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This is a really interesting fight, especially if it goes to a decision as although it is under the aegis of the super six, Kessler is effectively the champion. Most judges' place a certain premium on the incumbent, i.e. you have to do something positive to take the belt from a fighter; this was Dirrel's mistake, if he would have been fighting Froch for a vacant title, the judges may have allowed him more leeway in some of the rounds, in my opinion because Froch was the incumbent Dirrell's tactics cost him the fight (although I still think Froch was very lucky). So you have two competing forces in the home town bias versus the subjective view of wresting the belt from the champion.
Judging out of the way, we have to consider the fighters; Ward won an olympic gold so props for that, but Audley Harrison is a salutory lesson for those that think the medal is a passport to professional greatness. Prior to studying his fights, I had to go on what both his fans and dectractors had said, the usual crap from 'better than Calzaghe' down to 'useless bum', watching him it is very clear that neither of those two polarised views are true. He looked prety good against Miranda, but there were a couple of flaws in his defence that would concern me if I was in his camp, namely overextending himself when jabbing and his defence when coming into a clinch, we will certainly know if he has a chin or not by the end of the Kessler fight as some of the uppercuts he served Calzaghe would have put alot of people to sleep period. Offensively, he's quick but no where near as quick as come of his more loyal fans would have you think and I was also expecting more in the way of combinations, but he is not out of place at this level. Going on a limb, Keesler by stoppage, possibly an uppercut (see jangeorg's gif) when ward gets too careless
Judging out of the way, we have to consider the fighters; Ward won an olympic gold so props for that, but Audley Harrison is a salutory lesson for those that think the medal is a passport to professional greatness. Prior to studying his fights, I had to go on what both his fans and dectractors had said, the usual crap from 'better than Calzaghe' down to 'useless bum', watching him it is very clear that neither of those two polarised views are true. He looked prety good against Miranda, but there were a couple of flaws in his defence that would concern me if I was in his camp, namely overextending himself when jabbing and his defence when coming into a clinch, we will certainly know if he has a chin or not by the end of the Kessler fight as some of the uppercuts he served Calzaghe would have put alot of people to sleep period. Offensively, he's quick but no where near as quick as come of his more loyal fans would have you think and I was also expecting more in the way of combinations, but he is not out of place at this level. Going on a limb, Keesler by stoppage, possibly an uppercut (see jangeorg's gif) when ward gets too careless
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