Ward beat Kessler fair and square
By Scott Gilfoid: It’s starting to boil my kettle reading how some boxing fans are questioning the new World Boxing Association super middleweight champion Andre Ward’s impressive 11th round technical decision win over Mikkel Kessler last weekend in the Super Six tournament bout in Oakland, California.
Let’s be real here. Does anybody really think that Kessler would have still won the fight had he not been head butted, held or hit with a few stray elbows? If you believe that, you need to sit down and watch the fight again because there was never a moment in the fight where Kessler was even close to being competitive. It was totally one-sided from start to finish.
Ward was just a better boxer, period. That’s just the way things go. Ward is probably going to win the Super Six tournament unless someone else like Andre Dirrell can give him some competition. That’s just the cold hard facts and some people might not like to accept it but that’s how it will turn out. Arthur Abraham, Carl Froch and Kessler basically have no chance to win this fight.
Sure, they have a slight chance, but I only see it as a chance to win it if Ward or Dirrell end up badly injured and can’t fight. But back to the fouling issue. Ward didn’t change the outcome of Saturday’s fight one iota by clashing heads with Kessler and the elbows didn’t change anything either. Personally, I didn’t see Ward throw one elbow during the fight, but that’s what I’m hearing from fans. I’m also hearing a lot of crying about how there were originally two American judges and then it was changed to one after complaints from Kessler. Another gripe that is being thrown around is that the referee was American and he let Ward get away with clinching, and clashing heads. That’s a bunch of bull.
The referee could see with his own two eyes that the head clashes were accidental which is why he didn’t penalize Ward. But even if the referee had penalized Ward for clashing heads, how would that have changed the fight? So what if Ward would lose a point, he would still beat Kessler black and blue. Why can’t some fans deal with their fighter losing? This is bad for the Super Six tournament to hear these complaints because it will cause people to question the competition and think that it’s not being run fair and square. That’s not good news for boxing and it only serves to hurt the sport. Can’t we all just get along?

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What a pile of crap!!!
“Why can’t some fans deal with their fighter losing? This is bad for the Super Six tournament to hear these complaints because it will cause people to question the competition and think that it’s not being run fair and square.”
excuse me???
may I point you back to several of your own articles suggesting Dirrell beat Froch and was treated unfairly
“Why can’t some fans deal with their fighter losing? This is bad for the Super Six tournament to hear these complaints because it will cause people to question the competition” Are you kidding me Scott, this is what you do every time one of your fighters lose you biased American c u n t. All people are saying is exactly what you were saying when Dirrell the b i t c h lost to Froch. I can’t believe how contradictory you are of yourself. Just f u c k off and stop posting your brit-bashing articles you little w a n k e r. Ward did exactly what Froch did in his fight but you think it’s ok when one of your bum boys from America do it. Grow up you t u r d.
Anonymous. I agree, Dawson hasn’t yet fought the best, but look at his division, there’s no competition. Still he has beaten Adamek, Glen Johnson, and Tarver, so that’s a beginning. And if you had seen him fight (rather than his record), you’d agree that he has tons of talent. Oh, and talking about young talented U.S. boxers, I forgot Paul Williams. The Americans are definitely not a spent force in boxing.
Dawson-Hopkins would be intriguing.
Williams would’ve destroyed Pavlik.
I think Ward won hands down, but you didn’t accept Dirrel losing so how you can you say ‘can’t you expect your fighter losing?’
He said Jesus was with him, that is a huge advantage
Ward was winning the fight and looked sharper and was landing more cleaner punches. You asked “Do we honestly think that Kessler would have won the fight without the headbutts”. Truth is we’ll never know, one punch can change a fight in an millisecond. A headbutt can be a nasty thing and in this fight it was. The guy was cut under his eye and above BOTH eyes.
I am sorry I thought ward was leading with his head a bit for SURE on one occasion and you can argue the two other times. I think Ward has much to learn he’s erratic at times and wild. Not technically impressed by Ward.
