Ward vs Froch: Andre Ward Quotes From Final Press Conference

Andre Ward, WBA Super Middleweight Champion

"This fight should be dubbed, ‘No Excuses.' If Carl Froch beats me, there won't be [any] excuses. I beat Carl Froch, there shouldn't be any excuses. No judges, no referees, no nothing. May the best man win.

"There's been a lot of talk, too much talk in my opinion. This is my favorite time, when it's time to get down and showdown. The fight is a few days away; I love to speak the loudest on the night of the fight. I love big moments like this. I love big fights like this. Carl Froch is the self-proclaimed best fighter in England. I love it. I want to fight the best and I want to beat the best.

"A lot of people keep talking to me about being the favorite. We're not the favorite. I still have that chip on my shoulder, but that's how we prepare. For some reason, there seems to be questions from Froch's camp and the media about toughness, physicality, things like that. There's a sense that I'm looking to squeak by in this fight. You don't squeak by fights at this level. You take them and that's what I plan to do.

"I'm the way that I always am. I'm always like this: firm. It is a few days away from a big fight. But again, just like my fighting style, people will throw things out there - like I'm a ‘nice guy,' which I am. ‘He's a family guy,' which I am. And people will get caught up in the press what they read rather than looking at me for who I am. I'm a warrior. But people only give the warrior tag if you get cut every other fight or you're in a Fight of the Year candidate every other fight. But I'm a warrior and I'm coming to win something and take something. I've been away from my family. This is the purpose of training camp, to get you in this mode.

"Lucian Bute needs to fight the winner of this fight to be the best. That's just the bottom line. No disrespect to Lucian Bute but he's fought B- and C level competition. He's done what he was supposed to; he got them out of there. But it's like he's preserving himself, just trying to wait for the winner of this tournament while [Carl and I] have been putting in a lot of hard work. He has to come to us. We won't have to go to him."

Virgil Hunter, Ward's Trainer

"This is a fabulous event going on between two great gladiators. We're definitely proud to be a part of it. I never doubted that Carl Froch would be that type of opponent [who won't quit]. We've got our bags packed for the ride Carl's going to take us on. He's got his bag packed. He's got his camera. He's got all of his sightseeing things in his suitcase and he's prepared to go along on that ride - and go places that he's never been before. And, I think, that as he goes along on the ride, he'll recognize that the terrain is very familiar to him. Andre has been there before. So I look for a great fight and anything that arises within it."

Dan Goossen, Goossen Tutor Promotions

"Every fight is a different level for Andre Ward. The American public will recognize his face, his faith, his clean life, his family life, loyalty and a viciousness inside the ring that I believe is second to none. It's been an honor to see him get the gold medal for America. On Saturday night, it will be an honor to see him lift that cup above his head. We have a lot of respect for Carl Froch but the best is yet to come for Andre Ward.

"Thanks to SHOWTIME. I felt this tournament has been a whole different direction for boxing, one that can't be accomplished that often because I don't believe it's an easy task to get six of the best fighters in any one division to pre-agree to fight one another in a continual tournament - win, lose or draw."