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. 3h ago

    Dre & Roy Break Down Spence vs Tszyu, Fulton’s Weight Disaster, Berlanga’s Must-Win & Fury-Joshua

    Andre Ward & Roy Jones Jr are BACK after a wild weekend of boxing. Errol Spence Jr. came back after three years away, flew to Australia to fight Tim Tszyu in his own backyard, went the distance, and then walked away from the sport for good. The internet decided he looked shot. Dre and Roy see it completely differently, and Roy has a message for everybody with an opinion: if you never told him when to start, you don’t get to tell him when to stop.Plus Stephen Fulton misses weight again and comes home from Australia with no check, Edgar Berlanga climbs off the canvas to save his night at the Garden, and Roy tells young fighters exactly what happens when you let a promoter put words in your mouth. 00:00 – Intro 00:23 – Weekend Recap: Spence Returns, Charlo & Fulton Fall Out 03:54 – Andre Ward Gets Emotional on Chad Dawson 18:08 – Hackett vs. Derevyanchenko & Berlanga Stops Butler 22:07 – Stephen Fulton’s Weight Problem, Again 29:54 – Errol Spence vs. Tim Tszyu Breakdown 44:14 – AJ, Fury & Errol Spence’s Legacy See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  2. Jul 22

    Antonio Tarver: The Roy Jones Knockout, “Any Excuses Tonight?” & The Greatest Story Never Told

    Fresh off his 2026 International Boxing Hall of Fame induction, Antonio “The Magic Man” Tarver sits down with Andre Ward and takes him from Ivy Lane in Orlando to Canastota: raised by a single mom with three sisters, put in the ring at nine as a punishment at the Boys and Girls Club, and the rock bottom at 18 that ended in drug rehab, where he was telling anyone who’d listen that he was going to the Olympics.Tarver gets into the stories only he can tell: watching Roy Jones get robbed in Seoul and getting up off the couch to run, captaining the ’96 Olympic team that consisted of a young Floyd Mayweather and Zab Judah, turning pro at 27 with not one promoter or manager calling, fighting four rounds on a jaw broken in two places, and the three-year campaign that ended with “You got any excuses tonight, Roy?” and the punch heard around the world.Plus the Bernard Hopkins fight he says deserves an asterisk, being Al Haymon’s first fighter alongside Vernon Forrest, playing Mason Dixon in Rocky Balboa, and finally getting his flowers. 0:00 – Welcoming Antonio Tarver, Newly Crowned Hall of Famer 0:23 – Induction Weekend & Honoring His Mom and Trainer 2:29 – Growing Up in Orlando with a Single Mom 6:11 – Starting Boxing at 9 at the Boys & Girls Club 7:24 – Leaving Boxing for Other Sports, Moving Out of the Inner City 10:26 – Depression, Cocaine, and Hitting Rock Bottom 11:41 – Watching Roy Jones Jr. “Robbed” at the 1988 Olympics 15:33 – Deciding to Wait for Atlanta 1996 17:50 – ’96 Team Captain: Mentoring Floyd Mayweather & Zab Judah 20:44 – Bronze Medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics 22:46 – Turning Pro with No Promoters Calling 27:53 – First Loss vs. Eric Harding 29:54 – Turning the Tide and Knocking Out Harding with a Broken Jaw 33:05 – The Years-Long Campaign to Fight Roy Jones Jr. 35:12 – The Infamous Post-Fight Press Conference Callout 44:39 – Breaking Down Roy Jones Fight I (2003) 48:45 – The Controversial Decision 49:31 – Fighting for the Rematch 53:18 – Training Camp for the Rematch 55:41 – “You Got Any Excuses Tonight, Roy?” 56:14 – The Knockout Heard Around the World 1:00:45 – Life After the Knockout 1:05:47 – Al Haymon and the Business Side of Boxing 1:07:20 – The Trilogy Fight in Tampa 1:19:15 – The Bernard Hopkins Fight and Feeling Off 1:28:16 – Owning His Lane and His Story 1:30:38 – Final Lessons and Closing Thoughts See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  3. Jul 16

