The boxing world was buzzing in anticipation for the de-facto super middleweight championship bout between decade-long titlist and champion Joe Calzaghe of Newbridge, Wales and unified titlist Mikkel Kessler of Copenhagen, Denmark. Fans and supporters of Calzaghe have long maintained his superiority over a career of pedestrian challenges and an inflated victory over an ultimately limited Jeff Lacy in 2006. Mikkel Kessler began making his name in by 2004 winning the WBA super middleweight title in a contest with Manny Siaca and later unifying it with the WBC super middleweight title in 2006 by besting Markus Beyer.

Calzaghe Vs Lacy

 

Kessler  Vs Beyer



Both fighters were looking for more than the undisputed super middleweight championship of the world last Saturday night when they met in the packed Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Despite being the longest reigning titleholder in all of boxing, Calzaghe has consistently been met with skepticism for the level of his competition. Kessler has been looking to establish himself as a member of the elite boxers of today. Both men were fighting for an undisputed championship, but they were also fighting to prove their legitimacy as premier fighters in a sport polluted by paper champions and manufactured undefeated records.

Held in a stadium before tens of thousands of excited fans, the fight that would take place would illustrate each fighter`s mettle and will. Both fighters would test his opponent and be tested by him.

The first round of the fight could serve as a microcosm for the entire contest. Calzaghe used unorthodox movement to execute a sound plan of high activity. Kessler fired power salvos of limited effect because he was unable to land cleanly. Neither man landed a flush punch, but Calzaghe`s consistent approach of awkward movement and combination punching won the first round.

To begin the second round, Kessler upped his output to try and establish his own momentum. Calzaghe met him with the same activity as he had in the first round. Kessler landed a straight right that nearly landed with full power and followed with a second right hand that snapped the Welshman`s head back and let Calzaghe know that he was in with a determined young fighter. Calzaghe responded by upping the ante on Kessler. He increased his output and stunted Kessler`s power attack. Sensing the shifting tide Kessler responded with more straight punches that muffled Calzaghe`s advance. It was a close round, but Kessler landed his shots with more authority and won the round.

In round three Calzaghe continued to crank up the pressure. The best way to describe the man would be to call him a whirling dervish. Calzaghe bent his head down and threw punches from all angles moving frenetically about Kessler. The pro-Calzaghe crowd erupted in excitement as Kessler slipped on the wet Nemiroff ad on the canvas and dropped hard to his backside. Undaunted, Kessler got up and rallied with straight one-two power, but Calzaghe either stepped back out of range of Kessler`s punches or stepped to the side and resumed combination punching.

Round four saw Kessler increase his efforts as he began to reach Calzaghe with some stiff attention-getting jabs and right hands. At one minute into the round Kessler landed a stinging uppercut that popped Calzaghe`s head up out of his crouching guard. The punch did not hurt Calzaghe, but there is no question the older fighter was either stunned or surprised by the blow. Kessler again landed a sharp uppercut with fifty seconds to go. Calzaghe responded with more combinations, but as in round two, Kessler`s landed power was more effective over the three-minute frame.

Rounds five through seven were all Joe Calzaghe. This is not to say Kessler was out of the fight. Calzaghe`s strategy of constantly moving and throwing befuddled Kessler at every turn. Kessler employed counters with limited success in round five, but it was apparent Calzaghe was again raising the tempo of the fight, daring Kessler to follow. At any time Kessler landed with success in rounds five through seven, Calzaghe answered immediately with flurries of punches from all angles. At times, this author would not blame Danish fighter for thinking he was fighting two people at once. Joe was that active.

In between rounds seven and eight Kessler`s corner gave him the worst advice possible: go forward. That would be like asking the ham hock to help itself into the meat-slicing machine. Kessler`s corner also did not have an enswell to counter the swelling over their fighter`s left eye, which was a product of Calzaghe`s constant output.

Kessler interpreted his corner`s advice as best he could and began the eighth round by being first in the exchanges. Kessler was successful in the early part of the round and landed enough stiff shots to reveal Calzaghe`s world-class chin. Calzaghe took what Kessler offered and then went on the attack again. With thirty seconds to go in the round Calzaghe landed a wicked right hook to Kessler`s body that hurt him badly. Excited, Calzaghe began a hail of punches and some landed behind Kessler`s head, which prompted referee Michael Ortega to halt the action and issue the second warning to Calzaghe for hitting behind the head. Ultimately this may have been Calzaghe`s only mistake of the night because his unintentional foul let Kessler regroup from the pain of the body shot.

Rounds nine, ten and eleven were all the same. Kessler would offer offense in spots and Calzaghe would repay with a punch volume most often seen in the lower weight classes. Kessler kept Calzaghe honest, however, as the straight punches Kessler landed were enough to tell Calzaghe that he could change the fight if Calzaghe decided to become foolish. Kessler took every opportunity that he could to initiate action or counter effectively.

The twelfth and final round was a fitting cap to the evening`s action. Tired but not beaten, Kessler offered everything that he had left, throwing vicious straights and uppercuts. A couple of times he could catch the slippery Calzaghe and again surprise the man. In retrospect this author wonders if Joe`s surprise came from the fact that Kessler had hit him cleanly, or whether Kessler`s stiff connects muddled Calzaghe`s senses for a fraction of a second. It was ultimately moot as Calzaghe proved that he could take any punch that Kessler was able to land.

Calzaghe Vs Kessler



Throughout the night Kessler showed his grit as well; Calzaghe only stunned him once with the body shot in the eighth round. The official score cards read 116-112, 116-112, and 117-111 all for Joe Calzaghe: still WBO and Ring Magazine super middleweight world champion, and new WBA and WBC super middleweight champion of the world. That`s a whole lot of words to say, "The best- no questions asked."

Fans, experts and insiders were all hoping that Joe Calzaghe versus Mikkel Kessler would thrill and nobody should be disappointed. All who watched these men fight were watching boxing on its highest order. While the match was not as bloody and brutal as the rematch between Israel Vasquez and Rafael Marquez last August, it was equal as a display of elite boxing. Calzaghe vs. Kessler contained the clash of wills that defines a great contest. Each time one of the combatants displayed an edge the other man would force himself to give more in an effort to reverse the momentum.

Each man also displayed his impeccable sportsmanship. At the toll of the final bell Calzaghe and Kessler embraced each other with real emotion. They smiled and nodded at each other as if to say, "You can fight. I`ve never been in with anyone like that." They continued their refreshing, honest courtesy in their interviews with HBO`s Max Kellerman. Kessler admitted freely that the better boxer beat him and that he had in fact been hurt in the eighth round by Calzaghe`s right hook to the body. Later, while speaking on air with Kellerman, Calzaghe would also admit to his foe`s successes during the fight and confirmed that Kessler had stunned him a few times.

Calzaghe has his long-awaited swan song performance. Kessler was a prime, willing opponent that brought his best game and Calzaghe prevailed. Calzaghe proved that what he did to Lacy was neither a fluke, nor because Lacy was a lesser quality boxer. Calzaghe has accomplished what he has because he is the "real deal" as they say.

Kessler continued to smile even after the official scores were read to the crowd. He should have been smiling. Kessler gave everything of himself and had more success against Calzaghe than any other fighter in many years. He landed with authority many times and he kept Calzaghe an honest fighter. If you can claim to be a worthy opponent and a true test of a champion who has reigned as long as Calzaghe has, then you certainly have a reason to smile. So do all the people who care about boxing.

In the end, the boxing world got more than they could have hoped for. Usually, the hope is for a good fight and a clear winner. We got that. What we could not have expected was that both boxers would prove that they are legitimate champions.