Calzaghe-Kessler set

[mrjohnnynofear]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/6280484.stm

http://www.sportinglife.com/boxing/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_ NAME=boxing/07/07/11/BOXING_Calzaghe_Nightlead.html

Get ready for a great fight, November 3rd at Cardiff, Wales!

I have Kessler KO 9!Edited by: mrjohnnynofear

 

[mrjohnnynofear]

http://www.secondsout.com/news/index.cfm?ccs=534&cs=22332

By Clive Bernathromoter Frank Warren today confirmed that WBO super-middleweight king Joe Calzaghe will face WBA/WBC titleholder Mikkel Kessler in a unification battle at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff on November 3.

Following months of negotiations with Kessler's promoter Mogens Palle, Warren finally pulled off what he believes is the best fight he has ever staged. Speaking on his official website frankwarren.tv the promoter said: "This is probably the best fight I have ever been involved with, and for me it's a bigger fight than Jones-Toney or Joe's fight with Jeff Lacy.

"It was the fight that everyone was calling for, and I'm just so pleased that I've been able to get it on.

"When I spoke to Joe he was over the moon. He really, really wants to leave his mark on boxing.

"A lot of good fights have fallen through because of money, but this time money made this one.

"It's a big fight that needed to be made for boxing. People talk about the sport dying, but there is nothing quite like the build up to a big fight, and the atmosphere at the stadium just before the first bell."

As is to be expected Calzaghe is also delighted he will have the opportunity to face Kessler in what could well prove to be the toughest fight of his 43 fight undefeated career. Speaking on Frank Warren.tv the 35 year-old Welshman said: "I'm so excited at the chance to prove I am the best super-middleweight in the world.

"At this stage of my career I want the biggest names out there, and Kessler fits the bill.

"I'm at my best when I have someone in front of me who I know is dangerous.

"That's what happened when I fought Jeff Lacy, and I know I will have to be at my best against Kessler.

"This is the kind of fight that will get fight fans' pulses racing, and mine as well - and that is when I am at my most dangerous.

The fight will be broadcast in the UK by Setanta Sports and Warren is aiming to fill the Welsh National Stadium with more than 65,000 fans.

Ticket for what is without doubt the European fight of the year, go on sale Thursday(July 12).

July 11, 2007.

 

[mrjohnnynofear]

Folks are already snapping up tickets!

http://www.secondsout.com/news/index.cfm?ccs=534&cs=22384

Promoter Frank Warren says more than 17,000 tickets have already been sold for Joe Calzaghe's WBO/WBA/WBC super-middleweight title fight against Mikkel Kessler on November 3.

The news came as Calzaghe admitted that the fight against the Dane will be the hardest of his 10-year reign as a world champion.

Speaking to the press in London, the 35-year-old Welshman added that it is a "dream come true" the mouth-watering showdown will be held at the Millennium Stadium in his home town of Cardiff.

Early indications suggest the show could break the 63,500 record attendance for an indoor boxing show, with around 70,000 tickets on sale.

And Calzaghe is backing himself to send the majority of fans home happy.

"I can't knock Kessler, he is a very solid all round fighter, but he has not fought me yet," said Calzaghe.

"He has never been in with a southpaw with my handspeed.

"Believe me, there is no way I am losing that fight. I'm going to be in the best shape of my life, I'm going to have the best training camp I've ever done. This will be fight of the year.

"I've been in boxing for 25 years now and it takes a lot to get me excited, but this fight has done that.

"Before the Jeff Lacy fight there was a lot of pressure on me, but I'm more relaxed about things now.

"I don't think that any super-middleweight or light-heavyweight in the world can beat me."

Calzaghe's promoter added that he hadn't seen tickets sell so fast since Mike Tyson fought Julius Francis at the MEN Arena.

"We've already had requests from the American press for accreditation, while I've been told that about 5,000 Danish fans will be making the journey," said Warren.

"They will be coming over in their long boats but going home with long faces.

"I think Joe Calzaghe has got too much for Kessler. It's a tough fight but Joe is at the top of his game at the moment.

"He is a very, very hard fighter to beat. He's got a great chin, great handspeed, I just don't see him losing."

Warren also said that the fight is likely to be screened on American TV Network HBO, although no deal has yet been signed.