    Jermall Charlo: The Truth About Turning Down Canelo, Al Haymon’s Handshake Deal & The Comeback at 36

    Jermall Charlo sits down with Andre Ward in Houston for his first real conversation in years, just as his comeback fight on the Tim Tszyu/Errol Spence card in Australia is around the corner. The two-time world champion and one half of Lions Only takes Dre back to the beginning: a two-parent household in H-Town, fighting on the same amateur card as his own father, the ingrown toenail that cost him the 2008 Olympics, and why he turned pro without ever signing a contract with anyone.Jermall gets into the stories only he can tell: jumping the gate to introduce himself to Al Haymon and the handshake that’s lasted 20 years, the mystery package sent to his room the night before his first world title fight, the divorce that took his kids and nearly took him, and the truth about turning down the Canelo fight in 2023 and watching his twin brother take it instead. Plus the Julian Williams counter he drilled every single day of camp, life as “the other twin,” and why at 36 he’s still in love with boxing. 00:00 Intro – Welcoming Jermall Charlo in Houston 01:44 Body at 36 02:26 Pushing each other with Jermell 03:38 Early years in Houston, family life 04:35 Amateur days, fighting on his dad’s card 06:03 Twin dynamic – growing up as Jermall & Jermell 08:16 From other sports to realizing boxing was “the thing” 09:41 Early trainers & the amateur circuit 11:35 Twin life, differences inside & outside the ring 16:03 Missing the 2008 Olympics – injury & surgery 17:21 Turning pro & staying self-made 18:33 Meeting Al Haymon 23:04 2015 – Winning his first title 26:20 AD BREAK 27:07 Life as a champion & the start of his faith journey 29:55 Divorce, rock bottom & hitting his lowest point 34:44 Full surrender – his testimony 47:44 Julian Williams fight – the real tension 52:03 Life after the win – spending, business side 54:14 Two-year layoff & comeback vs. Benavidez 55:42 Scouting opponents & in-ring adjustments 56:42 The 2023 Canelo opportunity – why he passed it to Jermell 1:00:22 Watching his brother take on Canelo 1:01:23 Motivation for the Benavidez rematch 1:01:55 Identity, legacy & the pressure of “being the lion” 1:05:03 What’s next – real estate, ministry, business 1:06:53 Closing thoughts & outro See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  4. Jun 30

    Boots Ennis BROKE Xander Zayas Down, but Roy & Dre Don’t Agree on That “Mental Lapse”

    Andre Ward and Roy Jones Jr. are back with a new edition of HALL OF GAME, and they’re going straight at the fight everybody just watched: Jaron “Boots” Ennis stopping Xander Zayas in the 7th round at Barclays. Boots broke Zayas down to the body, but the Hall of Fame duo don’t see the third round firefight the same way. Roy calls it going to sleep, Dre calls it an exchange, and they go back and forth on whether it’s a real flaw or just the cost of having that much in the bag.From there it’s the stoppage everyone’s arguing about: should Zayas’ corner have waved it off in the fifth to save him the punishment? Did he quit, or did he show enough? Roy and Dre get into the difference between quitting and getting beat and the mental side of prizefighting.Then they look ahead: what’s actually next for Boots, chase the Vergil Ortiz fight, or Fundora? Plus shout-outs to Emiliano Vargas, Ben Whittaker, and Jose Valenzuela avenging his loss to Edwin de la Santos. 0:00 Intro 0:46 Setting the scene: Zayas vs. Boots at Barclays Center 1:36 First reactions: fight, atmosphere, stoppage 2:07 Body shots that set up the finish 4:01 Round 1 power and the Round 3 wobble 7:05 Is Boots’ “defensive lapse” overblown? 9:11 Ad break 10:31 Zayas’ round 3 strategy debated 12:57 Boots’ defense, standards, and grading his own performance 18:19 Ward’s “mental letdown” theory 22:07 The “bag of stuff” theory & lack of elite competition 37:08 Setting up the late rounds 38:33 Round 5 knockdown breakdown 39:45 Should the corner have stopped it? 44:18 Round 7 stoppage and the corner look 46:28 Did Zayas quit? The big debate 51:18 Where Zayas goes from here 53:51 What’s next for Boots Ennis 56:56 Shoutouts: Vargas Jr., Whittaker, Valenzuela 1:01:16 Roy Jones Jr.’s award shoutout 1:01:34 Outro See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  5. Jun 23