By the way I did watch the fight and on tape and Ward just go straight at Kessler head first. Thats intentional!
John – You can’t be serious! You are calling at least 5 head butts, use of shoulder, hitting after the bell and using elbows all accidental? Of course not! Don’t be silly. It was very much part of the plan. Ward proved that he is a very mobile boxer with excellent speed, reflexes and balance. When taking the number of fouls into consideration and his before mentioned skills, then the whole idea of it being accidental is ludicrous. Had this fight been in Europe, he would have been DQ´ed.
He may not have been a dirty player before, but hey… dirty fighters start somewhere and he certainly started last Saturday.
Mr. Gilfoid, your article is a disgrace. The fight was a disgrace, built up by Goosen. The referee was as bought, as he could be.
Ward was ready, Kessler had an off-day, not beeing clever (or dirty) enough to change tactics, during the fight.
Ward won the fight That’s for sure, but HOW did he win it? “Son of God” said: “I’m not a dirty fighter”. Mr. Ward, now, you’re telling lies. God don’t like liars, Andre.
Deliberately, you based it on headbutts, that would have disqualified you all places, than in Oakland.
The question is: how would the fight have gone, if Ward had fought a clean, fair fight, or the referee had given Kessler the chance for a late k.o., instead of halting the fight?
Nobody knows, but surely, it would have been a better fight.
The super-6 tournament is becoming a farce: In Germany, the scorecard had Taylor far behind, when he was stopped. Only a blind could see that.
In England, Dirrell was robbed by the judges and a referee, just as bought as Jack Reiss. Then the Americans, after loosing 2 bouts, arranged a scenario, allowing Ward to fight as dirty, as it could be.
In the light of this, I would say, that BOXING and the FANS are the loosers.
Mr. Gilfoid, you’re NOT capable of writing here. Save the readers for such crap. It takes experts.
Jay. Chad Dawson? Really? Who has he beaten? He looks good against old fighters, but I don’t think he’s fought anyone of interest. Maybe if he takes on pascal he’ll have a claim.
Gh…You seem to think Ward was being ‘dirty’ on purpose…I don’t. You don’t just become a ‘dirty fighter’ overnight. Nobody has ever called Ward a dirty fighter, as an amatuer or a pro. I think that is important to realise. If you go back and watch the tape of the fight you can see that the butts were accidental. By the way during Ward’s last fight against Miranda he was butted three times…and never complained. They were accidental…it happens.
Sure Ward was the better fighter, but to deny that he was fighting dirty is nonsense. He was as dirty as they come and he is a disgrace to boxing. If fouling is OK in boxing, what the hell are rules for? Lets just kill boxing and all watch MMA then.
Excuses…excuses…come on Kessler fans be MEN about this. What Kessler said right after the fight was the truth “Ward was the better man tonight”…yes…thats it, way to go Mikkel. I think Kessler came in way over-confident (like a ton of euro fans) and thought he would blow out Ward easily. Didn’t happen…not even close actually. When he said he knew “just what Ward would do” it was obvious by the 3rd round he had no clue. Ward was 1,2,3 steps ahead of him all night. Head butts and elbows sure there were a few but there always is, Ward was right by the way NOBODY in his 20 previous fights has said that he’s a dirty fighter. He won the fight in a dominating fashion…a fighter with Wards style (or Calzaghe’s) will always be able to give Kessler fits…style’s make fights. Kessler might have gotten old that night (I predicated that Ward win on Nov 20th on doghouseboxing) but no matter…Ward would have beaten him on any other night too…
HAHA GILTURD, face cut to ribbons as if it was puches that caused that damage.
An old lady like Viltali could even take those weak Ward punches.
Great power in the head, lacks power at fist. Good boxer of course, no power, great skills, they always lack something, the best boxers have it all.
