Kessler-Ward: Mikkel Shouldn’t be the Favorite to Win the Super Six

By Scott Gilfoid: I don’t mind rewarding fighters for their past fights as far as ranking them, but when they’re inactive and looking poor in recent fights, I think it’s a good idea not to rank them so highly. I’m referring to World Boxing Association super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler (42-1, 32 KO’s), who will be facing what many boxing fans see as the top seed in Showtime’s Super Six tournament unbeaten Andre Ward (20-0, 13 KO’s) on November 21st at the Oracle Arena, in Oakland, California.

Kessler, now 30, hasn’t faced a quality opponent in over two years since he lost to Joe Calzaghe in 2007. Actually, not only was that the last good opponent that Kessler has faced, but also the best opponent of Kessler’s career. Kessler, like Calzaghe, has faced a whole slew of soft opponents during his career and had things pretty much easy during his 11 year pro career. Fighting the 25-year-old Ward is going to be a tremendous leap up in competition for Kessler, because many people believe that Ward is even better than Calzaghe.

If Kessler is losing handily to a fighter like Calzaghe, that kind of tells you that Kessler is probably going to lose to Ward on November 21st. If boxing experts wanted to pick a favorite in the Super Six tourney, they should have looked at who’s fight well at this point in their careers and not someone who did in the past. Heck, Mike Tyson was a great fighter in the past but you don’t see him being considered to be the best heavyweight in the division at this point. Boxers age quickly in the ring. Case in point, Israel Vazquez.

Vazquez looked close to 100 years old last weekend in beating journeyman Angel Antonio Priolo by a 9th round stoppage. The same goes for Kessler. He looked downright ancient in his fight against Gusmyr Perdomo last month. Kessler got the win in the 4th, but he took a massive amount of shots and failed to dominate a fighter that perhaps had no business fighting for a title in the first place.

Ward is younger, and looking like the best fighter that’s ever graced the super middleweight division before. Forget about Calzaghe, Ward has sensational boxing skills, a former 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist with both power and speed. Ward has no equivalent in the Super Six tourney, aside from maybe Andre Dirrell. I don’t say this because I’m an American. I have no bias.

I just know good talent when I see it and Ward – and Dirrell – are out of this world in terms of overall boxing ability. Kessler just pales in comparison. He’s slower, weaker and doesn’t have anywhere near the same defensive ability that Ward has. Look at Kessler’s fight against Dimitri Sartison last year. Kessler took an enormous amount of right hands from Sartison, a fighter that Ward would have boxed circles around if he had been in there with him.

Although Kessler was able to score a knockout in the 12th, it was a grueling fight for Kessler and not one of his finest moments in his boxing career. I thought then that Kessler was starting to get old. I wasn’t sure if it was the punishment he took in the Calzaghe fight or whether he just got old.

However, after seeing how badly Kessler looked against Perdomo last month, I think Kessler is getting old now and is ready to start getting beaten regularly. First, it will be Ward who gives him a defeat next month. Later, it will be Dirrell who gives Kessler his second loss.

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