negotiations to make a fight between paul smith and andre ward are set to be concluded this week , with the liverpool super-middleweight set to meet one of boxing 's biggest talents on june 20 . sportsmail understands discussions are virtually finalised for the summer showdown , with a formal announcement of the fight expected imminently . elements of the deal are still being rubber-stamped and ward 's wba world title is unlikely to be on the line . however , the fight , which will be staged in oakland , california , will run over the 12-round distance . liverpool boxer paul smith -lrb- left -rrb- is in line to take on andre ward on june 20 . ward -lrb- right -rrb- has won all of his 24 bouts but has not fought since defeating edwin rodriguez in november . it is a huge opportunity for smith but an even bigger task against a fighter who outclassed carl froch in 2011 . smith , 32 , has lost back-to-back world title challenges in germany against arthur abraham , albeit in controversial circumstances in the first of those fights when a wide decision was handed to abraham from a close bout . smith has lost his last two world title challenges to arthur abraham -lrb- left -rrb- of germany . ward defeated carl froch in 2011 and could be set for a rematch if he beats smith . -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- although residents often like to joke that it is , the mosquito is n't actually alaska 's official state bird . -lrb- that 'd be the willow ptarmigan . -rrb- . you also wo n't see many coconut trees growing in the far north . judging by signage along grande drive in denali , alaska , however , you might not necessarily know those things . smith 's hope this time round will be that ward , usually so slick and brilliantly accurate , has diminished through inactivity . the 31-year-old , an olympic champion and winner of all 27 of his professional fights , has not fought since november 2013 . that period of absence will add a fascinating dimension to a fight that will catch the attention of froch , who would postpone retirement for a home rematch against ward . appearing along the steep , winding ascent to the top of sugarloaf mountain , road signs depicting giant mosquitoes carrying off human prey and warning of falling coconuts are clearly meant to get a laugh out of drivers . just less than a mile long and costing about $ 1 million to build , the mostly dirt road -lrb- some sharp corners are paved -rrb- leads to the grande denali lodge . construction on the road began in 2000 ; the hotel opened in 2002 . installed in stages over the past four or five years , according to grande denali lodge general manager joe merrill , the signs were the brainchild of dennis brandon , a marketing consultant for the hotel who has a long history in the hospitality industry in alaska . `` the collection has been added to each year , '' says merrill . `` the ideas -lrb- for the signs -rrb- now come out of different peoples ' minds . '' tiny town , big mountains . more a small collection of businesses than a town , the bulk of denali -lrb- also unofficially referred to as `` the canyon '' and glitter gulch -rrb- is located less than two miles from the entrance to denali national park and preserve . the park is home to some of the greatest wildlife viewing opportunities in the world -- grizzly bear , moose , dall sheep , caribou , 35 other species of mammals and 169 species of birds are often visible from the park 's single road in spring , summer and fall . the park 's centerpiece is mount mckinley -lrb- also called `` denali '' -rrb- , north america 's highest peak at 20,237 feet -lrb- 6,168 meters -rrb- . the village of denali has only about 160 year-round residents . those numbers swell during the summer season when area hotels , restaurants and shops reopen with the spring thaw and start of the tourist season . located at the top of grande drive , grande denali lodge is one of the area 's largest hotels . it 's alpenglow restaurant and lounge has an outdoor deck from which visitors can take in monster views facing southward toward the park entrance . as for the broader purpose of the signs , merrill suggests it 's about more than just laughs . `` i guess they 're also a way to take peoples ' attention away from the side of the road with the cliffs , '' he says . `` i 'm pretty sure we 're not done with the signs . stay tuned to see what our warped minds come up with next . ''
paul smith is set to face andre ward in oakland , california on june 20 . liverpool fighter is not expected to challenge for ward 's wba world title . smith has lost back-to-back world title challenges against arthur abraham while the american is undefeated in 27 games .
