By Dave Lahr: WBA super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler (41-1, 31 KO’s) will be returning to the ring after an 11th month layoff to defend his World Boxing Association title against his number #1 mandatory challenger Gusmyr Perdomo (16-2, 10 KO’s) at the MCH Messecenter Herning, in Herning, Denmark. Kessler, 30, will be facing yet another horrible opponent in 33-year-old Perdomo.
For the life of me, I can’t fully comprehend why or how Perdomo was made the number #1 mandatory challenger by the WBA, because besides the fact that Perdomo hasn’t faced anyone of note during his entire seven year pro career, he was also beaten just a couple of fights ago by Dimitri Sartison in a 12 round decision loss in September 2007.
Perdomo was also beaten by Mario Veit in an eight round majority decision loss in October 2005. As you can see, this fight is going to be a huge mismatch on Saturday night and frankly, I’ll be shocked it Perdomo lasts more than one or two rounds at the most. I think Kessler may string the bout along for awhile just to get some rounds in.
He’s been out of action for a long time due to management issues with his promoter. But, Kessler really needs to get as many quality – if you want to call it that – rounds as he can before facing the top rated American Andre Ward on November 21st. That bout is part of Showtime’s Super Six tournament and Kessler has drawn what many boxing experts feel is the second toughest fighter in the tourney behind himself.
However, Ward might actually be better than Kessler. He’s younger, just as fast, has better defense and punches just as hard. Kessler is coming off of a layoff and Saturday night’s fight against Perdomo likely won’t do much for sharpening Kessler’s skills before his bout with Ward. This is why Kessler will likely try to get as many rounds as he can out of Perdomo, just so he can get used to actually fighting against a real life opponent again.
It’s hard to figure out why the WBA decided to rank a fighter like Perdomo, whose best win was over Hector Javier Velazco, over super middleweight contenders like Denis Inkin, Arthur Abraham, Andre Ward, Jermain Taylor, Allan Green and Andre Dirrell. Never the less, the WBA, for some bizarre reason, decided to put Perdomo ahead of those fighters in their ranking system.
I think it makes the WBA look really bad, because Perdomo obviously hasn’t accomplished more than those fighters and would likely be flattened by each of them if he were to be put in with them. Hopefully, Kessler isn’t presented with more fighters like this in the future when defending his WBA title, because if so, he may need to consider vacating the title and going after one of the other belts.
At least that way, Kessler won’t waste his career being forced to periodically face some unknown, undeserving opponent. Kessler hasn’t fought since stopping Danilo Haussler in the 3rd round. Haussler is a lot like Perdomo in talent level, and similarly, Haussler hadn’t done much before getting his title shot against Kessler.
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Ward vs. Pudwill
Also taking place on the same night, unbeaten super middleweight contender Andre Ward (19-0, 12 KO’s) will be facing Shelby Pudwill (22-3-1, 9 KO’s) in a 10-round stay busy fight at the Pechange Resort & Casino, in Temecula, California. I don’t know how it’s possible, but this fight will likely be even more of a one-sided fight than the Kessler vs. Perdomo fight that will be taking place on the same night.
Pudwill, 33, is truly awful, and his main claim to fame, as far as I can see, is being knocked out in the 1st round three years ago by the light hitting John Duddy in 2006. If a fighter like Duddy can knock Pudwill out in one round, then Ward may end up finishing Pudwill in record time.
However, I imagine that Ward, a 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist for the United States, may try to carry Pudwill for as long as possible just to get some rounds in. Ward needs to stay sharp before his November 21st bout against Mikkel Kessler. It’s too bad, though, that Ward and his management team couldn’t dig up someone a little better than Pudwill to fight, because he’s not a world class fighter and will be hopelessly overmatched in this fight.