Tommy Ward’s days as a world-class super-bantamweight are over.
But don’t panic, the 26-year-old is instead firmly intent on becoming a featherweight world champion.
Unbeaten Ward has found beating the scales more demanding than beating his opponents and now the gifted boxer, together with the team who have guided him to the top four on the planet, boss Dave Garside and coach Neil Fannan, have decided to move up to nine stones.
Ward has spent an incredible 33 consecutive months in the World Boxing Organisation’s top four, sadly without a title shot coming his way. Elsewhere, he’s ranked seventh with the IBF and 13 by the WBC.
That time spent ‘in the mix’ persuaded Team Ward to stay at 8st 10lbs in the hope an opening would arise but now they will be concentrating on featherweight.
”Making super-bantam has always been a struggle, more so lately,” he told punch-lines during a break in training at Fannan’s Hartlepool gym.
“But there are some great fights at featherweight, so I think it’s going to be the right move. My ambition is still the same, to be world champion.
“None of the super-bantam world champions want to fight me so I’m happy to look for a new challenge somewhere else.”
Ward, as gifted a British boxer that you could wish to see, has assembled an undefeated professional record of 30 contests.
His 100 per cent record was ended by a technical draw with his old Co Durham neighbour Thomas Essomba at Peterborough in October.
A particularly savage cut to the NE Security-sponsored talent forced the bout to be halted early in round nine with the officiating team unable to pick a winner, Marcus McDonnell scoring it 88-85 to Essomba, with Terry O’Connor going 87-85 to Ward with Michael Alexander having the pair level at 86-86.
Your punch-lines writer had Ward two points up on his (very) unofficial card, but any of the three possible outcomes were feasible such was the calibre of the fight the pair produced.
Essomba performed very strongly, as you’d expect, while Ward conceded to being well short of his optimum level.
“It was a very bad night for me,” he admitted. “I was flat from the word go, I just wasn’t at the races like I normally would be. Everything was off.
“I’ve never performed like that before, but I dealt with it, I kept fighting, I felt I was winning the fight.
“It was a nasty clash of heads but I kept fighting until the doctor stopped it. “It’s healing fine, the cut I got in my British title fight with Jazza Dickens was probably as bad but that healed up fine.”
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Mark Robinson/ Matchroom
