Andre Ward says there is ‘no doubt’ who hit him hardest in his 32 fight career

Andre Ward boasts victories over a host of former world champions but declared that the hardest puncher that he faced in his career is one who never got his hands on world honours.

Ward defeated Mikkel Kessler for the WBA super-middleweight crown back in 2009 and went on to make six defences of the belt, overcoming the likes of Arthur Abraham and Carl Froch and then unifying the titles by knocking out WBC champion Chad Dawson.

The ‘Son of God’ then stepped up to light-heavyweight, where he famously dethroned the previously unbeaten three-belt unified champion Sergey Kovalev, and then knocked the Russian out in their rematch, before announcing a shock retirement at the age of just 33 years old.

Yet, despite victories over some of the biggest names to have graced the 168lb division, Ward pointed towards Colombia’s Edison Miranda when discussing the hardest hitting opposition on his résumé, in an interview with Boxing News last year.

“The hardest puncher was definitely Edison Miranda – no doubt about that.”

Ward fought Miranda in 2009, two bouts before his title challenge with Kessler, and walked away with a unanimous decision as he made his solitary defence of the NABF super-middleweight strap.

Miranda twice challenged for a world title, but fell short to then IBF middleweight ruler, Abraham, in a 2006 points defeat. Four years later, he was stopped by Lucian Bute inside three rounds, when bidding for the IBF super-middleweight world title.