he can easily slip into retirement. 

On September 21, 2017, Andre announced that he was retiring from boxing at the age of 33 and is expected to continue working as a TV boxing analyst. This will also bring in consistent income. 

Why did Andre Ward retire?

Andre Ward competed from 2004 to 2017. The American fighter went into retirement with an undefeated record and held multiple world titles in two weight classes, including the unified WBA (Super), WBC, Ring magazine, and lineal super middleweight titles between the years of 2009 and 2015; and the unified WBA (Undisputed), IBF, WBO, and Ring light heavyweight titles between the years 2016 and 2017. 

On September 21, 2017 through his website, Ward announced his retirement from boxing at the age of 33. In a statement, 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.”

Also in the statement read, “As I walk away from the sport of boxing today, I leave at the top of your glorious mountain, which was always my vision and my dream. I did it. We did it. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who has played a part in my journey. You know who you are. I could not have done this without you.” Ward ended his career undefeated with 32 wins, 16 of which came inside the distance.

This is what he has been unto since retiring in 2017: 

2018:

In 2015, he made his acting debut in the American sports drama film and Rocky franchise spin-off, Creed. He played the part of the light heavyweight boxer Danny “Stuntman” Wheeler and got to reprise his role in Creed II, released on November 21, 2018. While the royalty checks keep coming in, he can easily slip into retirement. 

2020:

On December 15, 2020, Ward made headlines for being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame under the Class of 2021, his first year of eligibility.

Is Andre Ward still boxing?

No, he retired at the age of 33 to focus on his weakening body in 2017. 

The fighter shocked the industry when he announced his retirement from boxing leaving the sport on the heels of perhaps his best — and most satisfying — victory, a seventh-round stoppage of Sergey Kovalev in June 2017 to cement supremacy at 175 pounds by grabbing the vacant RING light heavyweight championship.

“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,” Ward (32-0, 16 knockouts) wrote in his retirement announcement posted on his official website. He battled knee and shoulder injuries constantly during recent years. “If I cannot give my family, my team, and the fans everything that I have, then I should no longer be fighting.

” … As I walk away from the sport of boxing today, I leave at the top of your glorious mountain, which was always my vision and my dream. I did it. We did it.”

And a second career awaits him, one he started years ago on HBO, as a television analyst. Ward was ringside for the network in Southern California for Wisaskil Wangek’s shocking knockout of Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez.  In August, the fighter gave his analysis on ESPN’s telecast of Terence Crawford’s knockout win over Julius Indongo.  It was during this time when he sparked rumours showing up in Nebraska for that bout. The rumours were regarding him joining forces with Top Rank, who has an exclusive deal with the network. 

These rumours never came to fruition. The fighter even spoke about moving to heavyweight in the future in an attempt to mimic his idol Roy Jones Jr., and win a title there. Despite such talks, Ward stepped away from boxing with his health and money intact. 

What does SOG Ward mean?

Nicknamed S.O.G. (Son Of God) Ward took the name or nickname from a theme tune written for one of his fights. This name is ranked #6 by Yahoo Sports, s #7 by Sports Illustrated, and #5 by The Ring. SOG comes from the fact we are all sons of God and is in line with Ward’s Christianity. 

Who did Andre Ward play in the Rocky / Creed movies?

In both the Creed movies (2015 and 2018,  Andre Ward portrayed Danny ‘Stuntman’ Wheeler, a light heavyweight boxer. Ward plays the role of the fighter who ( spoiler alert) knocked down Adonis Creed in the first movie, taking his Mustang Keys – only for Adonis to win them back in the sequel. 

What was Andre Ward’s fight record?

In his professional boxing career Andre Ward had 32 fights, winning all 32 of them. He also bagged 16 by KO, 15 by decision and 1 by DQ (his third fight against Roy Ashworth).

What did Andre Ward win in his career?

He claimed the 2004 Olympic Gold Medal at Light Heavyweight for himself. 

After going pro, his boxing career reigned from 2004 to his retirement in 2017 he held multiple titles in 2 separate weight classes.

– WBA Super World Light Heavyweight Title

– IBF World Light Heavyweight Title

– WBO World Light Heavyweight Title

– WBO International Light Heavyweight Title

– WBA Super World Super Middle Title

– WBC World Super Middle Title

– NABF Super Middle Title

– WBO NABO Super Middle Title

Interesting Facts About Andre Ward:

1. Early Life:

Ward came into this world on February 23, 1984 in San Francisco, California. He was raised in Hayward and he attended Fairview Elementary, Bret Harte Junior High School and Hayward High School.

2. From Football to Boxing:

When he would go to high school, he was selected as a running back and safety on the football team. Then everything changed when at the age of 17, he met boxer Andre Dirrell. Ward soon began his amateur boxing career in 1994 and had a record of 110–5. As a professional fighter, his boxing record was 32 and 0 with 16 wins by knockout. 

In the books of history, he has been called the best boxer pound for pound, He’s won WBA, IBF AND WBO Titles, a Gold Medal in the 2004 Olympics, has a fight record of 32 fights and 32 wins and he is in two Rocky movies! Ward mostly did a lot during his 23 years in the sport. He is still the last American male to win an Olympic gold medal, doing so in 2004 in lieu of a stellar amateur career. Ward never tasted defeat in the pro ranks, and most interestingly hasn’t lost since age 13 after compiling a 115-5 record in the unpaid ranks.

The Bay Area fighter bagged his Showtime’s Super Six World Boxing Classic and cleaned out the super middleweight division during the process. In the 168-pound tournament, the American fighter scored decisive victories over Mikkel Kessler and Carl Froch, the latter in December 2011 earning him his first RING championship.

