As an amateur, Ward won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 2004 Olympics and turned professional later that year. He rose to worldwide prominence upon entering the Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament in 2009, where he won the WBA (Super) super middleweight title from Mikkel Kessler in the opening group stage. In 2011, Ward defeated WBC champion Carl Froch in the tournament final to unify the titles, as well as winning the vacant "Ring" and lineal titles. That same year, Ward was named Fighter of the Year by "The Ring" and the Boxing Writers' Association of America. He later won "The Ring"'s Comeback of the Year award in 2016 following a long period of sporadic in-ring activity between 2012 and 2015. Ward was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2021, his first year of eligibility.