Sauerland's Tourney Plan For Mikkel Kessler Angers Palle

[BattlingNelson]

Bat, those offers were to fight in Europe right?

He's going to have to concede more than fighting in the us now.

When exactly was dawson going to fit kessler in?

I like kessler but I'm not a big fan of excuses and he's been full of them cuz of this crusty bat palle.

Ï know that Hopkins was in Copenhagen. I think the issue with him and the others really is that Palle/Kessler was flat out turned down without counteroffers but I'm really not sure.

HBO wanted Dawson-Kessler before Dawson rematched Tarver.

[BattlingNelson]

I offer an explanation. IMO a reason why top fighters don't want Kessler is because he's a low reward, high risk fight for many of the top names

**why did Calzaghe fight him then? Because Joe had already for the most part cleaned up Super Middle, was planning to leave the weight class soon, so why not take on (at the time) the #1 ranked fighter and fight for 2 more alphabet belts.

win win situation for Joe, as he's leaving 168 regardless, why not leave fighting vs the best fighter (or how Kessler was viewed at the time)

and since the Calzaghe bout as Bat mentioned Mikkel has struggled mightily in getting top opponents to fight him

promotional issues aside, I believe Kessler suffers from not having the biggest of names, and financially might not be worth it for the bigger money names to fight with Kessler

take the Dawson and Hopkins examples

B-Hop outright didn't want a fight vs him, and who can blame Hop, not just taking his age into consideration, but most likely if he were to fight it would most likely be at 170 .. the offer of $4 mill I don't think was why Hop turned down the fight

So I ask is fighting a natural Super Middle @ a catchweight really a legacy defining fight for Hopkins? I mean outside of the money, I don't really see anything to gain from it, and a fight vs Ademek for example would be much better off all around for Hop (and even that has yet to been made)

which brings me to the Dawson/Kessler proposed fight .. which I don't really see as "worse" since again outside of money, what does Dawson gain? Chad didn't want to fight at 172, and only for his LHW belt ... Kessler might be a reasonably big name, but hate to say it, the Kessler/Dawson scenerio looks awfully like that Hopkins one, with Mikkel having to move up in weight to take the fight, and IMO a 175 Belt holder not just fighting a not so huge name, (Kessler's name is big for his division, but im talking top dollar here, he can't exactly get big fights off his name alone like a DLH or Zab Judah is what I mean, just to clarify) but making him (Kessler) move up in weight .... your looking at greater risk than reward.

as if Dawson or Hop beat Kessler .. big deal, they beat a smaller man, isn't it almost expected? as top fighter or not, moving up in weight usually is a difficult task, and if Kessler were to lose, well you could always use the weight as an excuse, since we know (or it's widely viewed) that Kessler is a top fighter @ 168, but above that weight, it's a mystery.

which is why I believe the top fighters (or in this case Dawson & Hopkins) don't want a fight vs Mikkel ... bigger risk than reward

and lastly regarding Dawson's talk of moving to 168, I take it with a grain of salt .. yes he said it, but fighters say a lot of things, so Dawson @ 168 aside, I'll believe it when I see it.

the end

feel free to Fire back Bat.

This risk/reward point is spot on IMO.

Hopkins was supposed to be at 175 as was a rematch with Joe. Hopkins really only wanted to rematch Calzaghe and the only way he would fight Kessler would be if that would lead to a rematch. Hopkins said so publicly.

Dawson had (and still has) trouble finding marquee opponents. HBO wanted the fight so in that regard it made sense. Catchweight made sense since no title would be on the line so both could go back home making a living defending their titles win or lose.

[Addition]

Palle is doing my head in. What kind of promoter doesn't let their fighter fight the best opponents?

[STEELHEAD]

The saga of Mikkel Kessler keeps on moving. Sauerland Event continue their talks with Danish promoter Mogens Palle to take over the promotional rights of the WBA super middleweight champion. Palle says that he was in the dark about Showtime's planned super middleweight tournament and Sauerland tried to swerve him by taking over Kessler without disclosing any details about the tournament. [details]

saurland pay this Pig palle off before he ruins kessler further.
the fckg pathetic way his corner performed in the calzaghe fight.
this palle is a small time regional Pig with a shady history!

[gingeralbino]

Maybe on top of what Sauerland offered Kessler himself could chuck Palle a 1/2M after the tourny as a "thank you for starting me of, now get ****ed".
Good investment for Kessler, as much as it would hurt him paying that man a penny, let alone a half million/million it would be worth it.

[Alec900]

Free Mikkel Kessler!

[MJ406]

This risk/reward point is spot on IMO.

Hopkins was supposed to be at 175 as was a rematch with Joe. Hopkins really only wanted to rematch Calzaghe and the only way he would fight Kessler would be if that would lead to a rematch. Hopkins said so publicly.

