By Eric Thomas: Fringe light heavyweight contender Allan Green (31-3, 21 KO’s) doesn’t see former super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler (44-2, 33 KO’s) on the same level as him in the physical tools in his toolbox. Green and Kessler will be battling in a catchweight fight for the vacant vacant WBC Silver light heavyweight title next month on May 19th at the Parken, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Green, #15 IBF, told Boxingtalk.com “I don’t put him [Kessler] on a pedestal like everyone else does. Skillfully, he’s not on my level.”

Green, 32, was supposed to fight Kessler in the Super Six tournament in 2010, but Kessler bowed out of the tournament due to complications from an eye injury. The injury has since healed, but he’s had other problems with a hand injury that wiped out a recent fight against WBO super middleweight champion Robert Stieglitz.

Kessler then decided to move up in weight to chase some of the champions at 175. Green is supposed to be little more than a tune-up bout for Kessler. However, Green doesn’t see himself as that kind of fighter and he intends on beating Kessler next month. Green didn’t do so well in the Super Six tournament, losing to Andre Ward and Glen Johnson in one-sided fights.

Green blamed his poor performances on having to drain himself to make the 168 pound weight limit for the super middleweight division. He looked painfully thin in his fight against Ward, so there may be some truth involved with what Green says. Since moving up in weight to 175, Green has beaten Craig Gandy and Sebastien Demer. However, Green may have the same weight problems in facing Kessler at a catchweight, because Green is a big light heavyweight.

Kessler has fought only once in the past two years, beating Mehdi Bouadla last year in a 6th round stoppage.

Hopefully, Kessler won’t suffer another injury that delays or wipes out this fight, because it’s been one thing after another for Kessler lately.