Andre Ward will re-enter the ring following a long layoff which involved shoulder surgery. Ward was last seen dismantling Chad Dawson in September 2012. Though he was supposed to fight Kelly Pavlik, surgery sidelined the world champ as most of his other worthy challengers signed contracts to fight someone else.
Ward will meet up-and-coming challenger Edwin Rodriguez, fresh off his victory in the Monaco Million Dollar Super 4 which he won by first round KO. Rodriguez, another undefeated fighter, can bang, but, as many of Ward's recent opponents found out, that only matters if he can land any punches.
Ward should be heavily favored against Rodriguez, more a testament to his ability than to discredit his opponent. Ward is simply unchallenged at this 168 pounds, and he may need to go up or down in weight to find a bigger fight. Still, options are slim, especially if Top Rank doesn't want to feed Julio Cesar Chavez to the lions.
The fight will take place in Ontario Calif., meaning the big fight in Vegas still eludes Andre Ward, perhaps a taste of what his foes experience in the ring. Hopefully it happens soon for the undefeated American, as his talent has certainly earned it.