    Crawford Defends Errol Spence From the Haters, Plus Zayas vs. Boots & Bam Rodriguez Makes History

    Andre Ward and Roy Jones Jr. are back in a new edition of HALL OF GAME, and they’re not holding back. They break down the fight everybody’s talking about, Jaron “Boots” Ennis vs. Xander Zayas on June 27 at Barclays, and Roy makes his pick clear: on paper, Boots is supposed to win, and the only question is whether Zayas can take the punch. Who will come out on top?First they get into the NBA Finals: how the New York Knicks erased a 29-point Game 4 lead and snatched the title from Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs after 53 years, why Roy says De’Aaron Fox’s turnovers “turned the team off,” and what Wemby still has to prove. Then it’s Bam Rodriguez making history as a three-division champ at 24, the Inoue super-bantamweight fight everybody wants, and Roy’s blunt take on the modern “duck game” and the media that fuels it.Finally, the Hall of Fame duo talk Errol Spence Jr.‘s comeback fight vs. a tough Tim Tszyu, Errol opening up on THE ART OF WARD, and a message to the haters. 0:00 - Intro: Hall of Game Is Back 1:15 - Roy Jones Jr. Catches Us Up: Franklyn Dwomoh, Newman vs. Munguia & Dallas Fight Card 2:10 - NY Knicks Win the NBA Championship After 53 Years 4:15 - Roy’s Take: De’Aaron Fox’s Turnovers & the Spurs’ Collapse 7:34 - The Boxing Parallel: How Leads Slip Away 12:08 - Shout Out to Jalen Brunson & the Knicks’ Grit 13:54 - AD BREAK 14:49 - Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez Becomes 3-Division World Champion 16:40 - Can Bam Beat Naoya Inoue? Breaking Down the Styles 25:30 - Xander Zayas vs. Jaron “Boots” Ennis | June 27 Preview 27:43 - Is This Fight Too Soon for Zayas? 30:23 - Breaking Down Boots’ Fight Game & the Weight Class Move 36:20 - Winner Gets “The Towering Inferno” — What’s at Stake 40:28 - Errol Spence Jr. Is Back! July 25 vs. Tim Tszyu 41:48 - Roy’s Coaching Take: What Spence Needs to Rediscover 43:27 - Dre’s Interview with Spence: The Crawford Fight, the Camp & the Comeback 47:51 - Addressing the 10%: YouTube Critics Calling Spence’s Interview “Excuses” 50:32 - Andre & Roy on Biased Media & Fighters Feeding Narratives 58:45 - Katie Taylor Sells Out Croke Park (82,000 Tickets in 30 Min!) 1:01:16 - Outro See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  6. Jun 16

    Errol Spence: The Floyd Sparring Standoff, Crawford Camp Issues & The Crash That Changed Everything

