why does kessler get so much praise here?

[Sir Tom Jones]

calzaghe is a **** in my opinon but hatton is a very likeable guy regardless of boxing he has a nice personality//calzaghe seems full of himself

i wouldnt say he if all that full of himself.

makes it more interesting when a boxer is a bit gobby and full of himself.

makes it better when/if they lose if they are full of themselves.

[abadger]

I'm a Joe fan, and I like Kessler too. For me its very simple, he was the most talented pure boxer Calzaghe ever faced, he combines speed, power and skill. I enjoyed watching him fight so I went back and looked at some of his other fights and found some more excellent performances that indicate he is one of the top young boxers around. He KOd Beyer with one shot, he gave Andrade an incredible boxing lesson. Kessler's brand of clean crisp performance is something I'm not seeing from any other young boxer at the higher weights right now, so he's one of my favourite boxers.

To those who say that Joe fans only hype Kessler to make Joe look better, I say that while that may be true in some cases, its mostly wrong, because thinking that way presupposes that Kessler isn't actually any good. He is, he's the top guy at SMW and proved it by taking everyone elses belts up until he met Joe. You only have to look at him to see the amount of potential he has and what a difficult prospect he would be for anyone at SMW/ LHW.

He's not without flaws and its easy to understand why some feel Hopkins is a better win, because of all Hopkins achievements, but Kessler is the young prime champion that Calzaghe needed to get onto the US radar. The manner in which Calzaghe defeated Kessler is always going to make that fight a favourite with Joe fans.

[OTSS]

Cause he's white, has a little bit of skill and it makes Calzaghe look better.

ICANTLIE

[Kris Silver]

I'm not questioning his heart, but concerned with his ability to rise up when he needs to, basically his confidence. He needs to beat a hardened guy, who is known to be dangerous, who will give him truly scary moments. Sartison was nothing once Kessler found his groove and took a one sided pounding. Sartison basically only caught him cold. Kessler needs a hardened, well known fighter who will attack him and keep on attacking till Kessler solves his puzzle. Then you will see a new Kessler after that fight. Once he beats a truly respected badass, you will see a new Kessler.

Kessler has so much pure talent, that most guys will never even threaten him. You will find many say that until Joe came along, Mikkel never lost a professional round of boxing. That IMO, is a very bad thing as he always had it so easy. He needed some wild and dangerous opponents who would have ignited that little extra he has in him.

Wow, strange reading that because I basically agree totally, but hadn't quite thought about it enough to put it or shape it out like that. Good to see someone wanting a boxer to face a tough fight, win and become better for it.

I think highly of Kessler and would probably say this is about his only significant weakness. I think he does have heart but not quite the tough evil eye of the tiger side that a boxer benefits from. He's a nice guy and a vicous boxer at times, but could be more confident to find his own style in a particular fight, to not only win it, but win it in the biggest fashion possible. I guess that's essentially saying he's one dimensional which I wouldn't say is fair. But perhaps a better way of putting it would be he could do with more dimensions. He looked confused by Calzaghe and unable to come up with something to counteract what was beating him. I think he's learnt from that a bit but I agree he needs to get in with someone testing and dangerous again to keep him thinking about these things, the tactics, styles and relentlessness that will serve him well.

These are by no means major flaws, infact I think a few boxers today aren't overly strong in these area's. But if he improves even 10% in these area's I think we looking at then for me, favoring him against most at MW-LHW bar perhaps Calzaghe, v possibly Dawson. That's saying something, that is why he's well regarded. Some will laugh at this comment but polls have shown this isn't wild. Just hope he lands some big fights, let us not forget he openly said he'd fight Pavlik or Hopkins for one.

[DiegoFuego]

Typical Euro champion. Hide in Europe your whole career, come out at the end and either cash out by taking the biggest fight possible, a fight you can't win (Hatton against Floyd) or call out old men (Calzaghe vs. Hopkins and Roy) that you ducked early in your career

Makes you really miss Lennox seeing the current brand of Euro trash we get

[Jan(DK)]

I like Kessler, stylistically he has one of the best games in the sport, but I noticed something discouraging in the Calzaghe fight.

In that fight, he refused to go outside his mold. He maintained the same strategy and pace even when it was not working for him. He basically gave up and stopped trying to win. He didn't show the ability to step up in the situation when he had the tools to win it. He should have gone after it!!

I blame much on it on the general weakness of the 168 lb division, mixed with some safe guidance of his management team. He was never in a situation where he had to adjust and step up. He was never in a situation where he had to dig deep. When it finally came, I don't think he knew how to.

He should have been given tough fights early, where his skill would not be enough alone, where he would have to simply get mad and win in a war of wills.

I am not sure if it is too late for him or not now, but he should get in there and see how it goes.

so true.........

[Jan(DK)]

I never thought Miranda would have beaten Kessler under any circumstances, unless he really got lucky. He would have tried his hardest though to take it to Kessler and no doubt give Kessler some scary moments.

That is what Kess needs more than anything. He needs to face a couple real dark horses who are dangerous as heck, will fight dirty and get Kess pissed off in there. Then you will see Kess step up and beyond. Then you will see a Kessler who would have beaten Joe that night. Put him in with Green or Zuniga. They will bring out the fire in him.

That was the best gift Arum ever gave Pavlik when he was up and coming. He threw pavlik in with the Zuniga's and Zertuche's. They were not championship material, but they were truely dangerous contenders and they tried to take Pavlik's head off in there. Pavlik had to adjust to them to beat them while turning it up a notch. Best learning experience he ever had.

So true to.............

[Jan(DK)]

Typical Euro champion. Hide in Europe your whole career, come out at the end and either cash out by taking the biggest fight possible, a fight you can't win (Hatton against Floyd) or call out old men (Calzaghe vs. Hopkins and Roy) that you ducked early in your career

Makes you really miss Lennox seeing the current brand of Euro trash we get

Please: Tell us who, where and when Kessler's should fight his next opponents to gain respect. Kessler don't turn down any fight. You just have to ask.

(41 fights: 17 vs. Us-fighters, only 5 vs. Eu-fighters, 8 titles fights, 5 in DK, 3 abroad).

"Typical Euro champion"

[BattlingNelson]

Please: Tell us who, where and when Kessler's should fight his next opponents to gain respect. Kessler don't turn down any fight. You just have to ask.

(41 fights: 17 vs. Us-fighters, only 5 vs. Eu-fighters, 8 titles fights, 5 in DK, 3 abroad).

"Typical Euro champion"

Jan(DK) on the left. Diego Fuego on the right------>

And again----------->

And this is Bat --------->

[daggum]

Please: Tell us who, where and when Kessler's should fight his next opponents to gain respect. Kessler don't turn down any fight. You just have to ask.

(41 fights: 17 vs. Us-fighters, only 5 vs. Eu-fighters, 8 titles fights, 5 in DK, 3 abroad).

"Typical Euro champion"

only title fight he had that wasn't in europe was against mundine in australia. yeah he gets out a lot. watch out he's fighting haussler in germany next! germany's not in europe...........not even close.