By Danny Alvarez

Shortly after Andre Ward’s close unanimous decision victory over Sergey Kovalev, Ward voiced that he might retire before granting the Russian puncher a rematch — a statement that surprised many who simply saw the statement as hard-balled negotiations.

But his trainer Virgil Hunter just came out and said Ward is dead serious.

“If they were treating you that way at your job," Hunter asked in a video interview with YouTube channel Villanfy Media, "You would think about getting another job, wouldn't you?"

According to Hunter, frustrations with HBO and the boxing public have left Ward sour on the business, listing the media reactions in the aftermath of his last fight as the final straw.

"Why wouldn't he retire?" Hunter asked.

Hunter said that since the litigation with former promoter Goosen-Tutor Promotions, the media took sides and never bothered to hear Ward out.

Instead, Hunter said, painted him as the unhappy, ungrateful African American fighter.

“When he went through litigation, no one listened to him. They didn't bother to look. When he tried to sit down and explain the situation, he ended up being portrayed as just another African American kid who's not happy with his contract.

"People have to remember, he [resigned] with Goossen-Tutor. That let him know how fond he was of [Dan Goossen]. Until there were some things that we found out that wasn't fair. Tried to explain it, nobody wanted to listen," Hunter added. "That gives a disappointment in a young man.

“Here’s an enthusiastic kid, he used to sing the HBO tunes,” Hunter said. Instead Ward was forced out of his weight class, “So the other guy [Kovalev] can make his name off of your Olympic gold medalist."

Hunter said UK clashes with Chris Eubank Jr and James DeGale would've done far better numbers than Ward-Kovalev.

“Then when you win the fight, all of a sudden announcers, writers and everybody else become judges, they come out of their lane. But we’ve got three judges sitting there who saw the fight the same," Hunter said. “That shows you right there that the deck was stacked against him, that it wasn’t supposed to be that way. That’s where they anger came from.”

Hunter said Ward, who’s had a number of broadcasting gigs in the past, including HBO — and even took an internship for it at — shouldn’t have to put up with it.

“He has options after boxing. He just got over in England on the broadcast team. Love him, treat him well. Here with broadcasting he’s told that ‘you’re an active fighter. You can’t broadcast.’ But I see B-Hop. I see Roy. So what does that say?”

As the last male American Olympic champion, Hunter pointed out what he thought was HBO’s treatment of Ward, forcing him out of the super middleweight division as a sacrificial lamb to Kovalev.

“You force him out out of a weight class he doesn’t belong in. Giving up up 14 pounds, height, reach, power. Then he shows you what he’s made of. Then because it didn’t work how you wanted it to work, he gets ridiculed for that," Hunter said.

“Where’s the incentive? It’s not about a rematch. It’s about ‘Do you appreciate me?’”