(DUBLIN, CALIF.) – Reigning WBA Super Middleweight World Champion and 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist Andre Ward (Dublin, Calif.) will take his talents to the broadcast table on Sunday to provide expert commentary on the World Series of Boxing (WSB) match-up between the Los Angeles Matadors and Miami Gallos. He will enjoy the rare opportunity to commentate the bout of his former Olympic teammate and current LA Matador, Rau’shee Warren (Cincinnati, Ohio) in Sunday’s action.
Ward will join Alan Massengale at ringside to share his expert insight on the battle between the WSB Americas’ top squad, the Matadors and the visiting Gallos at the Avalon Hollywood in Los Angeles. The event will air on Versus on Tuesday, February 8 at 9 p.m. PT/12 a.m. ET.
Ward, who is awaiting his match-up with Arthur Abraham in the semifinal round of the SHOWTIME Super Six Super World Boxing Classic, looks forward to showcasing a new set of skills to his growing fan base.. “I am extremely excited about the opportunity to commentate at Sunday’s World Series of Boxing event,” Ward said. “Broadcasting is something I truly have a passion for and plan to pursue while I’m an active fighter and after I retire. I look forward to seeing Rau’shee and his fellow future stars of the sport in this new boxing league.”
Warren and Ward represented the United States in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece where Ward won the gold medal in the light heavyweight division. Warren, the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic Team in any sport on the 2004 squad went on to compete in the 2008 Olympics as well, and is currently vying to be the first three-time U.S. boxing Olympian. The duo built a special relationship during their 2004 Olympic experience with the then 17-year-old Warren bringing out Ward’s playful side throughout their Olympic preparation.
Both boxers have enjoyed success since 2004 with Ward winning a professional world title while boxing his way on to numerous pound-for-pound lists, and Warren winning the 2007 Amateur World Championship and earning a second Olympic berth.
Ward has also continued to work diligently on his broadcast aspirations, serving as an in-studio host on ESPN 2’s Friday Night Fights as well as providing insight as the boxing expert on Comcast’s Chronicle Live in the Bay Area.
He will return to the ring this spring to face former World Champion Arthur Abraham for a spot in the SHOWTIME Super Six World Boxing Classic Finals. Ward made his second successful defense of his WBA title in November with a unanimous decision victory over Sakio Bika in a non-tournament contest.
The World Series of Boxing is a groundbreaking, international sports league with teams from three continents competing for spots in the 2012 Olympic Games in London. The Americas franchises include Los Angeles, Miami, Mexico City and Memphis, and those four teams will battle over the next two months to determine the winner from the Americas division.
Andre “SOG” Ward is the reigning WBA Super Middleweight World Champion and the last U.S. Olympic gold medalist in boxing. The 26-year-old World Champion has built a perfect 23-0 record with 13 victories by knockout. He currently leads the standings in the SHOWTIME Super Six World Boxing Classic following victories in the three preliminary round contests. He and his wife Tiffiney and their three children reside in Dublin, Calif., just outside of his hometown of Oakland.