<b>ONTARIO, Calif. (AP)</b> -- Andre Ward returned
from a 14-month ring absence with a lop-sided unanimous decision over
Edwin Rodriguez on Saturday night, defending his WBA super middleweight
title.
Ward (27-0) won nearly every round in a
dominant effort against the previously unbeaten Rodriguez at Citizens
Business Bank Arena. The judges favored Ward 118-106, 117-107 and
116-108 over Rodriguez, who failed to make weight for the bout, thereby
missing the chance to win a title.
Ward hadn't fought since September 2012,
when he stopped former light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson in
arguably the most impressive performance of his pro career.
The U.S. Olympic gold medalist rose to
prominence with a victory in the Super Six 168-pound tournament before
beating Dawson to join the world's top pound-for-pound fighters.
