Arum: Kessler is on Pavlik´s short list

Wednesday, June 18, 2008 Team Palle International Press Release COPENHAGEN: Former WBA and WBC super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler does not care to be distracted. The "Viking Warrior" will make his first ring start since his decision to loss to unbeaten legend Joe Calzaghe last November come Saturday night in Brondby Hallen. In the opposite corner in this fight for the vacant WBA super middleweight title will be young, strong and ambitious Dimitri Sartison, a resident of Germany who is also undefeated. Kessler, 39-1 now, has a laser like vision and concentration on Sartsion. "I am trying to climb back to the top of the mountain," Kessler said. "My whole focus right now is on Sartison." Kessler did acknowledge, though, that he sometimes thinks beyond Saturday night. Such an occasion came when the Danish fighter wasinformed that American promoter Bob Arum said Wednesday that his star, middleweight champion Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik has Kessler's name on his short list. With little left for him to conquer at 160 pounds, the slugger from Youngstown, Ohio, is looking at moving to super middleweight. With his tall frame, Pavlik can easily make 168 pounds. "Kelly Pavlik studies guys," Arum said. "One of the possible opponents he has studied is Mikkel Kessler. Kessler is one of the premier fighters in his weight class and, aside from Calzaghe, he is probably the toughest super middleweight out there today. Pavlik hopes that sometime soon he can match his skills against Kessler. You know Kelly, he doesn't look for easy fights. Quite the opposite, really, because Kelly always wants to fight the most formidable guys out there." Told of Arum's comments, Kessler was typically modest. "I went to see Pavlik fight Jermain Taylor in Las Vegas," Kessler said. "I was told that Kelly called me a "beast." I take that as acompliment. I hope he only meant it in the ring. I think the same way about him. His fighting style is aggressive and very much like mine. I would enjoy matching my skills against his also. But I must take care of business with Mr. Sartison and then we can look to the future. I know that Sartison is not coming here to give me any kind of easy victory. His record alone tells you that. It's nce to know that Bob and Kelly have me in mind, though." The Ghost vs. The Viking Warrior. It may sound like a movie title but it could be a huge boxing event if Kessler regains a world title. "Mikkel is absolutely right," manager Bettina Palle said. "First things first. Sartison is fighting close to home and he has upset on his mind. There are big fights out there for Mikkel, Pavlik among them, but first Mikkel knows he needs to collect another world title belt." Kessler is focused on the present knowing that the future will take care of itself