Andre Ward-Roc Nation pairing a plus but what weight makes most sense?

NEW YORK -- Andre Ward was ringside at Madison Square Garden on Friday, and that alone was notable. It has been 14 months since Ward wiped out Edwin Rodriguez,

NEW YORK -- Andre Ward was ringside at Madison Square Garden on Friday, and that alone was notable. It has been 14 months since Ward wiped out Edwin Rodriguez, his last fight before a protracted battle with former promoter Dan Goossen put him on the shelf. That squabble ended with a settlement last week, freeing Ward to ink a lucrative contract with Roc Nation, Jay-Z’s fledgling boxing outfit. Addressing reporters, there was a palpable relief in Ward’s voice.

Said Ward, “I’m just happy it’s over with.”

Ward and I have had disagreements over the years -- over his sense of entitlement to televised tune-ups; over his unwillingness to move up in weight -- but make no mistake: Boxing is better with Ward in it. He’s the No. 2 fighter in the world, pound-for-pound, a preternatural blend of size, skill and speed with enough power (see Ward’s 2012 knockout of Chad Dawson) to make any fight interesting. In a sport filled with fighters disinterested in challenges, Ward takes on all comers; there isn’t a top fighter at 168 pounds that Ward has not beaten, and beaten badly.

Jay-Z's Roc Nation Athletes

Robinson Cano

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Jay-Z's Roc Nation announced itself to the world in early April 2013 when it signed then-Yankees second baseman and five-time All-Star Robinson Cano away from Scott Boras. Cano, who had spent nine years in the Bronx, signed a 10-year, $240 million contract with the Seattle Mariners.

Victor Cruz

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In April 2013, Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz signed on with Roc Nation. Cruz signed a five-year, $43 million extension with New York that summer, which will keep the Giants' best receiver close to Jay-Z's hometown for his NFL prime.

Skylar Diggins

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In late April 2013, former Notre Dame college basketball star Skylar Diggins signed with Roc Nation. Diggins, who was selected No. 3 in the WNBA draft by the Tulsa Shock, became the agency's third client, after Cano and Cruz. Diggins was a four-time All-American at Notre Dame; in her second season in Tulsa, the guard averaged 20.1 points per game.

Geno Smith

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Roc Nation scooped up Jets quarterback Geno Smith before the former West Virginia college star had even played a single down in the NFL. Smith signed with Roc Nation in May 2013, a move that generated controversy because Jay-Z was not officially credentialed as an agent. On his track "La Familia" from his recent record "Magna Carta Holy Grail," Jay-Z poked fun at the situation: "NFL investigations / Oh, don't make me laugh."

Kevin Durant

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Kevin Durant has established himself as one of the best players in the NBA. Durant signed with Roc Nation in June 2013 and immediately became the most high-profile coup for the agency. Unless he signs an extension with the Thunder, Durant will hit free agency in 2016.

C.C. Sabathia

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C.C. Sabathia joined former teammate Robinson Cano in Roc Nation's emerging client base in Jan. 2014. Sabathia was signed through 2016 at salaries of $23 million in each of the next two seasons and $25 million in 2016. The Yankees hold a $25 million option for 2017 with a $5 million buyout.

Hakeem Nicks

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Hakeem Nicks joined Roc Nation in Feb. 2014, after becoming a free agent for the first time in his career. He spent five seasons with the New York Giants, where he quickly became an integral part of the team's offense. Following a down season in 2013 for Nicks, who failed to grab a touchdown from a struggling Eli Manning, the Indianapolis Colts signed the wide receiver to a one-year, $3.975 million contract with a $2 million signing bonus in March 2014.

James Young

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Former Kentucky and current Boston Celtics basketball player James Young was spotted sitting next to Rihanna during a Brooklyn Nets game at the Barclays Center in May 2014. She later broke the news Young signed with Roc Nation on her Instagram, "“I am proud to say that JAMES YOUNG is the newest member of the #ROCNationSports family!!! WELCOME HOME!!!"

Rusney Castillo

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The Cuban defector signed with Roc Nation in June 2014, and two months later the Boston Red Sox agreed to a seven-year, $72.5 million deal with the outfielder

Ndamukong Suh

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Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh signed with Roc Nation in Sept. 2014. Suh is in the final year of his rookie contract with the Lions. His base salary of $12.55 million and bonuses are scheduled to count $22.4 million against the team's salary cap next season.

Yoenis Cespedes

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Roc Nation added their second Cuban outfielder with the Boston Red Sox in Oct. 2014. Yoenis Cespedes will be a free agent after the 2015 season and is expected to land a lucrative contract.

