Olympic gold, two-division world champion, 32 – 0 record, No. 1 pound for pound fighter, the last American man to win Olympic gold in boxing (2004, light heavyweight division), and the current IBF/WBA/WBO light heavyweight champion are just some of the accolades boxing great Andre Ward leaves behind as he announced his retirement.
To the sport of boxing – I love you. You’ve been by my side since I was 10-years-old. You’ve taught me so much. You’ve humbled me. You’ve promoted me. I’ve sacrificed a lot for you, but you’ve given me more than I ever thought possible. You gave me a platform, made me a champion and helped me provide for my family. I am forever grateful to you. You and I will always be synonymous, connected at the hip. Thank you for all the wonderful people I’ve come in contact with because of you. I’ve made friends for life. As I walk away from the sport of boxing today, I leave at the top of your glorious mountain, which was always my vision and my dream. I did it. We did it.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who has played a part in my journey. You know who you are. I could not have done this without you. I want to be clear – I am leaving because my body can no longer put up with the rigors of the sport and therefore my desire to fight is no longer there. If I cannot give my family, my team, and the fans everything that I have, then I should no longer be fighting. Above all, I give God the Glory, for allowing me to do what I’ve done, for as long as I have.
23yrs Strong #Re2pect #Hardware #P4P @jumpman23 pic.twitter.com/9OyDT1UYsR
— Andre S.O.G. Ward (@andreward) September 19, 2017
Ward is also known for his faith and his shameless use of the acronym S.O.G. (Soldier of God). He has used music from Da’ T.R.U.T.H. and Bizzle in promotions and frequently shares Christian rap artists on his playlists.