Joe Ward to undergo knee surgery after injury loss in pro debut

Irish light heavyweight prospect Joe Ward had a terrible professional debut this past Saturday in New York, injuring his knee badly, resulting in a second round TKO loss to Marco Delgado on the GGG-Derevyanchenko undercard at Madison Square Garden.

For Ward (0-1), it’s about as bad as it could have been turning pro. He was boxing well early, but his knee just gave out on him in the second round, and he couldn’t go on. Now, he’ll undergo surgery that will leave him out of the ring at least four months.

Promoter Lou DiBella told ESPN that Ward, a 25-year-old southpaw and amateur standout, dislocated his left knee cap. DiBella also says they’re going to try and get the New York State Athletic Commission to change the result to a no-contest, believing the injury was a result of Delgado accidentally stepping on Ward’s foot.