These are attributes that in no way apply to current super middleweight belt holder Mikkel Kessler. Granted as mentioned before, he only has fought outside of his home country on three occasions. Once as part of an undercard here in the United States back in 2000. But the other two fights were events that were on a much larger scale. They were also fights against opposition that presented a threat to the at the time undefeated champion.
In 2005 he traveled down under to take on Anthony Mundine, a fight that he won by unanimous decision. After his successful trip he returned home to Copenhagen where he destroyed Markus Beyer and defeated the always sturdy Librado Andrade, taking his undefeated record in the process. He smartly continued to fight tough fights, which kept him sharp while he patiently waited for the right opportunity.
To say that Kessler will be in shock or awe of what he will face inside of the Oracle Arena in Oakland couldn’t be further from the truth. After Kessler accomplished his goals of winning championships on different levels, Kessler made it known that he wanted a defining fight. This came in the form of Joe Calzaghe, one of the smartest fighters of this generation.
Due to Calzaghe’s drawing power, which surpassed Kessler’s, the fight took place in Wales in front of 50,000 fans. If you are not shell shocked by that type of atmosphere and are able to perform. Which Kessler did, in a valiant effort, can you honestly expect him to be taken out of sync by the fans in Oakland.
Most likely not and barring a total collapse by either of the skilled fighters, we should all be in for a good fight. While Kessler had trouble with the foot movement of Calzaghe, who changed his game plan quickly once he was wacked by Kessler in the early rounds. He proved that you either bring a bazooka to a gun fight with him if your thinking is to over power him. Or you better be ready to spray him with machine gun fire punches as quickly as possible in drive by style. In other words, get in, fire and get the hell out of dodge (for all my non South Central and Menace II Society fans).
Kessler is a rough, tough, and hard man. His classic style is enhanced by the fact that he throws many jabs, his attempts to control the range of the fight. This could be interesting against Ward who can fight in many different ways. The winner of this fight is going to be the man that can adjust under pressure making the necessary changes needed to succeed. That is how Calzaghe was able stunt Kessler and his power punching (which Calzaghe admitted later had rocked him). Calzaghe was the fighter that made the proper changes during the heat of the action that allowed him to take control of the fight.
We are unsure if Ward is able to do this at this level. This answer is going to be given to us when they begin trading leather Saturday night. As we saw last Saturday in Vegas, at times it’s not just about your game plan coming into the fight, but its about the changes and variables you add to that plan that enhance your ability to come out victorious while facing the heat of the incoming missiles.
If Ward is able to control the range and tempos of the fight with his hand and foot speed against Kessler’s classic style, the Viking warrior could be in for a long night. But, if you think that Kessler is going to be mesmerized by the atmosphere of this event and its importance, you are sorely mistaken. While it is unclear just how Ward is going to deal with everything on fight night. Although he has the amateur experience and has fought under pressure, it is not the same with what he will face in Kessler.
If Kessler is able to adjust, something he may have learned to do more naturally with the experience from the Calzaghe fight, Ward may be in for his biggest education to date. As mentioned, Kessler does use his jab and is not afraid to let the stick go at an above average rate. This could be the key to keeping the tricky Ward at bay and help him avoid falling into any traps the Oakland native my try and lure him into.
One thing is for sure, if Ward is currently not ready for what the other guys in this tournament have to offer. You better believe that after this fight with Kessler, he is going to be more than ready for what the rest of the group has to offer.
One thing is for sure. Kessler, who finally got a marquee fight against Calzaghe, knows that this tournament is his second opportunity to stake his claim not only as the best at 168, but as a top pound for pound fighter. Something that he has yet to be recognized as despite his impressive resume and championship reigns. Kudos must be given to Kessler for being the only champion to travel to the challengers’ hometown. In this case unlike the Calzaghe fight (which made financial sense for the immediate), a victory in the United States in an impressive fashion, could lead to the type of financial reward that alludes so many in this sport.
Subscribe to feed