BOIL YOUR KETTLE?HA HA IS ANYONE SUPPOSED TO BE SCARED ABOUT THAT U TIT
America wanted desperately to win this fight and the Goosen/Ward team made damn sure that was how it went, using dirty tactics before and during the fight, in and out of the ring.
What is it with this site. Sometimes I am blacklisted and other times I post to quickly!!
Ward was the better fighter and Kessler was undoubtedly at his worst. But Ward used a lot of dirty tactics that disrupted Kesslers fight, which means that he did NOT win fair and square. Anyone claiming that is a biased fool. Ward could have been a great champion had he fought clean, but that was never the plan. He proclaimed that he had a plan before the fight and it became abundantly clear what that plan was during the fight. Using head butts, shoulders, hitting and holding, hitting after the bell and elbows he was very effective at disrupting Kessler. But that type of fight is not winning fair and square.
Ward is a disgrace
Tyler – M, you’re right: this gilfoid is an imbecile, yet how can you say that the U.S. are a spent force in boxing, that’s just rubbish. Or maybe you’re only one who hasn’t still heard of Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Chad Dawson…
Scott, I have been hard on you but you hit the nail on the head in this fight. I knew ward was good and I thought he was going to give Kessler some problems but I never envisioned total domination. Headbutts or not, Kessler never figured him out. So I will eat my crow. However, I still don’t find Dirrell particularly great, I think Ward is light years beyond him. And I still don’t like how you dismiss the headbutts and elbows for Ward but try to criticize Abraham for a forearm. Other than that, I feel happy for you that you finally got a fight right.
i think ward definitely would have won but it wouldn’t have been half as brutal whithout the dirty tactics he used. ward was way too dirty when he didn’t have to be.
kesslers face looked horrible he had like four cuts all from buts.
without the buts and the holding a few more rounds would have gone to kessler but ward still would have won.
that said you have to be somethin really special to beat a guy like kessler. ward has every tool and he used them all in the fight.
it would have been a better fight if they just boxed instead of all the holding.
gilfoid likes teabagging,when are you going to write something original and honest cus this stuff is just a waste of a read. gilfoid you love it deep.
Hilarious Scot keep em coming this is hysterical. Do a hypocritical article on how British fighters are scared to fight abroad
Tell us again how B-Hop will beat David Haye , thats my favourite Gilfoid joke
Ward himself said he is not a dirty fighter, oh well he can’t be then.
The judge stopped the fight ?
You really are a comedian, no one could be such a hypocrite accidentally. You actually do make me laugh.
I get you now Scot you are just a joker ha ha
After your constant ranting about dirrell this article makes me smile. By your logic froch shouldn’t be criticized. After all, the red there had two eyes, he didn’t see the need to dock points from froch.
Ward vs Williams, yes that would be a good fight.
C o c k. Ward fought well, true. He should’ve been warned at least for FIVE headbutts, accidental or not. He probably would have won regardless, yes. This doesn’t change the fact Kessler was impeded, and lost a round and a half’s worth in which anything could’ve happened. Curiously, although Ward was told unequivocally that the officials saw the cuts were caused by several head clashes, he himself stated that he ‘knew’ that some cutting was caused by punches. This site needs rid of you nonetheless. Your bias is boring.
Yeah I’ll grant you Ward did look good BUT, winning a fight with two headbutts, come on!!!!
very good article! Agree 100%!
WARD VRS PAUL WILLIAMS WOULD BE GOOD
biggest hypocrite in the world? Gildfoid your a clown you slate calzaghe and all british fighters constantly and belittle their achievements. Most of us british fans have the character to own up and admit that ward is an excellent fighter with a bright future. You must be the most delusional person in the world now go crawl back under a rock.
i honestly think kessler could have ko’d him if he hadnt been mashed with that big ole head of Wards ward should have been disqualified or at least several points deducted
other than that he was actually surprisingly good good enough to take his title hell no!!!