Floyd Mayweather backs Andre Ward to school Gennady Golovkin

Floyd Mayweather believes beating Gennady Golovkin at 168lbs would be 'very, very easy' for Andre Ward.

Ward (28-0-KO15) is the former WBA Super and WBC world super-middleweight champion but, having fought above the 168lb limit in his last two fights, reports suggest he will opt for a clash with light-heavyweight kingpin Sergey Kovalev in 2016.

But Mayweather, whose retirement prompted many to elect Golovkin as boxing's new pound-for-pound king, believes his fellow American should stay at super-middleweight and attempt to coax the WBA Super, IBF and interim WBC world middleweight champion up a division.

Once again, these guys in boxing [media], not me, are rating this guy, Triple-G, super high. He's good with a stationary target in front of him.

Mayweather told Fight Hype: "Andre Ward is a 68-pounder and I think he should continue to dominate at 168. This is what I think should happen.

"You know, everybody keeps talking Triple-G, so I just started taking notice probably last year. If this guy Triple-G is so tough and so bad, you know, from what they say, then let him go up and fight Andre Ward.

"Once again, these guys in boxing [media], not me, are rating this guy, Triple-G, super high. He's good with a stationary target in front of him.

"When he's fighting a guy that's straight up and down with no special effects, is he good? Absolutely! But do I think that Triple-G can beat Andre Ward? Absolutely not! Easy pickings! It's going to be very, very, very easy for Andre Ward."

Ward was last in action when stopping Liverpool's Paul Smith in the ninth back in June.

Golovkin appears to be keener on the idea of a middleweight unification clash rather than stepping up in weight, earmarking WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders and WBC holder Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez as his preferred opponents.