Interview with Andre Wards trainer Virgil Hunter:
RM: Right. Froch also said that if he gets hit with head butts against Ward, he is going to retaliate.
VH: When you look at Andre’s fight, with the exception of the Kessler fight, Kessler was just as responsible for the head butts as Andre was. European styled fighters just stand there. So when you are making a maneuver, they will just stand there and crash right into you. A lot of Kessler fans want to minimize Andre’s performance, saying that Kessler would have won the fight if there were not head butts or cuts. That is totally untrue. It would have been different if Kessler was winning the fight and all of a sudden he got head butt and it turned the tide. You know, Kessler went downhill from round one on. You can’t use the head butts as an excuse. So that is why we want to give Kessler a shot to redeem himself. After the Froch fight, we want to give Kessler a chance. We have it out for Kessler.
RM: You want to fight Kessler again?
VH: Yes we do. We have it out for him. We want to set the record straight once and for all. We hope that he takes the fight because it is something that we want personally.
RM: So after the Froch fight, although there are a number of other challengers out there, your personal choice is a Kessler rematch? You beat him decisively, why fight him again?
VH: Well, Showtime made Kessler champion emeritus. Showtime said that he will get the winner of the Super Six. So after we win the Super Six, we want to make sure that Showtime gets what they want. We want to fight Mikkel Kessler right after we fight Carl Froch.
RM: What about Bute?
VH: Bute will come in time. Bute should fight Froch, Dirrell, and some of the other top contenders in the division. Bute is a great fighter. I am not minimizing him at all. But in all fairness he should at least satisfy the fans with fights against Froch or Andre Dirrell. Right now the fans don’t know that he belongs. They could only base it off of the competition that he has fought. You want the fans to believe that he truly belongs based on who he beat. Right now both participants, Andre (Ward) or Bute, are not going to get what they deserve if they fight each other. If Bute beats Froch, Dirrell, and Abraham you will have a hot fight with Andre Ward.
RM: So you think that Lucian Bute needs to prove himself?
VH: I think he needs to prove himself, yes. And with all due respect, I think Glen Johnson is a step in the right direction for Bute. But he has shown signs of slowing down. I’ll put it this way; the Glen Johnson fight will tell us more about Bute. If he decisions Glen then he will just do what Carl Froch did. But I will give Bute all the credit in the world if he knocks Glen Johnson out.
I wouldn't mind a Ward - Kessler rematch.
If Ward was able to dominate Kessler again, It would certainly shut up those fans that seem to think Ward beat Kessler the first time by just headbutting him. :lol1:
Kessler deserves a shot at the winner anyway, It's a shame injury took him out of the tournament.
Yeah, you don't generally need to redeem yourself against fighters you've whooped silly.
Well the victory isn't untainted as Kessler had doublevision and was headbutted silly from start to finish. Let Ward duplicate his feat in Denmark so we can see what he's really made of.
Well OK if you want but Kesslers 2 losses have come to guys that had clear and distinct speed advantages which hasn't changed since their first meeting and Kessler doesn't seem to be as sharp and has slipped past his prime by the looks of it so this fight doesn't appear to be as up in the air as a Bute match-up would be. Who wasn't included in the S6 and didn't have alot of options while that tourney was in place.
Not too mention Ward had the easiest path to the finals of any of the participants and if you take Kessler off his resume it looks less pretty weak.
As for Kessler not fighting Bute don't know what the offers were or weren't but if he really wanted that fight I think there could of been a compromise but who knows it does seem to make more sense for him to fight Stieglitz collect that belt and then have some type of leverage to wheel @ deal with some of the bigger names once the S6 concludes
I actually like the fight between Ward vs Kessler.
Kessler didn't adjust to Ward's pressure. Ward was charging all the time. And it looked sloppy at times but it still got the job done. Also, when it came to fighting from the distance or long range Ward won easily.
