Kessler-Ward: Mikkel is going to have to be in top form to win
October 25th, 2009
By Dave Lahr: WBA super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler is going to have to be at the top of his game if he plans on beating unbeaten super middleweight contender Andre Ward (20-0, 13 KO’s) next month on November 21st in their Super Six tournament fight at the Oracle Arena, in Oakland, California. Kessler looked rusty, slow and off the mark against his last opponent Gusmyr Perdomo in September. Kessler, 30, can be partially excused for looking less than stellar because he had been out of action for almost a year due to managerial problems.
Defensively: Kessler is not on the same level as Ward is in the defensive side of the game. Kessler does have great defensive skills and is excellent at blocking shots. However, he’s been slow to react in his past two fights to incoming shots. At first I thought he was having problems picking up right hands that were thrown his way, because Sartison was able to nail Kessler with a high number of clean right hands. But, Perdomo showed that he could hit Kessler with not only rights but a lot of straight left hands without his shots being defended by Kessler.
This tells me that Kessler might be losing his ability to see incoming shots and react to them in time so that he can block them. On the other side of the aisle, Ward is extraordinary at picking off punches. With his cat-like reflexes, he’s very hard to hit cleanly with shots. Ward can be hit, but usually only when he’s taking chances and even then only by one shot at a time. You can hit him once, but you’re not going to get another chance to hit him again for awhile because of his defensive skills.
Advantage – Ward
Offensively: This is another area where Ward is the more talented fighter. Kessler is like a baseball pitcher with only three kinds of pitches – jab, right hand, and left hook. There’s not much variety with Kessler, but then again he’s so good with these three punches that he’s able to dominate most of his competition without needing a more varied offense.
Ward, however, is a fighter that likes to throw punches at every angle and is good at getting the better of opponents with his counter punching ability during exchanges. It doesn’t matter what position Ward is in, he’s always able to throw a punch and score with his shots. At the same time, Ward has the better hand speed of the two. At 25, Ward is still young and hasn’t begun to show signs of slowing down like Kessler.
Advantage – Ward
Tags: 14 Responses to “Kessler-Ward: Mikkel is going to have to be in top form to win”
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I believe this is an article that represents the typical approach for the american-average-joe. It seems like the columnist is so devoured by the young, upcoming boxer qua his gold medal, age and talent (which are all impressive). BUT it has blinded the objectivity and abiliyty to analyze Wards opponent Mikkel Kessler. When analyzing a boxing match, one has to valuate both contenders.
Yes – that is exactly what the article so weakly does – or try to do. But not only is the analysis on thin ice, it is upright wrong.
It seems like Kessler is still an unknown boxer in America (or at least his skills are).
I am not saying that Ward is a feckless boxer. But it is obvious when analyzing this pre mach, that the only parameter in favor to Ward is the location for where the event is taking place. (Kessler has “only” fought outside danish borders four times: ones in the US about 10 years ago, ones in Australia, not to forget ones in Wales in Cardiff agains Joe Calzaghe and last year he fought in Germany).
Kesslers skills are clearly underestimated.
I ask for a do-over by the columnist.
What about his uppercuts as well, i wuld have said there his main punch. Remember round 4 against calzaghe, he got him with a few beasts, it was only cuz of calzaghes iron chin that he didnt go down, i think if he catches ward with one of them he goin down.
I disagree with your biased article.
you obviously forgot
that Kessler also can throw uppercuts very well
that Kessler is a very good counter puncher
Kessler was impressive in the fight against Calzaghe, he put up a closer fight than Hopkins and Roy Jones, and he fought Calzaghe at SMW the weight where Calzaghe was a better fighter!
Kessler is willing to travel for a fight and has had 42 of them, is Andre willing to travel…no!!!
dirrel watch this fight both of these belong how you got in i dont no allen green shoud be in
Olympic/points Boxing is a whole different game to full blown professional bouts. He may have the skills to beat amatuer opponents in the olympics, but the question is whether he can handle the strength and experience of a fighter like Kessler in a professional ring. I for one doubt it, but I wouldn’t mind being wrong.
Ward is the olimpic gold medalist!!! He beat the cuban boxer. I think he deserve more credit for this fight. And he is a very talented fighter.
let me guess another yank crying about direll being robed would froch get the decision in America if he had gone there with the negative attitude direll had
jason ho is they you f.cking pr.ck
Ward has a VERY good chance of beating Kessler,kessler better come at the top of his game,Ward is very determined to beat Kessler especially after they robbed Dirrell
kessler wins, wards biggest win is against miranda
ward done well but wen you looke at miranda getting ko by pavlik inside seven rounds and again by abraham inside three and kessler would have don the same so i think it is ward ho has to bring his a game and eavan then it wont be enough kessler to win by ko late in the fight
Personally i think you have it the wrong way round. Ward is going to have to be at the top of his game and them some to trouble kessler.
kessler ko gree round 7
I think Kesslers experience will be too much for Ward though this time out…Ward is a bit green