Kessler Raids Oakland in Super Six
By: Andrew Harrison
Category: andre dirrell, andre ward, arthur abraham, carl froch, jermain taylor, joe calzaghe, mikkel kessler, super six world boxing classic
It’s good to be a fight fan right now.
For the third successive weekend, we have a fabulously intriguing fight to look forward to as Showtime’s Super Six tournament lurches back into life. In a bout which will close out the flagship super middleweight tournament’s first round of matches, Denmark’s Mikkel Kessler tackles Andre Ward in the American’s back yard. Kessler will be looking to put some points up on the leaderboard here, which would in turn ensure an opening round clean sweep for the Europeans.
A quick recap: on October 17th in Berlin, Arthur Abraham obliterated Jermain Taylor in the closing seconds of their bout, whilst on the same evening, just over the English channel, Carl Froch outpointed Andre Dirrell in what was seen by many as a contentious decision (a quick round up can be seen at the beginning of the latest Fight Camp 360 episode, which you can find via the tab at the top of my homepage). Abraham leads the tournament with 3 points from Froch on 2, with Dirrell and Taylor yet to score.
So to Kessler-Ward a fight which pits a seasoned titlist in the Dane, against a relatively green prospect in Ward.
Ward 20-0 (13) is a 2004 Olympic champion whose progress since hitting the paid ranks has been slow to say the least. After becoming America’s first boxing gold medallist since 1996 (when he defeated Belarusian Magomed Aripgadjiev by 20 points to 13 in the light heavyweight gold medal match),Ward inked with Roy Jones and Dan Goossen and was expected to lead the charge to replace ageing compatriots such as the aforementioned Jones and Oscar De la Hoya.
After a few early scares which saw him buzzed by the likes of Kenny Kost and Darnell Boone (Boone dropped him in round four) his brain trust slammed on the brakes and have only recently eased back onto the gas. Ward belatedly arrived onto the world stage in May with a unanimous decision victory over the powder keg punching Edison Miranda in his hometown of Oakland.
Despite being cut in the opening session, Ward outboxed the rough and tumble Colombian slugger handily, in a bout which was trumpeted as his official coming out party.
Kessler meanwhile, has notched over double the amount of fights his 25 year old opponent has accumulated thus far. The Dane is currently 42-1 (32) and is enjoying his second tenure as a super middleweight titlist, after rebounding from the sole loss Joe Calzaghe hung on him in 2007. Calzaghe edged a highly competitive row in one of the division’s most important battles since it’s inception in 1984.
Kessler is a fearsome prospect. Tall and rangy, he has textbook technique, with a telescopic left hand and a piston like right and is already rated as one of the best men ever to have campaigned at 168lbs.
Whilst doing my research (I do try) I replayed the Calzaghe fight and had underestimated just how well ‘The Viking Warrior’ had performed that night in Cardiff. In front of 50 000 predominately hostile fans, Kessler managed to hurt the iron chinned Welshman on numerous occasions whilst only really encountering bother once himself, when winded by body shots in the eighth.
It was only Calzaghe’s wealth of experience, superb engine and improvisational genius which saw him through in that one, fighting through right hand bombs which would have flattened lesser men. Kessler fought like the devil and was looking for the knockout right up unto the final bell, outhustled on points but very much unbowed.
What impressed me most about the Scandinavian that night, was his commitment to technique, never wavering amidst Calzaghe’s herky, jerky assaults whilst showing a steely nerve in holding his position to fire back with straight and accurate shots. Pretty awesome stuff.
Studying footage of Ward leaves me rather concerned for his chances in this one. Although undoubtedly swift of hand and foot, he tends to paw with his lead hand (Ward switches stance regularly) before using his foot speed to close the distance on his foe, in order to shoot in quick and hefty hooks. That’s pretty basic technique to be taking into the ring with one so schooled as Kessler.
Ward will probably be best served if he picks and pecks at his man here, staying out of harms way for long periods and looking to nick a decision in his hometown. I’m dubious as to whether he can however, despite having an aura about him in the build up which indicates he’s highly tuned and ready to seize his big moment.
I initially favoured Ward to edge past Kessler due to his speed and relative freshness (Kessler’s career has stalled somewhat of late which will probably cost him here early). Watching footage of both men however has altered my perception. Slowly but surely, I venture Kessler will find his way into the fight utilising his far superior technique and once he starts finding Ward with his deadly right, the young man could be in trouble.
I have an inkling Kessler can get Ward out of there, yet I’ll venture that he will instead settle for a decision. It should be a highly technical battle which sees Ward boxing brightly early, before coming apart somewhat late in the fight. Ward is desperate to make a statement in this tournament, he just may have to wait until the second round before doing so.
Kessler is quoted by William Hill as a 2/5 favourite, with Ward a prohibitive underdog at 7/4. Primetime in the UK screens.
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