Andre Ward will make his long awaited return to the ring on June 20th when he takes on Britain’s Paul Smith in a non-title bout at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California.
Ward (27-0-0) hasn’t fought since beating Edwin Rodriguez back in November 2013 and boxing fans around the globe will welcome the return of a man most consider to be the best fighter in the super middleweight division.
Smith (35-5-0) will come into the fight off the back of two successive defeats to WBO World super middleweight champion, Arthur Abraham. However, if anything those fights, particularly the first, have enhanced Smith’s reputation within the division as he ran the experienced German close with many observers suggesting he had done enough to win that first fight.
This fight will be Ward’s first with his new promoter, Roc Nation Sports. Roc Nation was founded by Jay Z and they have promised to bring a different perspective to boxing with live performances from musicians and a DJ who will play before the fight and between rounds.
Whilst many will be looking to see what Roc Nation bring to the table the majority will only have eyes on Ward and if he can return to the form he was in before his break it could be a difficult night for Paul Smith.