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Mikkel Kessler says negative tactics from Joe Calzaghe won't prevent him unifying the super-middleweight division at the Millennium Stadium on November 3 - by knockout.
Kessler will look to add Calzaghe's WBO and Ring titles to his WBC and WBA belts in Cardiff, and says he is preparing for a dirty fight in front of the Welshman's home crowd.
"I'm worried that Calzaghe will use spoiling tactics to try and disrupt me," said 28-year-old Kessler, who boasts a 39-0 (29) record.
"So I´ll obviously have to take him on the hardest way of all and beat him inside the distance.
"Calzaghe is going to use every effort and any trick to avoid fighting toe to toe.
"From first bell I´ll be prepared to fight him on the inside, and if it gets rough, so be it.
"Calzaghe´s got a good chin and I expect it to take my first punch my second - but take my word for it, the third one will make him to stagger, and the fourth will stop him...and the fight as well!"
Meanwhile Calzaghe, 43-0 (32), will meet the press later this week in London.
The fight is screened live in American on HBO, and live in the UK on Setanta Sports.
Tickets for the show, priced between £40 and £500, are available from See Tickets: 0870 060 3794, Ticketmaster: 0870 602 1122 and Ticketline: 08700 667799.
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thoughts?
sry ahead of time if this has been posted
I dnt think JC's stamina willcome into play...he works more on his stamina/road work then sparring or on the bag...he's an excellent athlete...i doubt stamina will come into play..but with the war of words...this is going to be a goody...cnt wait...atleast it wont be a de la hoya v mayweather kinda fight...which can only be a good thing
Kessler has alot more of an arsenal than people realise I think. Against Mundine he couldn't use the jab straight right combo he enjoys as much because of Mundines speed and reflexes. After losing round 3 he changed tactics and started forcing Mundine to mount a fight instead of just counter punching by very carefully measuring the distance of where he was stopping in front of him. Mundine isn't a natural offensive fighter (IMO) and as he was stepping in he was getting picked off with jabs, hooks and long range uppercuts. Kessler was varying when he was choosing to force the issue also. To Mundine he was quite unpredictable. Kesslers shot selection seemed quite good and instinctive. He cuts off the ring very well. He is faster in and out than the "Euro robot" tag he carries suggests and has good balance. It looked like he was hunting down Mundine non stop, but he made him fight and he payed for it. Green did the opposite and waged all out war on Mundine and was nullified by superior hand speed and skills. Kessler is no one dimensional jab-right cross fighter. If he can fight like a slugger and get away with it, he will. If he can't he will adjust. I used Mundine as an example as he is a fairly underrated, but tricky fighter with quick hands and brings strange angles. I definantly don't think Joe and AM are in the same class but there are some hints as to how the MK and JC fight might go. Joe is an offensive fighter but the tee off often begins with a counter or during an opponent covering up. I can't see MK standing in the zone to allow the big flurries to begin whether getting countered or by covering up.
Also I don't believe Kessler is a huge power puncher. He is a big guy, but I think his size seems to give him very good stamina and the pace will be flat out. His damage seems to be cumulative (except when he starched Beyer) and I see JC slowing toward the end. I might be completely wrong about this, but I think Kessler might get the nod with the tools he has at his disposal. JC has a habit of proving doubters wrong though. No KO either way and hopefully no bs stoppages (like JC v PM).
I don't think Kessler has ever fought a Southpaw in a fight before, sparring one is different. Calzaghe is showing more respect and says good things about Kessler. However Kessler seems to diss Calzaghe by saying he does not rate him, will knock him out, slaps and has no power.
Kessler's style is more predictable, Calzaghe's is much more difficult to grasp. Has very fast hands, throws lots of combinations at different angles. Whilst Kessler is a very European style of fight with left jabs followed with a big right.
I doubt Calzaghe can get the distance needed, in order to make his combinations flow. Kessler doesn't want to adapt to Calzaghe, but force him to make changes.
Kessler isn't dissing Calzaghe, he's talking in an interview of how he think he's going to win the fight. Calzaghe does the same thing. They both speak nice about each other apart from that. I've read what Kessler says about Calzaghe's 10th year anniversary in the upcoming HBO pre-fight show. He doubts he has the hart to match Calzaghes impressive long reign. - Talk about giving a guy credit.
Of cause there are a lot of us backing Kessler all the way. This two belt champion has walked over all oposition, and has never given anybody a fair reason to doubt him. Almost everybody has thought they could annul Kessler’s offence by getting close, but none have been able to dictate anything.
This doesn't mean I disrespect Calzaghe. I think he's a classy fighter, a well proven champ and shows huge amount of hart in his fights. I just don’t think he can get past Kessler, that's all.
both fighters are half british anyways, it has nothing to do with nationality. I have been watching Calzaghe his entire career and the only people who EVER give him problems are those who try and rough him up.
i have never seen anyone outbox Calzaghe and I have never seen him hurt in his entire career. He has been down but has never been hurt.
His conditioning is the best ive ever seen from any boxer, he does not tire for 12 rounds and his punch output is the best ive ever seen.
His combination punches and speed will confuse Kessler and possibly stop him late on.
I dont see how Kessler can win this one, but stranger things have happened in the ring.
You must be the only one,whom think that or pehaps also the brit`s too
Kessler is saying the same things that everyone else has done: Calzaghe can't punch, I'm going to knock him out" etc. It certainly seems as though Kessler is underrating Calzaghe. Maybe that explains Joe's success. He looks awkward and silly so he looks easy to beat...
