Photo credit: HBO Boxing

The ever lively rumor mill churned out the scenario which saw Andre Ward leaving RocNation Sports, with whom he’s been aligned since exiting his deal with the late Dan Goossen, to Top Rank, the promotional umbrella helmed by Bob Arum. That rumor went from a simmer to near boil when we saw Ward working the ESPN mic on the most recent Top Rank show on “The Worldwide Leader.”

So I asked Arum, on the latest edition of the Everlast podcast “TALKBOX,” if indeed Ward were hopping aboard the Top Rank train.

“Andre Ward is promoted by our friends at RocNation. We don’t interfere with anybody’s contract and neither would Andre,” Arum said. “He’s a very, very lovely guy, very intelligent guy, and RocNation’s been very good to Andre and Andre is not looking to break away from RocNation.”

Ward has noted that he is a TV free agent and is no longer contracted to HBO. “So it would depend on RocNation, on which platform Andre would want to fight on.”

Hold tight: You notice the wording there? There is the possibility that Arum has hinted at the furtherance of a direction and trend here. Top Rank won the purse bid for light heavyweight contender Artur Beterbiev’s next fight, against Enrico Koelling, and will feature the Al Haymon-advised boxer on an October 31 card put together by Top Rank, portions of which will run on ESPN. Is it too lengthy a leap in logic to see Ward fighting on a Top Rank card, as Beterbiev (11-0, 11 knockouts) will be?

And regarding RocNation and its place within the box-o-sphere, does Arum get the sense that the Jay Z arm will continue in the space? Four-division titleholder Miguel Cotto is now with Golden Boy Promotions and I didn’t hear back from RocNation when I inquired about the length of their deal with the Oakland pound-for-pound ace.

“Yes, I do. I met with their officials in our office,” Arum continued. “And my feeling was – and they said – they would continue in boxing. Now they may work to some extent in coordination with us, which I would welcome, but they will definitely remain in boxing.”

Follow Michael Woods on Twitter @Woodsy1069.

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