Unified super middleweight titleholder Andre Ward has reportedly suffered a shoulder injury while training, and as a result, his upcoming fight will "likely" be rescheduled.
Ward (26-0) was scheduled to take on Kelly Pavlik (40-2) on Jan. 26 at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, California.
Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix reported the news based on information attained by SI.com through multiple sources.
There is no reason to doubt the validity of this report. Mannix is a respected journalist.
Now, I have no idea about the nature of the injury, but I have to believe that it will lead to the fight being rescheduled.
While there are serious logistical concerns over rescheduling a fight that is less than two months away, Ward's camp needs to ensure it happens.
Ward is a champ on the rise. He and his camp don't need to risk going into a fight unprepared, and a shoulder injury will definitely disrupt training.
Ward, 28, is coming off an impressive win by stopping Chad Ward in 10 rounds. The power he displayed in that fight turned some heads, and it has him climbing up the pecking order in the boxing world.
In fact, ESPN has him ranked as the No. 2-best pound-for-pound fighter. Trailing only the aging Floyd Mayweather. It is in the best interest of not just Ward, but the sport of boxing, that he continues to look like a dominant force.
He is expected to handle Pavlik fairly easily in this fight. However, the crafty and determined 30-year-old can't be discounted.
He has cruised in his past four fights since losing to Sergio Martinez in 2010.
So, whenever this fight does happen, it should be an entertaining one.
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