Other world title fights are likely to be added to the card, while Bradley Pryce has already been inked in to defend his Commonwealth light-middleweight crown.

If Enzo Maccarinelli beats Wayne Braithwaite at the weekend, he is likely to defend his WBO cruiserweight title.

 

[mrjohnnynofear]

If Calzaghe beats Kessler, it will be his last at 168. Looking for Hopkins next?


Calzaghe planning 168lb farewell


Joe Calzaghe hopes to get 60,000 fans in the Millennium Stadium
Joe Calzaghe says his unification bout with Mikkel Kessler on 3 November will be his last at super middleweight.
The 35-year-old WBO title holder says beating Kessler, the Danish WBA and WBC champion, would leave the Welshman without further challenges at 168lbs.

"This will be my last fight at super middleweight," Calzaghe told BBC Wales.

"Win against Kessler and I'd have all the belts and I'd have beaten the best fighter out there, so what else could I achieve at super middleweight?"

Victory against Kessler, in his prime at 28 and like Calzaghe undefeated, is by no means a certainty.

But the Newbridge southpaw has no doubt he will emerge victorious, secure his place among the finest light middleweights in boxing history and then go hunting the likes of Bernard Hopkins at light heavy.

Mikkel Kessler is a hungry lion and he wants to be the main man

Joe Calzaghe

"By beating Kessler, as far as I'm concerned it should recognise me up there as maybe the best super middleweight of all time," Calzaghe added.

"After that it would have to be up to light heavyweight and maybe fight Hopkins.

"But believe me the Kessler fight is all I'm thinking about at the moment. This fight is everything."

A deal was struck this week for the unification fight to be held at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, with a crowd of 60,000 a realistic target.

Calzaghe's last bout at the Welsh national stadium in April, a three-round demolition of journeyman Peter Manfredo Jr, attracted a European indoor record crowd of 35,000 for his 20th defence.

"To get the fight in Wales is a bonus; I was prepared to go to Denmark to make this fight happen because I'm a warrior," Calzaghe said.

"I'm 35 but I'm not going to pick a couple of easy fights and retire, that's not my way. I want to be the best in the world.

"Lacy came along two years ago nearly and people were saying he was the best and look what happened to Jeff Lacy (a 12-round masterclass against the previously unbeaten American).

"Now it's Mikkel Kessler, a lot of people saying he's the man but I'm going to prove them wrong and hold all the belts in front of 50,000-60,000 people in my own town Cardiff - that's what dreams are made of.

"People talk about going to America, going to (Las) Vegas, New York... listen, this is my New York, my Madison Square Garden.

"This guy I have to fight. Make no mistake, Kessler is the hardest opponent out there for me.

"He's 28, he's got two world title belts, he's a hungry lion and he wants to be the main man.

"It's going to be hard, it's going to be a war, It's going to be one helluva fight and these are the ones I want."

 

[aussieaussie31]

Calzaghe and Kessler are both great warriors. They both also seem to be great guys. In a way it is a shame they will be fighting one another but this is the nature of boxing I suppose. I see both of them as being in a class far above any other 168 pounder in the world.

This fight I believe can go one of two ways.

Either Calzaghe confuses, frustrates, and avoids having exchanges with Kessler enroute to a Unanimous Decision.
Or, Kessler controls the fight from the outside, wears the older Calzaghe down and eventually KO's or TKO's Calzaghe in the later rounds.

I have mixed emptions about this fight. On the one hand this is the perfect opportunity for Calzaghe to cement his legacy. (Personally I believed Calzaghe has already cemented his legacy) On the other hand a Kessler victory would make force everyone to acknowledge the viking warrior as the undisputed Super Middleweight Champ bar none.
Personally, I am a bigger fan of Kessler than Calzaghe (just barely though and would not find it devastating if the Welshman pulls it out)so I hope he can unify the titles. Odin willing, he will.
Congrats to both these white warriors and may god protect both from getting seriously injured in this fight.

 

[mrjohnnynofear]

I wouldn't be suprised to see Calzaghe pull if off neither. Outside of Mayweather and maybe Rafael Marquez, there is not another boxer in the sport who has shown the ring generalship and control a fight to his will like Calzaghe. If he is on, it will be a long night for Kessler. But Kessler has that killer attitude. It will be a close affair. After the Hopkins/Wright fight, Hopkins called out Calzaghe. Now Calzaghe said that this is his last fight at 168. If he wins, it will be Hopkins/Calzaghe at 175. That would also be a fight for the ages!

