Andre Ward's sudden retirement from the sport of boxing has the entire boxing community and social media in shock.
Ward announced in the early morning of September 21 that he will retire from the sport, despite holding the unified light heavyweight titles for less than a year.
Below are some of the reactions boxers and major athletes outside of the sport had regarding Ward's retirement.
HBO Sports Executive Vice President Peter Nelson released a statement, which can be seen below, wishing Ward the best in his career. Ward fought for HBO since 2012, headlining two pay-per-views since last November against Sergey Kovalev.
Andre Ward ends his boxing career as he only knew how to live it -- as a champion at the top. To watch Ward was to marvel at constant mastery of craft in the ring, to say nothing of his being the consummate role model outside it. The Hall of Fame will be lucky to have him. We wish Andre and his family much success and happiness as he explores new opportunities, including with our own HBO family as one of the expert analysts on our broadcast team. It was a privilege for HBO to serve as the television platform for many of his landmark achievements in the sport he loves.
Ward retires with a perfect 32-0 record as a professional boxer, having won world titles at light heavyweight and super middleweight and winning an Olympic gold medal in the 2004 Olympics.
