Skill, heart and luck. Three facets that every fighter needs, including Tommy Ward this weekend in Wales.
Ward is on away soil to face Welsh prospect Rhys Edwards for the World Boxing Association’s Inter-continental featherweight belt on Saturday’s undercard of Lauren Price v Jessica McCaskill.
Regarding skill, Tommy’s one of the most gifted you will ever see inside the ropes.
Take heart, there was plenty of that on show in a violent clash with Otabek Kholmatov in their WBA final eliminator in March 2023.
As for luck, that is a commodity which has been conspicuous by its absence in the career of Ward who has spent some six years in the top bracket at either super-bantamweight or feather without getting a crack at any of the main sanctioning bodies titles.
Tommy, or Thomas Patrick, as he is likely to be announced at the Utilita Arena, has not given up on his world dreams and success in this 10-rounder against the unbeaten 24-year-old from the Rhondda Valley would provide a significant step back up the ladder. Edwards has won all 15 of his paid bouts, including four early.
Coach Neil Fannan thought Rhys was “a little fortunate” to get the nod last time out against Brad Foster, but expects to see a better Edwards this weekend.
“I do believe he’ll have another gear,” said Fannan, who has guided Ward’s career from day one alongside manager Dave Garside in an all-Hartlepool alliance.
“When I watched Rhys against Brad, it was a boxing fan because we’d not even got this fight.
“I just think Rhys was probably a bit wary of doing the 10 rounds for the first time and I do believe he’ll have another gear. I’m expecting him to be better.
“They must rate him really highly if they have picked Tommy, who has only been beaten once in 30-odd fights.
“People have said to me ‘what do you think?’ and my view is Rhys is no Kholmatov.
“Given things didn’t go our way people might counter that and say ‘but Tommy didn’t beat Kholmatov’.
“But we were confident to fight Kholmatov so we were not going to say no to boxing Rhys Edwards.”
While the Penygraig boxer is clearly not short of talent, his tally of 72 rounds is dwarfed by the tally of 237 for Ward, who has won 99 per cent of them.
Fannan believes the NES Security-sponsored boxer excel on what looks like being one of the best contests on the Sky Sports show.
“I just hope the best man on the night wins,” he told punch-lines.
“They say styles make fights and I think Rhys’s style is good for us.
“I’m really, really looking forward to it, I’m expecting Tommy to put on a show. It’s long time that a fight has excited me so much.”
Fannan hopes success in Cardiff will not only lead to a return to the WBA’s top 15 but also further exposure with promoters BOXXER and Sky.
“Nothing has been said [about future fights],” he explained. “All I said was ‘Hopefully the winner stays on’.
“That’s what I’m hoping for.”
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Tom Collins