 

[Liverlips]

Perfect! Hopkins now is in demand due to his wins over Tarver and Wright. A fight with Joe (or even Kessler) would be a huge event. It is also a very winnable fight for either Joe or Mikkel.

I do think Kessler will win a UD over Joe though.

 

[aussieaussie31]

Just watched the Winky Wright Bernard Hopkins fight. I'll tell you I was not particularly impressed with either one of them.

In terms of Matchups I would rather see Joe fight Hopkins instead of Mikkel. I give Mikkel a slight advantage over Joe when they fight head to head. However in regards to the matchups I would rather see Joe fight Hopkins because I think he will outpoint Hopkins quite easily. I know there are many people on other boxing forums that would laugh at me for saying that but I truly believe that to be the case.

Joe has far too high a workrate for Hopkins.

And Winky Wright? He looked totally gassed from the 9th round on. The Winky Wright of 2007 will get dropped if he ever dares to step into the ring with that young Lion.

 

[aussieaussie31]

The young Lion I was talking about in my last post was Kelly Pavlik. I think much faster than I can type so every once in a while I leave somethin out.

 

[mrjohnnynofear]

Giving credit to Hopkins, he does know how to scout his opponents well. He made Wright chase him all across the ring and tired him out. Winky putting on that extra weight played a part in it too. Calzaghe keeps himself in great condition so I don't think that would work in Hopkins favor. Calzaghe can box well and has good defense. That will be a good fight if it can happen.

 

[Angelcynn]

One thing for sure is that Calzaghe will NOT be KO'd. He has only hit the canvus once of twice in his whole career and he is not given any credit for his toughness as he doesn't exactly look like one who can take a lot on the chin. Kessler is a harder hitter but I think that is his only advantage over Calzaghe. I think fitness will provail and Calzaghe has endurance in abundance. Calzaghe would crush Wright or Hopkins so forget about them.

 

[Guest]

Good post, Aussie.

It should be illegal for white champs to fight each other until all the cannibals are kicked the f out.



ww
Edited by: werewolf

 

[devans]

BOXING'S 10-YEAR CHAMPIONS

Joe Louis, 1937-49
Archie Moore, 1952-62
Julio Cesar Chavez, 1984-94
Azumah Nelson, 1984-94
Ricardo Lopez, 1990-2001
Bernard Hopkins, 1995-2005
Joe Calzaghe, 1997-

 

[Maple Leaf]

Once again it is put up or shut up time:


Calzaghe and Kessler are a pair of highly skilled boxers with a lot to gain and a lot to lose in this fight. I don't think motivation or desire are going to play a role in this fight as both very dearly want to beat the other. This will likely be a sportsman's battle as neither has a great deal of hatred or animosity towards the other. In other words neither is a Mayweather or a Jones Jr.

Both fighters have extensive ring experience and have learned a great deal along the way. Kessler has fought many quality opponents and has handled all of them flawlessly, in fact he has never been hurt or knocked down. Calzaghe, although he has been knocked down twice in his career, has never had much trouble with anyone he has fought, in fact, aside from a couple of knockdowns, he has essentially blown away all of his competition. While both fighters have statistically similiar records, Calzaghe has most certainly fought the tougher and better fighters as being a champion for so long brings out the best in one's opponents.

When I look at their skill sets I see the obvious: Calzaghe has the fastest hands and Kessler has more punching power. But there is much more to this story. Calzaghe is so fast that when I watched him fight Manfredo in slow motion I thought the video was running at regular speed! Yes, he is THAT fast and boxers who throw fast punches in flurries are never hard punchers because they CANNOT. No fighter can throw 5 punches a second as hard as he can throw 2 per second. Kessler throws more positional punches hence he throws harder and slower.

Calzaghe's footwork is faster than Kessler's but there again it is not just a case of foot speed. Calzaghe has mastered many fine foot and balance movements that are very subtle but which make him very elusive. Against Bika and Lacy, Calzaghe would frequently end up behind his opponents by stepping so cleverly away from them. Kessler's footwork is much simpler but it is very effective and efficient.

