Andre Ward has started a rehabilitation process following successful shoulder surgery, and the 28-year-old super middleweight world champion says he expects a speedy recovery and return to the ring:

"After being at home for the past 10 days, I was happy to get out of the house and get to work on my recovery. I am going to be smart and listen to what my doctors and physical therapist tell me, but I look forward to a fast recovery," Ward said. "I am going to put the same energy and focus that I put into boxing into my rehab. Like I tell my mother, I'm a professional athlete and I heal faster than the average person."

Ward (26-0, 14 KO) canceled a fight with former middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik to have the surgery, after first postponing the bout, which was originally set for January 26. The Oakland native hasn't fought since September, when he dominated Chad Dawson and won via 10th round stoppage.

The WBC and WBA titles held by Ward are a topic of discussion lately. The WBA has "regular" champion Mikkel Kessler set to rematch IBF titlist Carl Froch, while the WBC is considering making Ward "champion in recess," and allowing Sakio Bika and Nikola Sjekloca to fight for the vacant title.