Former unified super middleweight champion Andre Ward has teased a comeback in recent years since his retirement in 2017. Earlier this week, the undefeated boxer shared an Instagram video in which he said, “One name that I’ve brought up before, that… when you say that name, I could see myself fighting him… Me and Anthony Joshua.” Ward revealed he would be open to facing Joshua at Wembley Stadium, acknowledging it would be a dangerous fight for both his legacy and himself. He added that Joshua is the only opponent who could push him into the mindset necessary to train again. 

The challenge is indeed significant for the 41-year-old—not only because the 35-year-old is younger, but also because he is a heavyweight. Nevertheless, Anthony Joshua responded to Andre Ward’s post with a playful comment, “Pay Day Pay Day ( Canelo voice ).” This was, of course, a nod to Canelo Alvarez, who often taunts his opponents by suggesting they are motivated by the payday that comes with fighting him. While this exchange between Joshua and Ward left everyone on a cliffhanger, Floyd Mayweather’s uncle has chimed in with his opinion on the potential fight. 

“It just seems so strange for him to call out a heavyweight, and actually a good heavyweight, [especially since he hasn’t] fought in [eight years],” Jeff Mayweather said early in an interview with The Mayweather Channel. Despite his reservations, the legendary trainer acknowledged that the fight itself could generate significant public interest. He appeared uncertain about what weight the bout might take place at, speculating about Ward’s current walking-around weight. “I think he might be 200 or he might even be 210 or something like that,” Mayweather said.

Despite his doubts, Jeff Mayweather wasn’t ruling out Andre Ward completely, offering one reason behind his cautious optimism. “He’s going to give up a lot of weight. But the one thing is this: if the Andre Ward that we’ve seen in the past—if he somehow shows up, he still has a chance,” Floyd Mayweather’s uncle told The Mayweather Channel. Ward is widely regarded as one of the modern greats of the sport. Still, he would need to turn back the clock and reach a career-high weight to take on Joshua.

Meanwhile, Joshua is coming off a devastating fifth-round knockout loss to Daniel Dubois last year, and there’s been speculation about talks for a fight against Jake Paul. Joshua’s future in boxing remains uncertain, with two potential opponents on the table. The question remains: can Ward pull off an upset if the fight happens?

Jeff Mayweather claims Andre Ward can’t outfight Anthony Joshua

While Jeff Mayweather refuses to ignore Ward’s skills, he’s not confident about whether the 41-year-old can weather the storm Joshua would bring to the fight. During the same interview, he explained that Ward would have zero advantages going into the fight. “I mean, other than, you know, he can outbox Joshua,” Mayweather told the reporter. 

“But he definitely can’t outfight him,” Ward added. Joshua is naturally bigger and definitely carries significantly more power, which is reflected in his impressive record of 25 knockouts out of 28 wins. However, Jeff Mayweather speculates whether Ward has been cooking up a strategy in the gym to counter his disadvantage. “I don’t know. Maybe [they are] working out and we don’t know [anything] about it.”

That being said, even though Jeff Mayweather isn’t ready to count Andre Ward out in a potential fight against Anthony Joshua, one has to ask: can a former super middleweight really beat an active heavyweight?