Following his breakthrough performance in the Super Six, Ward signed a multi-fight contract with HBO, beginning with a 10th-round stoppage of Chad Dawson but  Ward didn’t receive proper credit because the bout was contested at the 168-pound limit. This is a shame because his exit was as gracious as any boxer would hope to have in their career, especially if it’s as great as Wards which led him to the Hall of Fame in five years. 

3. Children:

In 2009, Ward married his high school sweetheart Tiffiney. Andre has three sons and a daughter and currently resides in Dublin, CA and trains in Oakland, CA. 

4. Ethnicity:

He is of both Irish and African American descent. He was born on February 23, 1984, in the family of an immigrant from Ireland Frank, and an American of African descent. 

5. Style of boxing:

Although Ward possessed star qualities — good looks, articulate, tremendous skills — he never developed into a star. Even if you look at the media, certain establishments didn’t appreciate his style of boxing, which included lots of inside fighting, a strong jab, incredible defense and a commitment to bodywork. While this drew some fans crazy, others didn’t like it but one thing was for sure: Ward was one of the best for a long time.

6. His parents were drug addicts:

Unfortunately, a young Andre Ward saw his parents as far from the best example of family life: the parents used drugs, and therefore periodically had problems with the law. In many ways, with his difficult childhood, the champion explains the presence of his strong-willed qualities.

7. People loved to hate him:

Frequently challenging himself against the best, Andre Ward’s dominance was the subject of constant ridicule and nitpicking. These incidents lead to the defining characteristics of Ward’s career, often being the topic of discussion whether he was in the ring or not.  For example, Ward’s days were numbered by the boxing public when he attempted to separate from Dan Goossen.

Ward partnered up with Goossen from the beginning of his career, but the fighter felt that Goossen was hindering his career from a financial and professional point of view and would not play to the beat of his drum any longer. It was at that very moment that Ward became a marked man in the eyes of the media. Despite Goossen’s fame and reputation, Ward stood by his beliefs even as he continually failed to end his contract up until it lapsed in 2015.

8. He didn’t want to be racially stereotyped: 

While other boxers sought the limelight, Ward famously resisted it, closely guarding his privacy and his early life. 

“I’ve never talked about my story before,” Ward said to a publication. “I didn’t feel like I had to. I didn’t want people to grab a hold of that and just run with the typical African-American who came from the ghetto.”

“I’ve never talked about my parents before and some of their struggles. I always wanted to protect their names and protect who they were. I didn’t want my story to be reduced to just another cliché, rags-to-riches, kid from the ghetto and all that. For the most part, I grew up middle-class. I know I’m very guarded. How do you think I survived? Guarded is what got me by. But I want people to know what I’ve come through and overcome because maybe that can inspire somebody.”

Both Andre and Jonathan Ward (his older half-brother)were raised by his white Irish father in Hayward and North Oakland. His African-American mother was barely present, fighting her addiction to crack cocaine and living on the streets of San Francisco for around 20 years.

“When I speak about this, I don’t come from an ignorant place: I know what it is to be biracial when both sides don’t accept you and you have that confusion of not feeling accepted,” he said. “You’re left asking, ‘Who am I?’ ”

His father Frank “Duke” Ward had once boxed as an amateur heavyweight and supported his family with a glass business. Andre looked up to this man, often thinking of him as Superman but just like the superhero, he too discovered that his dad has 

his own kryptonite: He had secretly battled an addiction to heroin since before Andre was born but never spoke about it to anyone.

Ward remembered seeing his father go to his room after work and transform himself into a glassy-eyed fully different human being. “I thought he was taking sleeping pills. He’d be fired up and then be a zombie.” 

Then when Andre was just 12, he discovered a needle in his father’s room and naively brought it to him asking where it might have come from. His father said he’d found it in the street and didn’t want anyone to find it. The fighter later shook his head, smiling. “I never wrapped my head around the heroin thing until I was a lot older.”

Unfortunately, his father kept being a functional addict for years and as his illness grew dark, the family home was lost. His dad would get clean and relapse again until the pattern was too familiar over the course of Ward’s adolescence.

Understanding that past brings perspective. “Boxing is just a season,” Ward said. “This isn’t my life. It’s what I do, it’s not who I am. Which doesn’t mean I don’t take it seriously. I give it everything I have.”

9. His trainer Virgil Hunter was a father figure:

One day later, Frank Ward entered both his sons into the gym. Today, Andre still has a copy of the sign-up sheet.

As the fighter’s parents descended into addiction, domestic violence, financial ruin, rehabs, relapses, the boxing coach Hunter would become not only Ward’s trainer, but soon his godfather and temporary guardian. Within a year of meeting Hunter in 1994, Ward began his now famous amateur career.

10. His father’s death almost ended his career:

On August 26, 2002, Ward was hit the hardest when his dad died suddenly of a heart attack. “But he didn’t die with a needle in his arm,” Ward quickly added. “Like everyone in my family, he was a fighter until the end.”

The strong fighter all of a sudden plunged into depression, substance abuse, and a search for anything that could numb the pain. “I was angry at God. The main person in my life was gone. The worst-case scenario in my world happened. My dad was gone. No warning. I wanted to stay numb in this completely surreal way. So I just began spiraling out of control in a way I know a lot of people never come back from.”

“In that two- or three-year span I could have lost it all. It hurt me so bad my dad was taken like that. I easily could have been one of those guys people say, ‘He could have been something.’ I remember the day he died very clearly. I was getting ready for the Under 19s [amateur tournament]. Dad was picking me up for a run like he always did. He’d follow alongside me in his truck. He called and asked if he could take the day off because he wasn’t feeling well. The next day I got the call from my cousin saying my daddy was dead. I rushed to the hospital and had to see him lying on that cold slab.