negotiations to make a fight between paul smith and andre ward are set to be concluded this week , with the liverpool super-middleweight set to meet one of boxing 's biggest talents on june 20 . sportsmail understands discussions are virtually finalised for the summer showdown , with a formal announcement of the fight expected imminently . elements of the deal are still being rubber-stamped and ward 's wba world title is unlikely to be on the line . however , the fight , which will be staged in oakland , california , will run over the 12-round distance . liverpool boxer paul smith -lrb- left -rrb- is in line to take on andre ward on june 20 . ward -lrb- right -rrb- has won all of his 24 bouts but has not fought since defeating edwin rodriguez in november . it is a huge opportunity for smith but an even bigger task against a fighter who outclassed carl froch in 2011 . smith , 32 , has lost back-to-back world title challenges in germany against arthur abraham , albeit in controversial circumstances in the first of those fights when a wide decision was handed to abraham from a close bout . smith has lost his last two world title challenges to arthur abraham -lrb- left -rrb- of germany . ward defeated carl froch in 2011 and could be set for a rematch if he beats smith . -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- although residents often like to joke that it is , the mosquito is n't actually alaska 's official state bird . -lrb- that 'd be the willow ptarmigan . -rrb- . you also wo n't see many coconut trees growing in the far north . judging by signage along grande drive in denali , alaska , however , you might not necessarily know those things . smith 's hope this time round will be that ward , usually so slick and brilliantly accurate , has diminished through inactivity . the 31-year-old , an olympic champion and winner of all 27 of his professional fights , has not fought since november 2013 . that period of absence will add a fascinating dimension to a fight that will catch the attention of froch , who would postpone retirement for a home rematch against ward . appearing along the steep , winding ascent to the top of sugarloaf mountain , road signs depicting giant mosquitoes carrying off human prey and warning of falling coconuts are clearly meant to get a laugh out of drivers . just less than a mile long and costing about $ 1 million to build , the mostly dirt road -lrb- some sharp corners are paved -rrb- leads to the grande denali lodge . construction on the road began in 2000 ; the hotel opened in 2002 . installed in stages over the past four or five years , according to grande denali lodge general manager joe merrill , the signs were the brainchild of dennis brandon , a marketing consultant for the hotel who has a long history in the hospitality industry in alaska . `` the collection has been added to each year , '' says merrill . `` the ideas -lrb- for the signs -rrb- now come out of different peoples ' minds . '' tiny town , big mountains . more a small collection of businesses than a town , the bulk of denali -lrb- also unofficially referred to as `` the canyon '' and glitter gulch -rrb- is located less than two miles from the entrance to denali national park and preserve . the park is home to some of the greatest wildlife viewing opportunities in the world -- grizzly bear , moose , dall sheep , caribou , 35 other species of mammals and 169 species of birds are often visible from the park 's single road in spring , summer and fall . the park 's centerpiece is mount mckinley -lrb- also called `` denali '' -rrb- , north america 's highest peak at 20,237 feet -lrb- 6,168 meters -rrb- . the village of denali has only about 160 year-round residents . those numbers swell during the summer season when area hotels , restaurants and shops reopen with the spring thaw and start of the tourist season . located at the top of grande drive , grande denali lodge is one of the area 's largest hotels . it 's alpenglow restaurant and lounge has an outdoor deck from which visitors can take in monster views facing southward toward the park entrance . as for the broader purpose of the signs , merrill suggests it 's about more than just laughs . `` i guess they 're also a way to take peoples ' attention away from the side of the road with the cliffs , '' he says . `` i 'm pretty sure we 're not done with the signs . stay tuned to see what our warped minds come up with next . ''
negotiations to make a fight between paul smith and andre ward are set to be concluded this week , with the liverpool super-middleweight set to meet one of boxing 's biggest talents on june 20 . sportsmail understands discussions are virtually finalised for the summer showdown , with a formal announcement of the fight expected imminently . elements of the deal are still being rubber-stamped and ward 's wba world title is unlikely to be on the line . however , the fight , which will be staged in oakland , california , will run over the 12-round distance . liverpool boxer paul smith -lrb- left -rrb- is in line to take on andre ward on june 20 . ward -lrb- right -rrb- has won all of his 24 bouts but has not fought since defeating edwin rodriguez in november . it is a huge opportunity for smith