Calzaghe Defeats Kessler; Calzaghe wants Hopkins or Winky
By Vikram Birring (Nov 4, 2007) Doghouse Boxing  
Joe Calzaghe silenced the doubters once again. Facing the toughest fight of his career, Calzaghe took undefeated Mikkel Kessler of Denmark into deep waters and drowned him, as he has done with all of his previous opponents. Coming into the fight, Calzaghe was repeatedly being taunted with claims of being more of a “slapper” than a puncher. Kessler was everything Calzaghe was not: Young, powerful, and fundamentally sound. In the end, it made no difference, as Calzaghe gained yet another meaningful victory in what can now be called a legendary career.

In the first round, Calzaghe and Kessler both fought tentatively, as if they wanted to figure the other out. In the second, it was more of the same. Kessler landed a massive uppercut in the early rounds and several hard right crosses, but Calzaghe simply shook them off and outworked Kessler. From the fifth round on, Calzaghe simply outworked his adversary, never taking a break, always throwing punches. In the end, the punch statistics showed this: Calzaghe threw 425 more punches than Kessler.

Towards the end of the fight, Kessler’s face began to gain the complexion of a beaten man. Though he never stopped trying, Calzaghe always responded to Kessler’s hard punches with fluid combinations. He also made Kessler miss often and when even in a hint of trouble, held on until referee Mike Ortega intervened, gaining precious seconds to recover.

In the twelfth round, knowing he needed a knockout to win, Kessler threw everything he had, but Calzaghe simply shook off the punches and fought back harder. When Michael Buffer read the scores, 117-11, 116-112, and 116-112, the 50,150 fans exploded in unison. Calzaghe stated afterwards that he would like to fight Bernard Hopkins or Winky Wright
next. Kessler, on the other hand, must go back to the drawing board and hope for a rematch down the road.

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Vikram at: slickvik69@hotmail.com






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