Kessler-Ward: Will this be the beginning of the end for Mikkel?
November 14th, 2009
By Scott Gilfoid: On November 21st, World Boxing Association super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler (42-1, 32 KO’s) will be facing what will likely be the toughest opponent of his 11-year pro career in his Super Six tournament battle against unbeaten and untested American Andre Ward (20-0, 13 KO’s) at the Oracle Arena, in Oakland, California. Kessler has been picked by everyone under the sun to win the Super Six tournament because of his excellent boxing skills and good right hand power.
However, Kessler had the bad luck of being matched up against Ward, who many of the boxing experts see as one of the best fighters in the Super Six tournament. That’s not good news for Kessler. Kessler’s accuracy, movement and timing looked way off against his last opponent Gusmyr Perdomo in September. Kessler took a lot of head shots from Perdomo, who didn’t look anything special to me.
Kessler was able to score a knockout in the 4th round, but it wasn’t the kind of performance that made you think that Kessler was the same fighter he was in the past. It doesn’t help that Kessler is now 30-years-old, coming off a year layoff and looking not nearly as sharp as he was in the past when he was beating fighters like Librado Andrade, Anthony Mundine, Markus Beyer and Eric Lucas with ease.
Kessler looks good against B and C level fighters, but when he finally stepped up to the plate in a fight against Joe Calzaghe in 2007, Kessler was shown lacking and beaten by a 12 round decision. That’s one of the problems with Kessler. He’s fought mostly beatable fighters and has had few real tests in his career. Now that he’s getting up there in age and facing a talented American with excellent offensive and defensive skills, Kessler is asking a lot of his old body.
It’s like having a car with 300,000 miles on it and asking it to take you on a 500 mile drive. It might make it, but chances are the car will break down at some point on the drive when taking on a big hill. This is why I see Kessler getting a boxing lesson from Ward on November 21st. But I wish this were the end of Kessler’s problems in the Super Six tourney.
I think Ward will knock the remaining talent out of Kessler’s body and weaken him for his subsequent bouts in the tourney against Froch and Jermain Taylor. My guess is that Kessler will lose to all three of his Super Six tourney opponents and end up being drummed out of the tournament without making it to the next level. After that, without his WBA super middleweight title, Kessler will be faced with making some hard choices about what to do with his sagging boxing career.
Tags: 13 Responses to “Kessler-Ward: Will this be the beginning of the end for Mikkel?”
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Kessler would have knocked Calzaghe out if that fight would have gone another 30 seconds. He busted his hand early on but came on strong in the last 2 rounds. Calzaghe always acknowledged that Kessler was his toughest opponent. His performance against Perdomo was like all his others, measured and efficient, there was never any doubt about his winning and he’d barely broke a sweat by the 4th round. It is one thing arguing a possible upset against Ward, who is an unknown quantity but you can’t just fabricate your evidence.
Laws of averages say that Gilfraud will eventually make a correct prediction.
Come on kessler, it’s about time another US boxer tasted defeat in the super six.
Just thought i’d notify you scotty lad that your bolokless boyfriend(liam santiago)has just done the same as you and promised to retire if his prediction was wrong and then gone back on his word so it turns out you’re not the only spineless little weasel on this site afterall!!!
no one listens to your all to often rubbish advice or predictions scott..
Suppose you had Cotto winning last night also?
Never will I cheer a boxer on as much as Kessler next weekend
I believe this was Scott’s 714th article on Ward-Kessler
I just hope that Ward fights cleanly and doesn’t go for this horrendous holding which is a curse of some fighters.
In fairness Bernard Hopkins, jeff lacy, saiko bika, Roy jones jr and chris eubank were also found wanting against calzaghe. I think it might be worth remembering that. It hardly suggests kessler is bad. He’s beaten fighters much better than anyone ward has fought.
His good right hand power couldn’t even stop miranda, whom KP and AA simply KTFO. Miranda is close to shot now and the fight went the distance.You are in for a rude awaking, can you picture in your little mind what Kessler would have done to Miranda.
NO Kessler is just going to knock your boy friend out, and then you can eat some more crow.
Kessler’s toughest opponent to date was 10 year plus champion Calzaghe. He is the only person to date to beat Kessler. I think this fight is going to be close, but don’t be so ignorant by saying Ward will be his toughest opponent. Your making out that all these prospect Americans are the best thing since sliced bread. But lets be realistic, it’s like every country, they all have good prospects, but when it comes to world level most are beaten. Not every American with an unbeaten record is going to go on and dominate world boxing, FACT.
please stop you fool your so bad and you arent ever right i beg just stop you dont even make predictions you go on about your boyfriends dirrell and ward but they have done nothing credible and have fought level c&d fighters i mean ward couldnt even beat miranda impresivly let aone no koing him miranda ducked kessler lol
the toughest opponent of his career?
are you joking?
hahahahahhahahaha