but an even bigger task against a fighter who outclassed carl froch in 2011 . smith , 32 , has lost back-to-back world title challenges in germany against arthur abraham , albeit in controversial circumstances in the first of those fights when a wide decision was handed to abraham from a close bout . smith has lost his last two world title challenges to arthur abraham -lrb- left -rrb- of germany . ward defeated carl froch in 2011 and could be set for a rematch if he beats smith . -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- although residents often like to joke that it is , the mosquito is n't actually alaska 's official state bird . -lrb- that 'd be the willow ptarmigan . -rrb- . you also wo n't see many coconut trees growing in the far north . judging by signage along grande drive in denali , alaska , however , you might not necessarily know those things . smith 's hope this time round will be that ward , usually so slick and brilliantly accurate , has diminished through inactivity . the 31-year-old , an olympic champion and winner of all 27 of his professional fights , has not fought since november 2013 . that period of absence will add a fascinating dimension to a fight that will catch the attention of froch , who would postpone retirement for a home rematch against ward . appearing along the steep , winding ascent to the top of sugarloaf mountain , road signs depicting giant mosquitoes carrying off human prey and warning of falling coconuts are clearly meant to get a laugh out of drivers . just less than a mile long and costing about $ 1 million to build , the mostly dirt road -lrb- some sharp corners are paved -rrb- leads to the grande denali lodge . construction on the road began in 2000 ; the hotel opened in 2002 . installed in stages over the past four or five years , according to grande denali lodge general manager joe merrill , the signs were the brainchild of dennis brandon , a marketing consultant for the hotel who has a long history in the hospitality industry in alaska . `` the collection has been added to each year , '' says merrill . `` the ideas -lrb- for the signs -rrb- now come out of different peoples ' minds . '' tiny town , big mountains . more a small collection of businesses than a town , the bulk of denali -lrb- also unofficially referred to as `` the canyon '' and glitter gulch -rrb- is located less than two miles from the entrance to denali national park and preserve . the park is home to some of the greatest wildlife viewing opportunities in the world -- grizzly bear , moose , dall sheep , caribou , 35 other species of mammals and 169 species of birds are often visible from the park 's single road in spring , summer and fall . the park 's centerpiece is mount mckinley -lrb- also called `` denali '' -rrb- , north america 's highest peak at 20,237 feet -lrb- 6,168 meters -rrb- . the village of denali has only about 160 year-round residents . those numbers swell during the summer season when area hotels , restaurants and shops reopen with the spring thaw and start of the tourist season . located at the top of grande drive , grande denali lodge is one of the area 's largest hotels . it 's alpenglow restaurant and lounge has an outdoor deck from which visitors can take in monster views facing southward toward the park entrance . as for the broader purpose of the signs , merrill suggests it 's about more than just laughs . `` i guess they 're also a way to take peoples ' attention away from the side of the road with the cliffs , '' he says . `` i 'm pretty sure we 're not done with the signs . stay tuned to see what our warped minds come up with next . ''
negotiations to make a fight paul smith andre ward are be concluded, the liverpool super one boxing 's biggest talents june 20 sportsmail understands discussions virtually finalised for the summer showdown, a formal announcement of the fight imminently elements the deal still rubber ward 's wba world title is unlikely on. however, the fight, which will staged oakland run over the 12-round distance liverpool boxer paul smith -lrb- left -rrb- is in line andre ward on june 20. ward -lrb- right -rrb- has won all his 24 bouts but defeating edwin rodriguez november. it a huge opportunity smith but an even bigger task against a fighter outclassed carl froch 2011. smith, 32 has lost back world title challenges germany against arthur abraham albeit controversial circumstances in first of those fights when a wide decision handed from a close bout smith has lost his last two world title challenges arthur abraham -lrb- left -rrb- of. ward defeated carl froch in 2011 and could set a rematch if beats smith. -lrb- cnn -- although residents often like joke, the mosquito n't actually alaska 's official state bird. -lrb- that 'd be the willow ptarmigan. -rrb-. you also wo n't see many coconut trees growing. judging signage along grande drive denali, alaska however, you necessarily those things smith 's hope this time round that ward, usually so slick brilliantly accurate has diminished through inactivity the 31, an olympic champion winner all 27 of his professional fights not november that period absence will add a fascinating dimension a fight catch froch, would postpone retirement a home