Top name in boxing is latest to be let go by ESPN

Dec 17, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Retired boxer Andre Ward on the sideline before the game between the Oakland Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Even the boxing world is now feeling the impact of ESPN’s job-cutting wave.

Retired former boxing champion Andre Ward announced to Twitter over the weekend that he is the latest to have been let go by ESPN.

“Tonight’s show was the last fight under my ESPN contract,” Ward wrote in a statement. “It’s been a great ride and I’m going to miss the whole ESPN crew that I’ve worked with for the last six years.

“I’m excited about my future and the chance to work on new projects and endeavors,” continued Ward. “Great things are ahead.”

The 39-year-old Ward was a two-division world champion and Olympic gold medalist during his professional boxing career. He retired early at the age of 33 with an undefeated record (32-0, 16 KOs), capping off his career with two big victories over fellow titleholder Sergey Kovalev.

After a brief post-retirement gig at HBO, Ward joined ESPN in 2017. He had called countless fights (both at ringside and remotely) for The Worldwide Leader since then, becoming one of their most popular boxing analysts.

Nicknamed “S.O.G.” (Son of God), Ward is one of dozens of established on-air personalities to have been dropped by ESPN in recent days. The job cuts have hit ESPN’s basketball coverage, their football coverage, and just about everything else in between.