Andre Ward vs. Paul Smith: Winner, Recap and Reaction

Welcome back, Andre "S.O.G" Ward (28-0, 15 KO). After a 19-month layoff, the WBA super middleweight champion returned to the ring with a dominant ninth-round TKO over Paul Smith (35-6) on Saturday night in Oakland, California. It wasn't a title defense, but Ward looked like a champion against a clearly inferior opponent.

Ward pounded on Smith with combinations from multiple angles. Smith's face broke up under Ward's shots, and his corner mercifully threw in the towel to save their fighter from unnecessary punishment.

S.O.G had quite the cheering section. TheScore NBA has Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors carrying one of Ward's belts in the ring:

Fellow Roc Nation Sports stablemate and WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto also made the trip to Oakland to support Ward:

Smith looked like a handpicked opponent, but he gave a valiant effort to make the fight with Ward semi-competitive. He landed a good right hand on Ward in the eighth round, but that was the extent of his highlights.

With a piston-like jab, superior movement and well-placed counterpunches, Ward essentially went through a mild workout at Smith's expense.

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Freelance boxing writer Michael Pointer noted that the decision to throw in the towel was the right one, given how lopsided the bout was:

"

Andre Ward is such a pleasure to watch. A total pro. Smith's corner did right by its fighter when it threw in the towel.

— Michael Pointer (@michaelpointer) June 21, 2015"

Ward has few compelling options to choose from at 168 pounds. There's talk of him facing lineal middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin. IBF champion James "Chunky" DeGale is one option, but that bout probably won't move the needle with most boxing fans.

The Golovkin fight is an interesting one. GGG would likely have to move up to 168 to get it done, as Ward would rightfully insist upon being the A-side in those negotiations.

There's no doubting the fact that Golovkin has established himself as a quality fighter, but Ward has beaten far better quality opponents. He has earned the right to have the fight on his terms. He's discussed the prospects of facing Golovkin but questions whether Golovkin wants to fight him.

The interview from FightHype.com is interesting:

In any case, that's probably the biggest fight Ward could make at this point in his career.

Some people criticize Ward's pure boxing style, much the same way critics attack Floyd Mayweather Jr. What's worse for Ward—from a popularity standpoint—is that he doesn't have the polarizing qualities that Money possesses. Many view him as a boring fighter with an even more sleepy personality.

However, more problematic than that dynamic is Ward's size. As an established fighter at 168 pounds, he's not exactly in the best weight class for big fights. There isn't one fighter in the weight class he could face who would justify a pay-per-view event.

Does Ward want to put himself out by dropping weight to chase Golovkin, Cotto and others at 160 pounds? Or does he want to gain weight to go after guys such as Adonis Stevenson or Sergey Kovalev at light heavyweight?

Either move could be a risky proposition for a fighter in his 30s.

Because Ward is widely regarded as the second-best fighter in the world behind Mayweather, there's a reluctance to chase anyone.

Career dilemmas aside, Ward put on a clinic against a fighter everyone expected him to beat on Saturday. We'll now wait to see what his next move will be.

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