rematch ward. appearing along the steep, winding ascent sugarloaf mountain, road signs depicting giant mosquitoes carrying off human prey warning falling coconuts clearly meant get a laugh drivers just less than a mile long and costing about $ 1 million to build, the mostly dirt road -lrb- some sharp corners are paved -rrb- leads the grande denali lodge. construction on began 2000 ; the hotel opened installed stages over, according grande denali lodge general manager joe merrill the signs the brainchild dennis brandon a marketing consultant the hotel who in alaska `` the collection has added each year, '' says merrill. `` the ideas -lrb- for the signs now come different peoples ' minds. '' tiny town, big mountains. more a small collection businesses than a town, the bulk denali -lrb- also unofficially `` the canyon glitter gulch less denali national park preserve the park home the greatest wildlife viewing opportunities -- grizzly bear, dall sheep 35 other species 169 species are often visible the park 's single road in spring, the park 's centerpiece mount mckinley -lrb- also `` denali '', north america 's highest peak at 20,237 feet 6,168 meters the village denali has only about 160 year-round residents. those numbers swell during area hotels, shops reopen with spring thaw start of. located grande drive, grande denali lodge is one the area 's largest hotels it 's alpenglow restaurant lounge has an outdoor deck from visitors monster views facing southward toward the park entrance. as for the broader purpose the signs, merrill suggests it 's about more just laughs `` i guess 're also a way take peoples ' attention the side with the cliffs, ''. `` i 'm pretty we 're done the signs. stay see our warped minds come. ''
negotiations to make a fight between paul smith and andre ward are set to be concluded this week , with the liverpool super-middleweight set to meet one of boxing 's biggest talents on june 20 . sportsmail understands discussions are virtually finalised for the summer showdown , with a formal announcement of the fight expected imminently . elements of the deal are still being rubber-stamped and ward 's wba world title is unlikely to be on the line . however , the fight , which will be staged in oakland , california , will run over the 12-round distance . liverpool boxer paul smith -lrb- left -rrb- is in line to take on andre ward on june 20 . ward -lrb- right -rrb- has won all of his 24 bouts but has not fought since defeating edwin rodriguez in november . it is a huge opportunity for smith but an even bigger task against a fighter who outclassed carl froch in 2011 . smith , 32 , has lost back-to-back world title challenges in germany against arthur abraham , albeit in controversial circumstances in the first of those fights when a wide decision was handed to abraham from a close bout . smith has lost his last two world title challenges to arthur abraham -lrb- left -rrb- of germany . ward defeated carl froch in 2011 and could be set for a rematch if he beats smith . -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- although residents often like to joke that it is , the mosquito is n't actually alaska 's official state bird . -lrb- that 'd be the willow ptarmigan . -rrb- . you also wo n't see many coconut trees growing in the far north . judging by signage along grande drive in denali , alaska , however , you might not necessarily know those things . smith 's hope this time round will be that ward , usually so slick and brilliantly accurate , has diminished through inactivity . the 31-year-old , an olympic champion and winner of all 27 of his professional fights , has not fought since november 2013 . that period of absence will add a fascinating dimension to a fight that will catch the attention of froch , who would postpone retirement for a home rematch against ward . appearing along the steep , winding ascent to the top of sugarloaf mountain , road signs depicting giant mosquitoes carrying off human prey and warning of falling coconuts are clearly meant to get a laugh out of drivers . just less than a mile long and costing about $ 1 million to build , the mostly dirt road -lrb- some sharp corners are paved -rrb- leads to the grande denali lodge . construction on the road began in 2000 ; the hotel opened in 2002 . installed in stages over the past four or five years , according to grande denali lodge general manager joe merrill , the signs were the brainchild of dennis brandon , a marketing consultant for the hotel who has a long history of the signs , merrill suggests it 's about more than just laughs . `` i guess they 're also a way to take peoples ' attention away from the side of the road with the cliffs , '' he says . `` i 'm pretty sure we 're not done with the signs . stay tuned to see what our warped minds come up with next . ''
 The article discusses an upcoming boxing match between Paul Smith and Andre Ward, which is set to take place in June. The fight will be staged in Oakland, California, and will be part of a summer showdown series. Smith has lost his last two world title challenges, while Ward has won all 24 of his professional fights. The article also mentions that Smith has been training hard and is determined to win this fight.