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Kessler: Tactics, injury to blame for Calzaghe defeat.
On team palles website there is an in-depth interview with Mikkel Kessler. I've translated the interesting stuff. If you dig it feel free to pass some green for my translation-effort........:
Kessler's trainer at BigBear Jimmy Montoya said regarding the Calzaghe-fight: "You fought nice and tight for the first 4-5 rounds. Maybe I could have wanted some more physical pressure applied. I was worried after the fifth 'cause when you walked to your corner I could see distress signals in your eyes. It's as if your startegy falls apart and even though you are in the fight your movements lacks pupose."
Montoya-assistent Ruben Chavez adds: "You have the physique to defeat Calzaghe and I know you will, should you get a rematch. In the second half of the fight you didn't pace your power because of a lack off game-plan. That's why victory was taken from you in a fight you were on course of winning."
Kessler himself acknowledges that his injured right hand was partly to blame for his sub-par performance at Millennium Stadium:"If a soccer-player is injured in his foot and is unable to practice in the lead-up to the world-cup, he would lack timing and ball-feeling. Thats obvious. My hand did receive treatment so it was never a factor trough the 12 round fight. I could use it without pain all the way. If you look at it that way, I can accept that the reason for defeat lies in the strategic preparations in my training camp. It's true that I put too much emphasis on power-punching and thereby didn't put enough pressure on Joe as Montoya says."
Kessler continues: "My trainer Richard Olsen is great at calming me down during fights but that was insufficient when Calzaghe altered his fightplan. My timing is gone so I'm unable to apply any sustained pressure."
Kessler admits that he lost to a smarter and more efficient fighter that night. "It's never fun getting the first loss. I am no exception. I went many weeks pondering the defeat. Not a deep depression, but my ambitions suffered an annoying knack."
Kessler knows that a rematch wont be interesting for Calzaghe as long as Joe keeps winning. "But should it happen I'll have a plan A, B, C, D and E ready for him!"
Kessler's trainer at BigBear Jimmy Montoya said regarding the Calzaghe-fight: "You fought nice and tight for the first 4-5 rounds. Maybe I could have wanted some more physical pressure applied. I was worried after the fifth 'cause when you walked to your corner I could see distress signals in your eyes. It's as if your startegy falls apart and even though you are in the fight your movements lacks pupose."
Montoya-assistent Ruben Chavez adds: "You have the physique to defeat Calzaghe and I know you will, should you get a rematch. In the second half of the fight you didn't pace your power because of a lack off game-plan. That's why victory was taken from you in a fight you were on course of winning."
Kessler himself acknowledges that his injured right hand was partly to blame for his sub-par performance at Millennium Stadium:"If a soccer-player is injured in his foot and is unable to practice in the lead-up to the world-cup, he would lack timing and ball-feeling. Thats obvious. My hand did receive treatment so it was never a factor trough the 12 round fight. I could use it without pain all the way. If you look at it that way, I can accept that the reason for defeat lies in the strategic preparations in my training camp. It's true that I put too much emphasis on power-punching and thereby didn't put enough pressure on Joe as Montoya says."
Kessler continues: "My trainer Richard Olsen is great at calming me down during fights but that was insufficient when Calzaghe altered his fightplan. My timing is gone so I'm unable to apply any sustained pressure."
Kessler admits that he lost to a smarter and more efficient fighter that night. "It's never fun getting the first loss. I am no exception. I went many weeks pondering the defeat. Not a deep depression, but my ambitions suffered an annoying knack."
Kessler knows that a rematch wont be interesting for Calzaghe as long as Joe keeps winning. "But should it happen I'll have a plan A, B, C, D and E ready for him!"
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