Andre Ward, who has been out since the beginning of the year with shoulder surgery, has been cleared by doctors to resume light training.
“It was amazing to be able to say that I was going to a boxing gym and not physical therapy,” Ward said. “I just have to respect the markers I’ve been given from the doctor. I couldn’t go crazy. That’s where I have to be careful. I felt great, I felt fast and my wind felt great. It was an amazing feeling to be able to work out in my gym.”
Prior to his injury, Ward was scheduled to face Kelly Pavlik on Jan. 26. The injury forced the fight to be delayed, and eventually cancelled altogether. Following the fight cancellation, Kelly Pavlik decided to retire.
Andre Ward (26-0, 14 KO’s), is still undergoing physical therapy, but he has been allowed to begin a cardio routine as well as do some shadowboxing.
“I definitely had to hold myself back,” Ward said. “I could throw my right arm but I can’t overdo it. Each week I can do more and more, but I have to respect the markers that my doctor set. In next couple months, I’ll be cleared to do everything, but for now I have to respect the boundaries that are in place.
“For somebody like me that competes at a world-class level, it can be frustrating at times to not be able to do what I love to do, which is to box. But all of these things that you go through make you who you are. This is just something else that I have to persevere through and it will help me become the person I’m supposed to be. These injuries and setbacks are something that every top athlete has to overcome.”
After winning a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics, Andre Ward has done nothing but win as a pro. A dominating win over Chad Dawson in his last fight put him near the top of most people’s pound-for-pound rankings. Unfortunately, it will probably take until the late summer before he is able to climb back in the ring again.
“A lot of times people just focus on the high times,” Ward said. “I want to take this low time and make it work for me. I want to show my fans that I’m focused and that I’m still working. Whenever we get the opportunity to step in to the ring for the first time, they’re going to see what I’ve been doing on my down time. I’m still focused and I’m still grinding.”