I don't think Kessler has ever fought a Southpaw in a fight before, sparring one is different. Calzaghe is showing more respect and says good things about Kessler. However Kessler seems to diss Calzaghe by saying he does not rate him, will knock him out, slaps and has no power.
Kessler's style is more predictable, Calzaghe's is much more difficult to grasp. Has very fast hands, throws lots of combinations at different angles. Whilst Kessler is a very European style of fight with left jabs followed with a big right.
Yeah I think that Kessler is underrating Calzaghe just like everyone else seems to.
You must be the only one,whom think that or pehaps also the brit`s too
This is an interesting fight.
Kessler should not be underestimated as he is an excellent box fighter with good hand speed and skills but I feel Calzaghe will view this in a similar way to the Lacy fight especially if these quotes from Kessler are true and come in fit and prepared.
If he does Calzaghe will win by a comfortable UD. Many will state that Calzaghe is overrated and has never really fought anyone which could be true but a fit and motivated Calzaghe is a different animal to the one that fought say a Kabary Salem (even though he still won by almost a shut out)
Look at his record, even when he has fought poorly he has still won by big margins, the most controversial win over Reid by SD had two of the judges giving it to JC by 5 rounds (the other to Reid) he has rarely been stretched and if he's is motivated then it usually spells trouble for his opponent.
I perdict a Calzaghe UD by 5 rounds.
Will he stop him like he did to Mundine?
Yes, I've even heard Clazaghe referring to that fight. It would be fun if he based a lot of strategy on Kessler being a counter boxer with low stamina, like he resolved to due to his injury. In that case, early KO for Kessler.
He does roids
What??? What a claim.
:nonono:
Happy to see you are not just a silly calzaghe fan ,who goes nutty, because you think your hero is going to loose, but a true boxing fan who praises quality when its presented to you!
Fuck of...
Joey C by UD, mayyyyybe SD. That's my call. I can't fucking wait to see it in motion, though. I'm sitting here jonesing for big fights since Taylor/Pav. And before that it was Hopkins/Wright two months earlier for christ sake. I've been starving for these big fights for a long, long time. Finally my patience is about to pay off. The waiting is always the hardest part.
The thing is, he's never really CLEARLY lost a fight. He's generally winning the rounds, so how do SO many people know that he'd be robbing Kessler if it's a decision. Lacy.. Manfredo.. most of his big names, he really has beaten. Plus, one thing people seem to forget, when it's a big fight. The judges are from around the world, usually.
I hope he does ko Calzaghe because I am sick of the crap I continuously hear from Calzaghe. This clown has been claiming that he is moving to 175 for the last five years because he can't make 168. Yet any time anyone throws a challenge at him, he won't agree to fight them unless they come down or up to 168 and fight him in England.
Does anyone remember that he had a fight scheduled with Glen Johnson a few years ago at 175 and cancelled, claiming an injury. After Johnson koed Roy Jones, Calzaghe didn't mention a word about moving to 175 to fight Johnson or anyone else. Earlier this year, Johnson tried to secure a fight against Calzaghe. What did Calzaghe do? He told him he had to come down to 168 and fight him in Wales. Calzaghe refused to fight at a catch weight of 171 since Johnson couldn't make 168. Now this clown is claiming again that he is moving to 175 after the Kessler fight. He could have fought Roy Jones, Antonio Tarver and Glenn Johnson at 175 years ago but chose to continue to fight stiffs at 168. And when he was talking about moving to 175 several years ago, who do you think he was talking about fighting -- not Tarver, Jones or Johnson -- but Clinton Woods!!!! His next fight after Kessler, win, lose or draw, will probably be against another stiff at 168, just like his last three figihts.
95 of that shit is incorrect. The other 5% is borderline.
Ktfo
Didnt the majority believe Lacy was gonna KO Joe?
I think father time may catch up with Joe in this one, Kessler looks strong and quite durable so I expect this fight to go to the championship rounds where Joe might get caught as he runs out of steam.
Defo a pickem though.
Chris
Sick of Calzaghe's bulls...t
Kessler had better hope he KO's Joe, cause he isnt gonna win on the cards. Still I think Kessler will either knock Joe out or lose via judge bullshit. No way the judges will let Joe lose.
I hope he does ko Calzaghe because I am sick of the crap I continuously hear from Calzaghe. This clown has been claiming that he is moving to 175 for the last five years because he can't make 168. Yet any time anyone throws a challenge at him, he won't agree to fight them unless they come down or up to 168 and fight him in England.
Does anyone remember that he had a fight scheduled with Glen Johnson a few years ago at 175 and cancelled, claiming an injury. After Johnson koed Roy Jones, Calzaghe didn't mention a word about moving to 175 to fight Johnson or anyone else. Earlier this year, Johnson tried to secure a fight against Calzaghe. What did Calzaghe do? He told him he had to come down to 168 and fight him in Wales. Calzaghe refused to fight at a catch weight of 171 since Johnson couldn't make 168. Now this clown is claiming again that he is moving to 175 after the Kessler fight. He could have fought Roy Jones, Antonio Tarver and Glenn Johnson at 175 years ago but chose to continue to fight stiffs at 168. And when he was talking about moving to 175 several years ago, who do you think he was talking about fighting -- not Tarver, Jones or Johnson -- but Clinton Woods!!!! His next fight after Kessler, win, lose or draw, will probably be against another stiff at 168, just like his last three figihts.