The Art Of Ward

Black Effect x All The Smoke Productions
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THE ART OF WARD is a series hosted by Boxing Hall of Famer and Chief Content Officer for ALL THE SMOKE FIGHT Andre Ward exploring the fight game from the inside out. THE ART OF WARD series is a tapestry of thoughtful content showcasing Ward’s personal, unmatched perspective shaped by his evolution as a fighter, a man and an influential figure in combat sports.

  1. 4D AGO

    Benavidez Should Fight Usyk Next, Errol Spence Returns vs Tszyu & Inoue Breaks Tyson’s Record

    Andre Ward and Roy Jones Jr. break down a stacked Cinco de Mayo weekend that delivered everything boxing fans wanted. David Benavidez became the first three-division champion across super middleweight, light heavyweight, and cruiserweight with a dominant performance against Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, and the question of what comes next is the biggest one in the sport right now. Roy makes a bold strategic call the Hall of Game audience will be debating for weeks: skip Jai Opetaia, skip every other cruiserweight, and go straight to Oleksandr Usyk while the iron is hot.Andre and Roy also dig into Naoya Inoue vs Junto Nakatani in Tokyo, where Inoue defended his undisputed junior featherweight title in front of 55,000 fans and broke Mike Tyson’s Tokyo Dome live gate record. They also react to the news that Errol Spence is officially back, set to fight Tim Tszyu in Australia on July 25.Plus: Mitchell Robinson and Dyson Daniels get tangled up in the Knicks vs Hawks 72-22 playoff blowout, and Roy explains exactly why a Pensacola fighter was never going to take that lying down. 0:00 - Intro 0:26 - Recap of Fight Weekend / Cinco de Mayo Boxing 1:32 - Undercard Review: Sanchez vs. Chavez 4:38 - Co-Main Event: Jaime Munguia vs. Armando Resendiz 5:53 - Controversial Decision? Duarte vs. Fierro Breakdown 7:41 - How to Score a Close Fight (Judging Discussion) 10:55 - Main Event: David Benavidez vs. Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez 15:57 - Benavidez at Cruiserweight: What’s Next? 16:47 - Canelo Alvarez vs. Benavidez: Will It Ever Happen? 19:09 - Benavidez vs. Usyk? Exploring the Big Money Fights 24:24 - Ad Break 27:12 - Naoya Inoue vs. Nakatani at Tokyo Dome (55,000 Fans!) 31:16 - Breaking News: Errol Spence Returns vs. Tim Tszyu 35:22 - Knicks vs. Hawks Braw 39:10 - Closing Thoughts on the State of Boxing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    38 min

  2. APR 28

    David Benavidez: The $3K Zurdo Sparring Story, Cinco de Mayo Takeover & Stoppage Promise

    David Benavidez sits down with Andre Ward and Roy Jones Jr. on HALL OF GAME just days out from his cruiserweight showdown with Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez at T-Mobile Arena on May 2nd. El Monstro opens up on the move to 200 pounds, walking around at 210, and what it means to finally own a Cinco de Mayo weekend after 13 pro years and 27 years in the sport. “Greatness is not given. It’s taken.”Benavidez tells the story of sparring Zurdo at 17 years old for six weeks helping him prep for Arthur Abraham. Now they’re headlining a pay-per-view. He breaks down the speed advantage, why the punches that hurt are the ones you don’t see, and his promise to get the stoppage. Plus the rare father–son dynamic with Jose Sr., raising his own son Anthony in camp, and the threshold he says he’s about to cross.In the back half, Andre and Roy go non-boxing on the Steve Kerr era apparently ending in Golden State — what made Kerr’s run remarkable, why he transcended his own game to fit Steph, and whether stepping away makes sense at 60. They close with a health update on Shadasia Green after she suffered a brain bleed against Lani Daniels. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    30 min

  3. APR 21

    Zurdo Ramirez: Benavidez’s Weaknesses, Their Sparring War & Mexico vs Mexico on May 2