Dez Bryant

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Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant joined Roc Nation Sports in Nov. 2014 while in the last season of his rookie contract and being paid $1.78 million in base salary. When asked about his decision to change agents, Bryant reportedly said "It ain't about a contract. It's about me branding myself and being an icon for these kids."

Andre Ward

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Jay-Z signed WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward to Roc Nation Sports in Jan. 2015. It has been 14 months since Ward wiped out Edwin Rodriguez, his last fight before a protracted battle with former promoter Dan Goossen put him on the shelf. That squabble ended with a settlement, freeing Ward (27-0) to ink a lucrative contract with Roc Nation within a week later.

Todd Gurley

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Georgia running back Todd Gurley signed with Jay Z's Roc Nation Sports in Jan. 2015. Gurley, 20, tore the ACL in his left knee in November against Auburn and missed the rest of the season. It was his first game back since serving a four-game suspension for accepting money for autographs. Gurley, who will enter the 2015 NFL draft, rushed for 911 yards and nine touchdowns while also catching 16 passes for 117 yards in six games in 2014.

It’s a coup for Roc Nation, a company that has been driving a Brink’s truck through boxing, only to have fighters run away from it. A $1.4 million purse offered to Peter Quillin to fight Matt Korobov was rejected. Multi-million dollar offers to Deontay Wilder and Keith Thurman were turned down. No matter how much money Roc Nation was willing to put on the table, nobody seemed to want it.

Ward did, and now, at 30, he enters the prime of his career with a formidable presence behind him. Roc Nation is new to the boxing industry, but it’s not inexperienced. COO David Itskowitch, a former Golden Boy Promotions top executive, is widely respected. Last week the company merged with Gary Shaw Productions; Shaw, a boxing lifer, gives valuable credibility to the promotional side. It has no standing beefs with any promoter -- though Jay-Z’s wife, Beyonce, has a checkered history with Al Haymon that likely precludes the sides from working together -- and can move its fighters between HBO and Showtime.

“This is obviously something new with Roc Nation,” Ward said. "[But] they’re a powerhouse in everything they touch.”

Indeed, Roc Nation has clout, evidenced by the star power ringside on Saturday. Jay-Z, Rihanna and Jake Gyllenhaal were among the dozens of celebs on hand for Roc Nation’s first show. It was a unique event that featured a performance from Grammy nominated rapper Fabolous and thumping beats from DJ Mustard.

Ultimately, Roc Nation’s success will have little to do with its ability to draw names to events, but the quality of the events it puts on. It’s debut show was forgettable. Tureano Johnson -- a decent middleweight prospect in Shaw’s stable -- steamrolled Alex Theran, a fighter with no resume to speak of. Junior welterweight Dustin Fleischer beat Frank Jordan in his pro debut. The card was headlined by welterweight Dusty Harrison-Hernandez, a solid young fighter with no business fronting a televised show. He wiped out Tommy Rainone in 10 rounds.

Roc Nation can fill the stands with more celebrities than the Golden Globes; it won’t stop a television audience -- the only audience that really matters -- from tuning out.

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They have a centerpiece in Ward, who is well positioned to re-establish himself as one of boxing’s brightest stars -- if he moves up. On Saturday, Ward reiterated his desire to remain at 168 pounds, citing his inability to grow naturally into another weight class. “There is no reason for me to go to light heavyweight until I’m a full-fledged light heavyweight,” Ward said. “I’m not that right now.”

That’s fine. Only Ward knows what his body is and isn’t ready for, and while seven pounds might not seem significant, the difference between a natural light heavyweight and one that eats himself up there is noticeable in the ring.

But who is left at 168 pounds for Ward to fight? Carl Froch is widely considered the No. 2 man in the division; Ward manhandled him in 2011. Anthony Dirrell is a titleholder, but Dirrell, 30, isn’t in Ward’s class. Arthur Abraham would fight Ward -- if he came to Germany. Gennady Golovkin would fight Ward, but that fight is at least a year away from being meaningful. The fight Ward really wants is Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., the money-making former middleweight champion whose mere presence guarantees a strong pay per view. But Froch is already lined up to face him, and if I’m Chavez’s team I want nothing to do with a Ward fight.

The 175-pound division, however, is loaded. Sergey Kovalev is the unified champion, and Kovalev would jump in the ring with Ward tomorrow. Adonis Stevenson has a title and money behind him. There is Jean Pascal, Bernard Hopkins and Artur Beterbiev. Two years spent running through that gauntlet would establish Ward as arguably the biggest star to ever compete in the two divisions. The money will be there and his legacy will be untouchable.

Ward will get there and, selfishly, boxing fans hope he does quickly. A disastrous 2014 has pushed the sport further and further from the mainstream. It needs its stars active to start to claw its way back. It needs Ward to once again become one of them.