Tactical holding, head movement, parrying and picking, bobbing and weaving, and sliding, are all done better by Calzaghe as he fights forwards and backwards. Kessler's defence has never been seriously tested as he is more of an attack man with excellent timing and accuracy. I did notice how Andrade was able to bloody Kessler's nose with jabs in their recent fight. I couldn't help but think how many more jabs Kessler will have to absorb against Calzaghe who is probable 3X faster than Andrade.

Essentially I see this fight as a battle between a sharp shooting attack man against an elastic speedster.
Despite all Kessler's weapons, reflexes, tactics, and stamina, I see Calzaghe being just too smart, too clever, too fast, and too slippery for him. In my view Kessler will be discouraged and desperate when he finds out just how hard Calzaghe is to hit. Calzaghe wins by unanimous decision in 12 rounds. Fair play to both men.

My caste record for predictions is 4-0.Edited by: Maple Leaf

 

[Guest]

Mapleleaf well stated. I also believe Calzaghe will win in an unanimous decision. Who's ur pick in the mega fight between Mayweather and Hatton? Your analysis would also be great.

 

[Charles Martel]

It'll be an entertaining, fairly close fight, with Joe Calzaghe winning a decision. Kessler's never faced anyone like Calzaghe before - the Welshman has some amazing skills! Joe seems to be able to "turn it up" - he fights better against his best opponents.

The only way Kessler has a chance is if age has finally caught up with Calzaghe and his reflexes are slower than usual.

 

[Amren.com]

Is there any reason from a Caste point of view to root for one over the other? And I'm not talking about the racial composition of the fighters.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Is there any reason from a Caste point of view to root for one over the other? And I'm not talking about the racial composition of the fighters.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by that but I personally do not favour one fighter over the other because I like both of them: they are both white.
There is no caste system per say in boxing like what exists in football. No, American football is unique the world over.

 

[Amren.com]

Is there any reason from a Caste point of view to root for one over the other? And I'm not talking about the racial composition of the fighters.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by that but I personally do not favour one fighter over the other because I like both of them: they are both white.
There is no caste system per say in boxing like what exists in football. No, American football is unique the world over.

Would it be better if Kessler won seeing he is young (28) and could be around for awhile or Joe who is 34 and near the end of his career (34) but possibly a hall of famer? Perhaps Kessler would be a hall of famer if he beats Joe?

 

[whiteathlete33]

I hate this fight and will not watch it for the fact that it is two whites fighting each other. However Calzaghe will dominate.

 

[Charles Martel]

I would prefer to see Joe Calzaghe vs. Bernard Hopkins and Mikkel Kessler vs. Chad Dawson.I hate to see either of these great fighters end his professional undefeated record - I'm actually kind of hoping for a draw.

 

[whiteathlete33]

I would prefer to see Joe Calzaghe vs. Bernard Hopkins and Mikkel Kessler vs. Chad Dawson.I hate to see either of these great fighters end his professional undefeated record - I'm actually kind of hoping for a draw.

Good post JD. I will not watch this fight, nor do I care who wins. The Pavlik vs. Taylor fight explained everything to me.

 

[white is right]

I look at this fight as the Titanic vs the Iceberg. Something has to give..

To be honest boxing needs these kind of matchups and the winner will be a superstar in the sport and can demand a 8 figure payday against Pavlik orNard. Also if the fight is a classic they can have an even bigger rematch....

 

[Liverlips]

How can you not watch Kessler-Calzaghe!?!

A superfight involving two white warriors!

 

[JD074]

Would it be better if Kessler won seeing he is young (28) and could be around for awhile or Joe who is 34 and near the end of his career (34) but possibly a hall of famer? Perhaps Kessler would be a hall of famer if he beats Joe?

I was thinking of that, too. Calzaghe has been a dominant champion for a decade, while Kessler could potentially be a dominant champion for several more years. Although, Kessler could still go on to be a dominant champ even if he loses.

I really like both guys, so it's hard to root for one over the other. I give Calzaghe the edge because he can fight on the inside, and win an ugly, sloppy fight. I haven't seen Kessler deal with a situation like that. If they fight from the outside, I see Kessler winning; but I doubt that Calzaghe will fight that way for too long. Part of me wants Kessler to win, but I won't be upset either way. Edited by: JD074