    Hall of Famers Andre Ward and Roy Jones Jr. welcome Mexico’s first-ever cruiserweight world champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez ahead of his Cinco de Mayo showdown with David Benavidez at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, May 2 (live on PBC Prime Video PPV). Zurdo opens up about the pay-per-view-level sparring sessions he shared with Benavidez, admits Benavidez has “weaknesses” he’s been studying in the gym, and breaks down how he plans to fight a volume puncher without matching him punch-for-punch. This is a Mexico vs Mexico fight for Cinco de Mayo — the holiday Floyd Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez held hostage for a decade.Roy Jones Jr. delivers an untold story about why he refused to spar the #1 ranked Reggie Johnson in 1991 — the “I’m not teaching you anything” rule that shaped his entire career — and Andre Ward pulls back the curtain on his Super Six standoff with Andre Dirrell and why he had to “love him from a distance.” Plus: Andre’s honest assessment of Benavidez’s move up to cruiserweight, the riddle Zurdo has to solve that nobody else has, and why Benavidez gets the 60/40 edge heading into fight week. 0:00 - Intro 0:26 - Welcoming Zurdo Ramirez — Mexico’s First Cruiserweight Champion 1:06 - Zurdo on Fighting for Cinco de Mayo (After Mayweather & Canelo) 1:49 - How the Benavidez Fight Got Made 2:11 - The PPV Sparring Sessions with Benavidez 3:33 - Benavidez’s Strengths: Pressure, Volume & Power 3:59 - Zurdo Admits Benavidez Has Weaknesses (But Won’t Say What) 5:27 - Training at 34 — Is Zurdo Still in His Prime? 6:07 - The Julian Chula Relationship & Game Plan 9:46 - Zurdo’s Message to Benavidez & the Boxing World 10:10 - Ad Break 11:28 - Ward & RJJ Debate: Will Benavidez Carry His Weight at Cruiser? 13:36 - The Riddle Nobody Has Solved: Benavidez’s Unbeaten Blueprint 14:06 - RJJ’s Untold Story: Why He Refused to Spar Reggie Johnson in 1991 17:35 - Ward: Why He Kept His Distance from Fighters He Might Face 22:12 - Ward’s Full Breakdown of Benavidez vs. Zurdo 25:22 - Shoutout: Ayahna Gonzales & Combat U at Sacramento State 27:00 - Outro See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    26 min

  4. APR 16

    Xander Zayas: Super Bowl with Bad Bunny, Boots Ennis Showdown & Untold Stories

    Unified 154-pound champion Xander Zayas sits down with Ak & Barak on RING CHAMPS for his most personal interview yet. The 23-year-old Puerto Rican star opens up about being bullied as a kid, his mom putting him in boxing to defend himself, getting beat up by a girl in the gym, and the moment everything clicked. Xander reveals the real story behind his stepdad becoming his father figure and how a single conversation about work ethic changed the trajectory of his career from natural talent to #1 in the nation.On the fight side, Xander breaks down his upcoming mega fight against Jaron “Boots” Ennis on June 27th at Barclays Center, revealing what worries him about Boots and why he believes Ennis has never truly been made uncomfortable. He exposes the real details behind the failed Vergil Ortiz negotiations, fires back at Shawn Porter’s “easy work” sparring claims, shares his thoughts on Devin Haney at 154, and gives his Benavidez vs Ramirez prediction. Plus: the full inside story of performing in the Super Bowl halftime show with Bad Bunny, Ricky Martin making him emotional, meeting Lady Gaga, and a tease about a potential Bad Bunny walkout on fight night. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    54 min

  5. APR 14

    Mike Bibby, Andre Ward & Urijah Faber Reveal What Sacramento State Is Really Building | COMBAT U

    Andre Ward, Matt Barnes, and Urijah Faber hit Sacramento State for the first-ever Combat U panel, joined by university president Dr. Luke Wood, head basketball coach Mike Bibby, rising star Ayahna Gonzales, and more. This isn’t your typical fight podcast. This is a live event inside the only collegiate combat sports program in the country, where Hall of Famers across boxing, MMA, and basketball are building something nobody’s ever seen before.Andre breaks down what it means to be the GM of a college boxing team. Urijah lays out his full vision for creating a legitimate pathway from college to the UFC. Dr. Luke Wood shares his unbelievable journey from being born in prison and living in his car at Sac State to becoming its president. Mike Bibby talks about convincing Shaq to be the basketball GM in five seconds flat, coaching with his son, and what it’s really like rebuilding a program from scratch with 15 new players. And Ayahna Gonzales, Sac State’s first female boxing All-American, talks about her path from gymnastics to the ring and why she wants to be a doctor, not a pro boxer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 4m