Dawson had (and still has) trouble finding marquee opponents. HBO wanted the fight so in that regard it made sense. Catchweight made sense since no title would be on the line so both could go back home making a living defending their titles win or lose.

thanks for hitting me back, I was actually going to drop something by your profile .. since I posted on the bottom of a page, was afraid the comment would get looked over ... anyway

yeah I can totally see the logic in Hop fighting Kessler to lead to a Calzaghe rematch ... as B-Hop impressively beating Kessler would be a great way to hype up a Hop/Zaghe rematch

but im guessing that went off the table when Joe retired.

and I just took a guess that the Kessler/B-Hop fight woulda been at 170, considering Hopkins like of that weight (vs Pavlik and Winky for example)

but 170, or 175 either way Kessler had to move up to make the fight.

last note on 170 before I attack the other argument ... Im sure you heard the minor talks about a Froch/Hopkins fight... it's obviously a long shot at this point, with Hopkins possibly retiring and Froch looking to be in that Super Middle

but baring a miracle of Froch-Hopkins did happen .. what weight would it have been? as taking Hopkins knack for fighting at 170 into consideration, wouldn't it make more sense for B-Hop if possible to drop the extra 2 lbs to fight Froch for his WBC belt?

well yeah, I think Kellerman said it best regarding Dawson .. something along the lines of being a very talented fighter in a weak weight division. and fighting Kessler would have shown just how weak LHW is.

but if Kessler-Dawson was proposed as an alternate to a Tarver rematch, then real bummer, as we already saw Tarver get his shot, in a very one sided vs Chad

and yes throwing Kessler as an option especially since he's not prove above 168 could backfire

but when matched head to head vs Tarver as an opponent for Dawson

the fact that Tarver already got dominated, makes me want Kessler as an opponent for Chad.

[BattlingNelson]

thanks for hitting me back, I was actually going to drop something by your profile .. since I posted on the bottom of a page, was afraid the comment would get looked over ... anyway

yeah I can totally see the logic in Hop fighting Kessler to lead to a Calzaghe rematch ... as B-Hop impressively beating Kessler would be a great way to hype up a Hop/Zaghe rematch

but im guessing that went off the table when Joe retired.

and I just took a guess that the Kessler/B-Hop fight woulda been at 170, considering Hopkins like of that weight (vs Pavlik and Winky for example)

but 170, or 175 either way Kessler had to move up to make the fight.

last note on 170 before I attack the other argument ... Im sure you heard the minor talks about a Froch/Hopkins fight... it's obviously a long shot at this point, with Hopkins possibly retiring and Froch looking to be in that Super Middle

but baring a miracle of Froch-Hopkins did happen .. what weight would it have been? as taking Hopkins knack for fighting at 170 into consideration, wouldn't it make more sense for B-Hop if possible to drop the extra 2 lbs to fight Froch for his WBC belt?

well yeah, I think Kellerman said it best regarding Dawson .. something along the lines of being a very talented fighter in a weak weight division. and fighting Kessler would have shown just how weak LHW is.

but if Kessler-Dawson was proposed as an alternate to a Tarver rematch, then real bummer, as we already saw Tarver get his shot, in a very one sided vs Chad

and yes throwing Kessler as an option especially since he's not prove above 168 could backfire

but when matched head to head vs Tarver as an opponent for Dawson

the fact that Tarver already got dominated, makes me want Kessler as an opponent for Chad.

Regarding Hopkins Froch it would make sense to make the fight at 168. Hopkins also suggested that weight. It would have the added incentive for him to get a title in yet another division. Still that fight has recently been shot down by froch. He has only mentioned Ward, Direll, Kessler as future opponents. The point being that he only mentioned fighters rumoured to be in the tournament.

I hold Dawson in high regard. I personally would like him to stay at 175 and prove he's the no.1 in that division. Surely he has the talent to do so. Eventually some big guns from 168 will move up and they will be looking to fight the top guy and I wouldn't put money on it being any other than Dawson.

[MJ406]

Regarding Hopkins Froch it would make sense to make the fight at 168. Hopkins also suggested that weight. It would have the added incentive for him to get a title in yet another division. Still that fight has recently been shot down by froch. He has only mentioned Ward, Direll, Kessler as future opponents. The point being that he only mentioned fighters rumoured to be in the tournament.

I hold Dawson in high regard. I personally would like him to stay at 175 and prove he's the no.1 in that division. Surely he has the talent to do so. Eventually some big guns from 168 will move up and they will be looking to fight the top guy and I wouldn't put money on it being any other than Dawson.

well Hopkins might retire, and yeah Froch has no reason to fight B-Hop since the whole Super Middle tourney .. i was just curious hypothetically if Hop would have cut the 2 extra pounds had the Froch fight gone through

but yeah at this point it looks like they're taking different paths, and I'd rather see Froch vs the other Super Middle's anyway

there's still the Cloud-Clinton winner and probably one or 2 Euro belt holders and maybe even Yusaf Mack, provided he can keep winning to get to Chad

while that ^ might not be the best marquee names for Dawson (as in fan friendly, well known) it'll have to do

until the Super Middles go up to LHW, or if Chad drops down.

but most likely he'll stay at 175 and take on all comers.