Joe's best performance was against Kessler....

[Ryn0]

This is Mich. Marley on ESB today: "The broken right hand wasn't a rumour, though we didn't bring it up before or straight afterwards," Marley said. "You can't at that level with the money Joe and Mikkel earned. We were not going to disappoint HBO or 50,000 punters at Millennium Stadium."


Kessler's hand was surgically repaired after the fight. There's pics on Kessler's homepage from the hospital.

I know I've read the article before, but every fight makes excuses after losing a fight. Perhaps Kessler injured his Hand during the fight, but he was still throwing the right hand frequently so it doesn't seem like it affected him that badly if the rumours are true. There is no way to disprove or prove it.

[BattlingNelson]

I know I've read the article before, but every fight makes excuses after losing a fight. Perhaps Kessler injured his Hand during the fight, but he was still throwing the right hand frequently so it doesn't seem like it affected him that badly if the rumours are true. There is no way to disprove or prove it.

The story broke in an english paper before the fight. It was denied by the Kessler camp however in the build-up obviously, but it was the truth.

[BarrySlisk]

There is no way to disprove or prove it.

Well ofcourse not, we weren't there. Maybe he just spent some time at the hospital to fool us all. Who the **** really knows.

[Kris Silver]

I believe Kessler had hand problems and didn't spar as much as he usually would. I give it some valdiity, because Joe had also been in this position before, infact I'm sorry to say worse, whereby the fight itself one hand was almost un usable.

Kessler was fine in fight but just hadn't sparred as much as usually would. But a lot of guys intentionately don't spar much leading up to a fight. Calzaghe didn't spar much for Lacy as he had hand injuries and nearly pulled out it was painful enough. But he put on a master class. Lesser opponent though of course.

I dunno I give it some validity really I do, but it wouldn't have changed the outcome at all, that fight wasn't won on fitness or what they were doing in sparring, it was won on in fight tactics, movement and adaptability mostly.

[BattlingNelson]

I believe Kessler had hand problems and didn't spar as much as he usually would. I give it some valdiity, because Joe had also been in this position before, infact I'm sorry to say worse, whereby the fight itself one hand was almost un usable.

Kessler was fine in fight but just hadn't sparred as much as usually would. But a lot of guys intentionately don't spar much leading up to a fight. Calzaghe didn't spar much for Lacy as he had hand injuries and nearly pulled out it was painful enough. But he put on a master class. Lesser opponent though of course.

I dunno I give it some validity really I do, but it wouldn't have changed the outcome at all, that fight wasn't won on fitness or what they were doing in sparring, it was won on in fight tactics, movement and adaptability mostly.

FYI: In preparation for 12 round fights Kessler normally spars 120+ rounds.

[Dan...]

Trust me I'm a full time Joe hater. But this was a masterful performance. What was great was the body work he did late which almost stopped Kessler. With Lacy the fight, it was over anyway. Although he outclassed Kess, he never quit which made it a better performance.

LMFAO at "full time Joe hater".

And yeah, I don't even think it is up for debate, Kessler was easily Joe's most impressive performance. Kessler is an elite fighter and a beast. To do what Joe did to him was hell impressive. I'm not sure anyone at 168 or 175 right now would have been able to replicate that.

As far as Kessler being injured or whatever I'm not sure how much stock I put in that. It just seemed to me like he did not know what to do when Joe started to neutralise what had been effective for him in the early part of the fight. That isn't a man with an injury, its a guy who is used to dominating opponents and didn't really know what to do when he couldn't.

[Chunk..]

It was his best performance but it wasn't his best win IMO.

[BrooklynBomber]

Nah, nothing beats kicking Eubank's ass around the ring for 12 rounds.

[Stickman]

Nah, nothing beats kicking Eubank's ass around the ring for 12 rounds.

I was going to say that, but I've had a couple of glasses of red wine (can't make homemade Pizza without getting sloshed on decent Italian wine) and my reflexes have slowed to the point where you mere mortals are able to beat me to the punch.

I liked both fights, but I think the Eubank fight was probably a more important performance, and so was Lacy. But I think the Kessler fight was the better performance of any previous.

[hookoutofhell]

I believe Kessler had hand problems and didn't spar as much as he usually would. I give it some valdiity, because Joe had also been in this position before, infact I'm sorry to say worse, whereby the fight itself one hand was almost un usable.

Kessler was fine in fight but just hadn't sparred as much as usually would. But a lot of guys intentionately don't spar much leading up to a fight. Calzaghe didn't spar much for Lacy as he had hand injuries and nearly pulled out it was painful enough. But he put on a master class. Lesser opponent though of course.

I dunno I give it some validity really I do, but it wouldn't have changed the outcome at all, that fight wasn't won on fitness or what they were doing in sparring, it was won on in fight tactics, movement and adaptability mostly.

really - joe doesn't spar because of possible hand injuries?

does anyone know what his training regime consists of - i mean his timing and distance are two of his biggest assets. he is a mater of both and i would have thought that this came about as a result of lots of sparring with lots of different sparring partners.

does nyone know what his training regime is? i know he does alot of running in the welsh countryside and he often works the pads with his dad and shadowboxes but what else does he do?
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