Flashback: Reliving Andre Ward vs. Arthur Abraham – Super Six Semifinal Recap

On Saturday, May 14, 2011, the Super Six semi-final stage saw Andre Ward take on Arthur Abraham at the Home Depot Center, Carson, California. Ward‘s WBA Super Middleweight Championship was on the line. It was a dominant performance from the San Francisco native as he won comfortably by unanimous decision, with the judge’s scorecards reading 120–108, 118–110, and 118–111. Big Fight Weekend are taking you back to fight night as we pay homage to an undefeated great.

Andre Ward Defeats Arthur Abraham by Unanimous Decision

Andre Ward vs. Arthur Abraham Recap

Ward started slowly, trying to figure out a way past Abraham’s defence. The first few rounds were cagey, but Ward soon settled, using his excellent footwork and controlling the distance with his jab. S.O.G. blocked most of the attacks from his opponent, who tried to get a foothold in the fight, but Ward was too slick for the Armenian-German fighter.

Abraham did his best work in the final round, where he caught Ward a couple of times – but the American navigated that tricky final round to win a lopsided unanimous decision, with the judges scorecards reading 120–108, 118–110, and 118–111. The way Ward seized control after those opening few rounds showcased his excellent ring IQ and was vital to him winning comfortably.

Rest of Career

After defeating Abraham, the American fighter went on to win the Super Six final against Carl Froch by unanimous decision, 115–113, 115–113, and 118–110. This fight showed how brilliant Ward was at controlling fights with his jab. He outboxed Froch for the majority of the bout. 

Later in his career, he scored wins over Chad Dawson and twice over Sergey Kovalev. Many felt Kovalev won their first fight, with Ward winning by TKO in the rematch. 

The win over Abraham and many others in his career showcased how he was brilliant at fighting on the inside, but also could control fights with his jab. His movement and ring IQ was elite, and ensured he retired at the top of the super middleweight tree.