Joe Ward once seemed destined to dominate the sport. As a teenage amateur, he dazzled with his skill and was hailed as a future champion, but a string of misfortunes repeatedly derailed his path. In 2011, Ward etched his name into Irish boxing history by becoming the youngest boxer from Ireland to claim gold at the senior European Championships, a feat that sparked lofty expectations for the London 2012 Olympics.

Yet at the qualification tournament in Trabzon, Turkey, the young Irishman suffered a controversial split‑decision loss to a Turkish opponent. "My main goal was always to get to the Olympics in London. Trabzon just wasn't to be, as you know.

It felt like we won the fight and we just didn't get the decision," Ward recalled in an interview with Sky Sports. Undeterred, Ward set his sights on the 2016 Rio Games.

He earned his place in the Olympic squad, only to see his hopes crumble in the opening round when the referee deducted two puzzling points, turning a fight he was winning on the scorecards into a 3‑2 split‑decision defeat. "It was one of those things that was out of my control," Ward said. "I picked up two public warnings, where I was still winning on the scorecards but because of the warnings I was beaten on a 3‑2 split decision.

I was very disheartened at the time." He admitted that after the loss he questioned whether luck would ever be on his side, but he also recognized the need to regroup and return to the gym. Over the years, Ward amassed three European gold medals and collected a host of World Championship podium finishes. "It's not an accident to be consistently winning," he observed.

"You have to have something a little bit special about you. I believe so." Despite his impressive amateur résumé, the elusive Olympic medal—an achievement that could have propelled his career onto a dramatically different trajectory—remained out of reach.

Ward reflected on his mindset, noting that he tries to focus on the future rather than dwell on past setbacks. "Sometimes you can overthink about what's gone. It's not going to change anything.

I've always loved boxing and loved being around it; it gave me huge opportunities to travel the world and meet great people. For me, I just don't think there's anything else.

It's something that I love doing." In 2019, Ward turned professional, making his debut at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York. The night should have been a triumphant launch, but tragedy struck in the second round when his knee dislocated and gave way, ending the bout in a spectacularly unlucky fashion. "You kind of question it sometimes," Ward said.

"It could have happened somewhere else but I believe everything happens for a reason. It was out of my control. It was one of those freak accidents that happen.

Obviously it was devastating when it happened, I was very upset." The injury forced Ward into surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation, but he remained determined not to let the setback define his career. He emphasized that the mental battle was as challenging as the physical one: "Mentally you don't want to leave the game, you always want to be involved. Sometimes injuries can stop that from happening, I was hoping that my knee wasn't going to stop me continuing chasing my goals and my career. It was good that everything worked out well with the operation and they said there were no more issues." Professional boxing can be unforgiving, and after the injury Ward found opportunities scarce.

Nevertheless, he stayed patient, continued training, and eventually secured a high‑profile fight on a Sky Sports broadcast in Dublin against undefeated light‑heavyweight prospect Artjom Kasparian. "There's no point getting in there to take easy fights," Ward explained.

"It's an opportunity to step up, fight decent opponents and challenge myself to see how far I can really take it. I really believe in myself, I can go all the way." Ward believes that all the adversity he has faced will ultimately become an asset. He argues that surviving such hardships builds resilience that can tip the balance in a close contest. "Things will change, you will get a bit of luck along the way," he said.

"That makes you a stronger person. I feel like that will give you the extra edge when something happens in a fight or a moment where you just need something different. It will always flash back – look, I've been through it all and now I can fight through this." His philosophy centers on self‑belief, consistent training, and staying ready for when doors finally open. "The most important thing as a fighter is to still believe in yourself, stay focused, keep in the gym, keep learning.

Opportunities will come," Ward affirmed. Looking back, he feels gratitude for the highs and lows alike. "I've had a lot of ups and downs in my career but looking back I'm grateful for opportunities and grateful for what I've achieved. I just stuck at it and here I am still going strong, still believe in myself, believe I'm probably the best I've ever been physically, mentally.

So I'm excited." Fans can watch Ward's showdown with Kasparian this Saturday live on Sky Sports, hoping that the long‑awaited stroke of luck finally arrives for the boxer who has endured more than his fair share of setbacks yet continues to fight forward with unwavering determination.