Andre Ward plays down 'challenge' to Floyd Mayweather

Andre Ward, a career super middleweight who has balked at requests to move below 168 pounds in the past, says that the one man who could get him to cut weight is Floyd Mayweather.

That story spun a bit, and became something where Ward was perceived to be challenging Mayweather, but he says that's not the case:

"I've been in boxing a long time and rule number one is you don't call somebody out that's three weight classes lower than you. ... I'm not a guy that says things for shock value or says things to get headlines. I respected what Floyd has done for the sport before he said what he said and I respect what Floyd has done for our sport after he said what he said. We had a difference and that's it. ... I don't have no problems with Floyd Mayweather."

The whole thing came about because Mayweather said Andre Ward can't sell tickets outside of Oakland, and that nobody outside of that city knows who he is, as well as kind of dumping on the idea of Ward having an Olympic gold medal. "Let me get it and I'll melt it down and get a medallion made," he told FightHype.

The whole thing is just talk, though. If, in theory, the two could fight at 160 pounds someday, that would be very interesting. But Ward is with HBO and Floyd has a long-term deal with Showtime/CBS, so it's pretty much impossible unless the two companies worked together, which seems very unlikely.