    Errol Spence Jr. pulls up to THE ART OF WARD in Houston, in the middle of training for Tim Tszyu, for one of the most open conversations of his career. The Dallas native and former unified welterweight champion takes Andre all the way back — fighting in the DeSoto streets, a 120-degree gym with no AC, starting boxing late but making the 2012 Olympic team anyway, and the mindset that made him a feared sparring-session legend before he ever turned pro.Errol gets into the stories only he can tell: the day Floyd Mayweather called him an expletive mid-session and they turned off the bell to keep going, why his father steered him to Al Haymon over a $250K Top Rank signing bonus, the car crash that nearly took everything, the eye injury that cancelled Pacquiao, and the truth about the Crawford camp and the loss that reset his life. 00:00:00 – Intro 00:00:19 – Relationship Between Andre & Errol 00:02:30 – Training Camp & Working Smarter With Age 00:06:03 – Growing Up in DeSoto, Texas 00:07:16 – How Errol Got Into Boxing 00:09:47 – Amateur Career & Roy Jones Influence 00:13:00 – Competitive Mentality & Sparring Intensity 00:15:30 – Starting Late & Being Preserved 00:18:51 – 2012 Olympics Experience 00:20:01 – Turning Pro & Signing With Al Haymon 00:28:24 – Financial Wisdom & Life After Boxing 00:34:13 – Sparring Floyd Mayweather 00:38:58 – Kell Brook Fight in England 00:42:52 – Relationship With Jerry Jones & AT&T Stadium Fight 00:47:04 – Free Agent on Handshakes Only 00:50:29 – Drinking & The Car Accident 00:54:13 – The Shawn Porter Fight 00:58:51 – Financial Discipline & Living Off Interest 01:01:11 – The Car Accident: What He Remembers 01:07:25 – Life After the Accident 01:10:22 – Reconnecting With God After the Crawford Loss 01:15:26 – Being a Present Father 01:22:58 – Manny Pacquiao Fight Falling Through & Eye Injury 01:29:13 – Making the Crawford Fight Happen 01:31:47 – Crawford Camp Issues & Derrick James 01:38:41 – The Crawford Fight Night 01:44:59 – Life After the Crawford Loss 01:52:32 – Why He’s Still Fighting at 36 01:57:47 – Closing Thoughts & Appreciation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  7. Jun 10

    Shakur Stevenson: ‘I’m Not Easy Work’ & The Truth About the Devin Haney Standoff

    Shakur Stevenson sits down with Andre Ward on THE ART OF WARD for the third time, and it might be the most unfiltered one yet. Fresh off selling out Madison Square Garden and turning Teofimo Lopez into a one-sided beatdown, the four-division world champ breaks down how he played that fight a thousand times in his head before the first bell, why he’s suddenly boxing’s most wanted (and most clout-chased) name, and the real story behind walking away from his WBC belt.Shakur goes deep on the Devin Haney standoff and the 144 vs 147 weight tug-of-war, fires back at Bill Haney’s “easy work” claim, sizes up Conor Benn, and guarantees he’d stop any UFC crossover that dares step in the ring, like an Ilia Topuria. He and Dre get into the boxing brain that separates the elite, studying tape vs trusting instincts, and the young fighters and managers Shakur is now building behind the scenes.Then it gets personal: why fame is a “cold game,” the Floyd Mayweather obsession that genuinely scares him, the J Prince lessons on teaching a man to fish, the O’Shaquie Foster beef, and what going out on top actually looks like. 0:00 - Intro & Sparring Session (Andre Ward & Shakur Stevenson) 3:32 - Breaking Down the Teofimo Lopez Fight 5:28 - Sold Out MSG & Handling the Pressure 6:40 - “I Was Born for This” | Performing Under Bright Lights 8:20 - Corner Advice & Almost Stopping Teo 10:29 - The Post-Fight High | A Month to Come Down 11:44 - Appreciating Teofimo for Making the Fight 12:02 - Making Big Fights Happen Directly (Like Bud & Crawford) 12:55 - Why Everyone Wants to Fight Shakur Now 14:09 - Shakur’s Boxing Brain & Future in Broadcasting 15:17 - The Imagination in the Gym | Envisioning Every Opponent 17:15 - Having a Boxing Mind vs. Just Being Talented 17:54 - Watching Film & Learning from Floyd 19:11 - AD BREAK 22:16 - The WBC Stripping Him of His Belt 26:23 - The Devin Haney Fight | Weight Negotiations & Business Talk 29:28 - Could Haney vs. Stevenson Actually Get Made? 31:47 - Taking Callouts Less Personally | It’s Business Now 34:06 - Conor Benn Situation | What Happened? 34:41 - Assessing Conor Benn as a Fighter 36:49 - Would Shakur Do a UFC Crossover Fight? Ilia Topuria 40:39 - Does Shakur Like Being Famous? (Honest Answer) 45:19 - The J. Prince Relationship | A Real Mentor 47:11 - Managing Fighters 50:33 - How Would You Beat Andre Ward? 51:48 - How Would You Fight Bud Crawford? 52:03 - Floyd Mayweather vs. Sugar Ray Robinson GOAT Debate 54:09 - The State of Boxing Today 55:20 - Biggest Lesson from 9 Years as a Pro 55:47 - What Does the Rest of Shakur’s Career Look Like? 56:31 - Thoughts on Adrien Broner’s Current Lifestyle 58:39 - Floyd Mayweather’s Money Situation & Can’t-Let-Go of Boxing 1:02:42 - Errol Spence Is Back | Thoughts on Spence vs. Tszyu 1:03:45 - Shakur’s Message to O’Shaquie Foster 1:06:07 - “I Don’t Run” | On Character & Integrity 1:07:39 - Going Out on Top | Comparing Ward & Crawford’s Retirements 1:11:21 - Outro See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  8. Jun 2

