What was it like, getting back to a full training camp after your long layoff with the right shoulder injury? It?s like anything else, when you haven?t done something for a while, it takes some time to get the rhythm, to get in the groove. But the good thing about myself is that I wasn?t just rehabbing, laying on the table tinkering with the shoulder. I was working out, doing my strength work, doing things along with the rehab. So when I got back in the ring I felt physically good and it just took a little time to get the timing down but the whole camp the shoulder?s been a non-issue. It?s a lot stronger, I got a lot more pop in my right hand and we?re gonna see that on November 16. This is part of my story, coming back from the injury, overcoming what I?ve overcome.
Who have you sparred for this fight? We had about five or six different guys. We try to get guys that are similar. You?ll never find an exact replica but we?ve had great work in this camp. We?ve had some young, hungry guys, I?m pushing them, they?re pushing me, we?re preparing the way we?re supposed to prepare for a championship fight. I worked with [undefeated stablemate] Brandon [Gonzalez] and he?s on the card.
What can we expect from this fight with Rodriguez? A writer not too long ago, they had a title to an article, ?Ward is trying to avoid the upset.? The way I look at it is a little bit different. I?m not going into this fight against this kid, trying to eke by or squeak by and hopefully keep my title. I?m going into this fight to dominate, I?m coming into this fight full steam ahead. It?s a mindset. I respect what he?s bringing, he?s hungry, but so am I. This is his opportunity to win a title but it?s my opportunity to keep my title I worked hard to get. When you?re preparing for a fight like this, you don?t think about rust or all the little things the media might bring up, we put in the work. As long as I put in the time and dedicated myself, that?s what?s important.
Do you feel you have not always been given the credit you deserve? That?s always the case, you can always say that from the standpoint of not getting your just due, but that scenario is what it is. That?s an uphill battle that you?re never gonna win. You?ll never have every website or every magazine, every reporter, say good things about you and acknowledge your accomplishments as they should. That?s just the way it is and I understand that. I don?t read a lot of this stuff because some of it is just people?s opinions, not covering the sport in the way it should be covered. But I use it for motivation, for fuel. These are the types of things, along with wanting to be the best, that fuel a fighter. You learn to embrace it.
What?s your analysis of the Carl Froch-George Groves fight that takes place the week after your bout? I really only watched a full fight of George Groves? on the undercard of Carl Froch-Mikkel Kessler II. I called the fight for HBO and I was able to watch him from a distance. Like me with Edwin Rodriguez, When Groves fights Froch and Edwin fought me, you?re not running into guys that have ?names? who aren?t dedicated or who are maybe overrated. They?re running into real champions. I don?t know too much about Groves but you have to respect him. He called for this fight, he got what we wanted and it?s Froch?s job to show him he?s not ready.
And what are your future plans? I just want to keep moving up, and I think I?ve paid my dues. Once I come back and show that I?m better than ever, I want to look to the next biggest and best opportunity. I?m in this sport because I love it and God has blessed me with a gift and I want to maximise that, but I?m also in this sport to make a living and provide for my family. I?m not going to be boxing another 15 years, maybe not even another 10 years, maybe not even another eight years. I need to take things to the next level from an exposure standpoint, from a financial standpoint, all around the board, so it?s about going up.