  6. APR 7

    The VIRAL Roy Jones Corner Moment Explained, Boots vs Zayas & Tyson Fury Returns

    The VIRAL Roy Jones Corner Moment Explained, Boots vs Zayas & Tyson Fury Returns Fury’s Comeback, Benn & Prograis’ ‘Crossroads Fight’ and The Corner Moment That Broke Boxing Boots vs Zayas Is OFFICIAL, Fury Returns + Inside Roy Jones & Kevin Newman’s Viral Corner MomentAndre Ward & Roy Jones Jr. are back with another HALL OF GAME, and this one gets personal. The Hall of Famers sit down with Roy’s fighter, Kevin Newman II, to break down the viral corner moment that took over social media during Newman’s fight against Elijah Garcia on the Fundora-Thurman undercard. Roy reveals what was going through his mind, why he went to that level, and the alter ego he calls “RJ” that he doesn’t like coming out. Kevin shares his perspective, his late father’s last text about Roy, and why this fight was bigger than boxing.Beyond the viral moment, the crew dives into the biggest fights on the boxing calendar. Tyson Fury is making yet another comeback against Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11th at Tottenham Stadium. They debate the Conor Benn vs Regis Prograis crossroads fight and why it matters for both legacies.  Plus, the BIG announcement: Jaron “Boots” Ennis vs Xander Zayas, June 27th at Barclays Center. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    56 min

  7. MAR 31

    Matt Barnes: The Racist Hit on His Life, Kobe’s Last Promise & the Road Back to God

    Andre Ward sits down with ALL THE SMOKE co-founder, Matt Barnes, for one of the most raw, unfiltered conversations in THE ART OF WARD history. Matt opens up about growing up biracial in Sacramento, fighting for respect on both sides, and the terrifying moment a racist incident at his high school turned into a hit on his life -- complete with NAACP intervention, 24-hour security, and a phone call from his own cousin in prison.Matt goes deep on his NBA career: getting cut and grinding through the D-League, finally getting a chance under Don Nelson, the vindication game where he lit up Mo Cheeks for 25 points and 7 threes while talking trash the whole time, the Warriors’ famous “We Believe” playoff run against the Mavs, and the moment Nelly looked him in the eye and said “your time is up.”But the core of this episode is the relationship with the late Kobe Bryant. Matt shares stories nobody has heard before. What their friendship was really like, the 4:30am workouts, Kobe’s belief that his next 20 years would be even bigger than his playing career, and a chance encounter in a grocery store with the man who was guiding Kobe’s helicopter the day he died.Plus: losing his mom to stage-4 cancer that her healthcare provider failed to catch six times, finding God, the Derek Fisher story and how it actually ended, and when he knew to walk away from the NBA and enter media. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 23m

  8. MAR 25

    Fundora vs Thurman: The Psychology, The Power & Why BOTH Say It Won't Go The Distance

    Sebastian Fundora and Keith Thurman join Andre Ward and Roy Jones Jr. on HALL OF GAME just days before their blockbuster WBC super welterweight championship fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday, March 28th on PBC PPV on Prime Video. I n this exclusive pre-fight episode, Thurman opens up about his emotional response to the original fight cancellation, reveals his tactical game plan for closing the 9-inch height gap against The Towering Inferno, and delivers one of the most psychologically intense breakdowns we've ever heard on the show. Meanwhile, WBC champion Sebastian Fundora explains why he's actually more dangerous on the inside than the outside, reflects on bouncing back from his only career KO loss, and confidently predicts this fight will NOT go to the scorecards. Andre Ward and Roy Jones Jr. deliver their expert analysis, including Roy's unforgettable "two ways in the house" breakdown of how Thurman can win this fight. Both hosts agree: this is going to be a war. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    39 min
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About

THE ART OF WARD is a series hosted by Boxing Hall of Famer and Chief Content Officer for ALL THE SMOKE FIGHT Andre Ward exploring the fight game from the inside out. THE ART OF WARD series is a tapestry of thoughtful content showcasing Ward’s personal, unmatched perspective shaped by his evolution as a fighter, a man and an influential figure in combat sports.

Information

  • Creator
    Black Effect x All The Smoke Productions
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    58
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    2026 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia
  • Show Website
    The Art Of Ward

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