    Andre Ward: ‘I Knew Going Into Kovalev 2 That Was My Last Fight’ | Virgil Hunter Part 2

    Picking up where Part 1 left off, Virgil and Andre go all the way through the pro career. The 2004 Staples Center debut. The knockdown by Darnell Boone that nearly cost him an HBO deal. The frantic red-eye to Germany to lock in the Super Six tournament and opening the bracket against Mikkel Kessler at home, plus the collision course with Andre Dirrell that Bumper kept saying wouldn’t happen — and the moment Andre’s mind shifted on his own friend. Skipping Lucian Bute, beating Chad Dawson, and the two-year lawsuit that almost derailed everything.Then the Kovalev story like it’s never been told. Virgil admits he was a fan of Sergey Kovalev before him and Dre ever fought. The knee that swelled to three times its size in training camp and ultimately getting it drained two hours before he walked to the ring. Getting up off the canvas in Round 2 and closing like a champion, and the decision the critics still argue about — and Andre’s full response to all of it.And then, for the first time on tape, Andre reveals he knew going into the second Kovalev fight that it was his last fight — and never told Virgil. The phone call from Jack London Square the night before he announced his retirement. Virgil’s response, the investment lessons, the jewelry-vs-houses speech, and why Virgil refuses to be the old coach on a stump watching one of his fighters take brain damage for a paycheck.Part 2 of 2. If you missed Part 1, go back and watch the origin story. 0:00 – Intro: From the Streets to the Pro Game 1:40 – The Super Six Tournament & Moving to 168 lbs 3:34 – Facing Mikkel Kessler: Setting the Tone 5:22 – Patterns of Success: The Journey & God’s Plan 6:23 – Financial Wisdom & Having an Exit Strategy 13:45 – Virgil’s Training Philosophy & Locker Room Rules 21:20 – Keeping Fighters Focused & Blocking Distractions 23:00 – Cleaning Out Super Middleweight & Moving to 175 25:20 – Preparing for Sergey Kovalev: The 3-Fight Plan 27:40 – Knee Injury & Doubt Before the Kovalev Fight 29:43 – Walking to the Ring: Confidence Despite the Injury 30:07 – The Knockdown & Corner Adjustments vs. Kovalev 32:06 – Breaking Down the Kovalev Win & Critics 34:04 – The Rematch & Kovalev’s Decline 42:32 – Ward’s Retirement Decision 44:13 – Knowing When It’s Over: The Mindset of Retiring on Top 46:22 – Financial Lessons for Young Fighters 49:18 – The Danger of Eroding Skills & Spending Your Prime 51:38 – Retiring When You’ve Proven Everything 55:06 – Missing the Gym & Staying Away After Retirement See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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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
    69
  • 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