ATHENS, Greece (AP) Andre Ward's six perfect years in the boxing ring have been a refuge from the imperfections in his tumultuous life.
When he was faced with the toughest match of his career at the Olympics, Ward fought nearly the perfect fight.
Ward upset two-time light heavyweight world champion Evgeny Makarenko 23-16 in a quarterfinal bout Tuesday night, clinching a medal with the tournament's biggest upset to date.
Nearly everything went according to plan for Ward, who hasn't lost a fight since 1998. The Oakland, Calif., native used the Russian's height and reach advantage against him, repeatedly landing straight punches to Makarenko's head and then sneaking away before the frustrated Russian could reply.
His plan, a work of technical genius for boxing enthusiasts, was executed with flair and precision. Though few gave him a chance against a powerful 6-foot-6 champ seeking his first gold medal, Ward is two fights away from the gold he believes he's destined to win.
``When you dream and you train your whole life for something like this, you want everything to be perfect,'' Ward said. ``It hasn't been like that, but everything is put in front of you for a reason. Every challenge is there for a reason.''
The victory lightened the burden of a 20-year-old husband and father of two boys who has barely seen his family in eight months, thanks to his singular focus on training.
Ward's father, who died two years ago, would have enjoyed his son's ascent to the top of U.S. amateur boxing and a victory that might save the reputation of a team reeling from poor bouts and poor attitudes.
``He patched the wound up,'' said U.S. coach Basheer Abdullah, who helped devise the plan. ``For the most part, we just let him be him and dictate how the fight was going to be boxed.''
Ward entered the ring to a mixture of boos and cheers, but was jeered whenever a pocket of friends and family chanted ``U-S-A!'' When Ward's dominance was apparent in the fourth round, even the Russian fans were subdued into a dull silence.
``The Russian's right hand was only effective when you sat right in front of him,'' Abdullah said. ``We had to turn him for four rounds. Andre turned him all night.''
Except for a round of hugs with his friends and family, Ward's celebration was subdued. Though he'll be the favorite in his remaining two fights, starting with Uzbekistan's Utkirbek Haydarov in the semifinals Friday, he's trying to keep his focus for one more week.
``This victory is already behind me,'' Ward said. ``I don't have time to relish it.''
Abdullah was depressed Monday night after super heavyweight Jason Estrada's embarrassing performance in and out of the ring. Estrada barely tried in his loss to Cuba's Michel Lopez Nunez, then claimed he didn't care about losing in the Olympics because of his upcoming pro career.
But Ward and middleweight Andre Dirrell, who meets Cuba's Yordani Despaigne on Wednesday, take genuine pride in representing the U.S. and they're also the team's most talented fighters. If Dirrell survives, the American team's worst Olympics performance since 1948 at least won't feel as pointless.
Ward felt that burden as well and still, he shouldered it.
``It was probably a little extra pressure, but it was just more about having pride in representing the United States,'' Ward said. ``We read what's being written about us. Hopefully we can bring some pride back to the USA.''
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