Andre Ward is the Jose Mourinho of boxing says challenger Paul Smith
Tuesday 16 June 2015 12:57, UK
Paul Smith has labelled Andre Ward the 'Mourinho of boxing' ahead of their catch-weight fight this weekend.
Smith will climb into the ring with Ward in Oakland, California live on Sky Sports this weekend with Ward taking to the ring for the first time since 2013.
And Liverpool fan Smith is well aware of the task that awaits him, likening Ward's ability to that of Chelsea's three-time title winning manager.
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Ward is unbeaten in 27 professional fights and has not lost since he was the age of 13 and is regarded as one of the premier pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
However the American has not boxed for 19 months and is also yet to fight in Las Vegas but Smith's comparison to Mourinho proves it will be a tough task for the Liverpool man to win away.
"Not many people like the way he fights and the way to compare him, to the British people and all the British sports fans watching, is that he is like Mourinho." Smith told Sky Sports.
"He wins by whatever means necessary. He doesn't care what it looks like.
"He'll try and nullify everything you do and drag you into a war... as long as he wins.
He is likes Mourinho. He wins by whatever means necessary. He doesn't care what it looks like.
"That is his attitude and that's his mentality but credit where credit's due; he's an Olympic gold medalist and he hasn't lost a fight since the age of 13 and won numerous titles."
The fight is at catch-weight of 172lbs - 4lbs above the super-middleweight limit.
Watch Andre Ward v Paul Smith and Adrien Broner v Shawn Porter live on Sky Sports 1, from 1.30am, Sunday, June 21.
