Ward “I look at Floyd (Mayweather) in that he’s got ability out of this world”

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Andre Ward Paul SmithAndre Ward will make his return in Oakland on June 20th in Oakland. Ward has not fought since November of 2013. He spent most of his 2014 in battles with his former promoter, Goossen Tutor. Now aligned with Roc Nation Sports, his bout with Smith will be on BET.

Being out for almost 18 months, you would think that there is rest. Ward credits his mental fortitude in beating off the rust.

“You feel little things, punch you get hit or a shot that took to slow to make,” Ward told FightHype.com. “When you don’t poison in your body, it comes back. When you don’t party and not get your rest, your body bounces back quickly. I may feel little things in the beginning, but it comes back quick. My mind is my biggest attribute. My mind is the difference. I’m always taking mental reps. When my mind is engaged; the physical stuff isn’t too much.

Ward also credits commentating for HBO keeping him mentally strong, even though, his relationship with boxing wasn’t great for the past year and a half.

“The commentating keeps me around the apart and forces me to think about the sport,” Ward said. “I haven’t been watching a lot of boxing lately just cause me and boxing haven’t got along lately. We just now started talking. I can’t help but be aware of what’s going on my sport. It’s always on my mind; that’s what I say when I say mental reps.”

It’s his mentality that keeps him at his best in the sport. He sees the same thing n Floyd Mayweather and Bernard Hopkins.

“You see that in a guy like Bernard Hopkins,” stated Ward.” I look at Floyd (Mayweather) in that he’s got ability out of this world with his work ethic, and that’s how you get that greatness. Then you have guys like Bernard Hopkins, who doesn’t have all those skills but maximized what he has because he was a different dude mentally. I think I fall in between that, where I have a lot of God-given ability, but I wouldn’t say that boxing is easy to me. I have to work hard. If I slack off, they are going to catch up.”