I honestly think Ward performed a lot better in the Kessler fight than the Abraham fight. Ward took more risk in the Kessler match making it more exciting while Ward just cruised control through Abraham not much drama or risky moves on his part.
By Fighting Steiglitz he gets a bigger payday and the WBO belt and his next fight would be more lucrative whoever he faces.
If Ward wins the Super Six final and chooses to fight Kessler first then this fight should be in Vegas IMO I mean it would be a huge event and shouldint be all about huge paydays...SMW's will fade away if they keep fighting overseas they need to be in the limelight a bit more.
Lucian Bute did better against Bika and Miranda than Andre Ward did.
Ward is just a pampered fighter who needs crooked home referees like Jack Reiss who permit him to deliberately headbutt and hit while holding.
What does that have to do with anything? Miranda did better against Ward than Kessler did (or anyone for that matter)...
I would like Ward to rematch Kessler, but not in Oakland and not with Goosen's refs...
Bute should fight some of the other super six boxers... he shouldn't get to fight the champ by skipping out on the tournament
It would definetely be fair for Ward to cross the Atlantic that's for sure. The fight might also generate more money over here.
Ahh, well there you go.
I thought that didn't sound like Kessler.
Don't know how I missed that.
The numbers are Bob Arum's posted here on boxingscene. How he got those numbers or if they are correct is anybodys guess. I have talked to Kalle Sauerland and he said that the offer was ridiculous. Of course he is a part in it but he sounded quite sincere when he added that Interbox wasn't really interested in a counteroffer.
No. Bute lowballed Kessler with a laughable offer of 750K.
Ahh, well there you go.
I thought that didn't sound like Kessler.
Don't know how I missed that.
I would like Ward to rematch Kessler, but not in Oakland and not with Goosen's refs...
Bute should fight some of the other super six boxers... he shouldn't get to fight the champ by skipping out on the tournament
Didn't Kessler all but turn down a fight with Bute? That was his deserved shot at a top SMW..
Yeah, he denied a contract in which he were offered a ****ty low amount of $
Didn't Kessler all but turn down a fight with Bute? That was his deserved shot at a top SMW..
No. Bute lowballed Kessler with a laughable offer of 750K.
Didn't Kessler all but turn down a fight with Bute? That was his deserved shot at a top SMW..
Did he? Didn't realise. Wasn't paying attention obviously.
Was it for his first fight back? If so I can understand why he may have turned it down.
I'm confident Kessler would fight Bute if the chance were to arise again.
Why not?
Shut these people up who have been complaining for the past 2 years.
After he beats Froch, rematch Kessler and beat him just as easy as he did 2 years ago.
Kessler deserves a shot at one of the 'Top fighters' anyway.
I mean, he beat Froch clearly. And he would again in my opinion.
He has done more to deserve a shot than Bute too.
So Kessler should be in the mix atleast IMO.
Agreed on both counts.
Kessler deserves a shot at one of the 'Top fighters' anyway.
I mean, he beat Froch clearly. And he would again in my opinion.
He has done more to deserve a shot than Bute too.
So Kessler should be in the mix atleast IMO.
Didn't Kessler all but turn down a fight with Bute? That was his deserved shot at a top SMW..
Kessler deserves a shot at one of the 'Top fighters' anyway.
I mean, he beat Froch clearly. And he would again in my opinion.
He has done more to deserve a shot than Bute too.
So Kessler should be in the mix atleast IMO.
Lucian Bute did better against Bika and Miranda than Andre Ward did.
Ward is just a pampered fighter who needs crooked home referees like Jack Reiss who permit him to deliberately headbutt and hit while holding.
Rematch aside, wouldn't you say that homecooking is how Bute won his first fight the way he did against Andrade? Regardless that does not mean I approve of the way Ward has been refereed. However, Bute is no stranger to home field advantage.
Why not?
Shut these people up who have been complaining for the past 2 years.
After he beats Froch, rematch Kessler and beat him just as easy as he did 2 years ago.