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Boxing Craft - by johnmichael-bric

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Boxing Craft - October 2007

Joe Calzaghe vs. Mikkel Kessler: The Battle for Super Middleweight Supremacy

October 18th 2007 23:07

Perhaps one of the most anticipated mega-fights in years and especially to the European boxing fans, the Joe Calzaghe and Mikkel Kessler fight is finally going to happen in two weeks to be exact. This is a fight between two of the most dominant and undefeated168 lbs kings. The match will be held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff Wales, United Kingdom. 60,000 fans are expected to watch the mega fight live and millions of boxing fans worldwide are sure on the edge of their seats in anticipation.

WBO Champion and #1 rated Super Middleweight Joe Calzaghe has been holding his belt for more than 10 years and hasn't lost a single bout in 43 matches with 32 KOs to his credit. Calzaghe is known for his speed and volume punching. He overwhelms his opponent by throwing numerous combinations coupled with his excellent boxing skills. His last 3 bouts has been a mixed bag in my opinion but he still won.He fought Contender Season 1 finalist, Peter Manfredo, last March. He won by a questionable 3rd round TKO. I know the referee was biased towards Joe but it just wasn't fair for Manfredo. Calzaghe cornered Peter in the corner and unleashed a barrage of punches, forcing his foe cover and protect himself. Peter was blocking most of the punches and out of nowhere, the referee jumped in to stop the fight. I'd say that was very distasteful because Peter Manfredo wasn't even in danger but he is trailing in the fight. He also battled with current Contender Season 4 participant, Sakio Bika of Cameroon by way of Australia. This was fight was actually quite boring to watch. Joe Calzaghe wasn't able to fight his fight because of Bika's fighting style. There were several head clashes in that match and many clinching. Bika always comes forward and throws wide and powerful punches in awkward angles which made it difficult for Joe. Calzaghe won by unanimous decision but was heavily criticized by the boxing fans because they thought Bika wouldn't provide a challenge. The most dominating performance I have seen was when Joe Calzaghe beat hard puncher and IBF champion Jeff Lacy of USA. Many people are expecting Lacy to win by KO and was even the favorite coming into the fight. He constantly made fun of Joe's punching style and called him a "slapper". Unfortunately for Jeff Lacy, he was pummeled by Joe's slaps. He threw hundreds of punches in each round, hitting Lacy at will most of the time. The boxer from the USA just didn't have an answer to attacks and he also could not keep with Calzaghe's speed. Lacy was out on his feet by the 12th round but he was very determined to finish the fight. Joe Calzaghe won by a decision and many people hails it as his best display of boxing.

WBA and WBC Super Middleweight champion and #2 rated Mikkel Kessler is on a roll lately

with his great display of skill and power in each of his fights. At a young age of 28, he has captured two Super Middleweight Belts and beat almost all of his opponents convincingly. Just like Joe Calzaghe, he is also undefeated with 39 wins coupled with 29 KOs in his record. Kessler's style resembles a typical European way of boxing and he uses it very well. His jab is currently one of the best and he has decent power in his punches. He uses angles really well and selects his spots to throw punches accurately. He has beaten top Super Middleweights like Anthony Mundine, Manny Siaca, Markus Beyer and Librado Andrade. His last fight against Andrade gave him some exposure in America thanks to HBO. Librado Andrade showed heart in his losing effort because he refuses to go down and continuously looked for a KO in every punch he threw. Kessler stood toe-to-toe with and landed hard punches in the whole fight. To his credit, Andreda has a sturdy chin because the accumulation of shots he has taken would have stopped others. Kessler showed great accuracy especially with his jab and straight right, giving him a wide UD win. Before that fight, he fought WBC champ Markus Beyer of Germany. The fight lasted only 3 rounds after Kessler landed a powerful 1-2 combination which dropped Beyer hard. Beyer didn't know how to deal with Kessler's accurate punching and was getting tagged in every punch his foe threw. Kessler is great at finding his range and it made him successful in evey fights.

I really can't wait for this fight. Two weeks is just too long. I still don't have a clue who will come out victorious in this match because they to match up really well. Both guys are fast, have great boxing skills and are willing to trade toe-to-toe. Joe relies on overwhelming his opponents with many punches while Kessler picks his opponents apart with his accuracy. This is a 50/50 fight in my opinion and I would be happy if either one wins. I may be leaning towards a Kessler win but it is just hard to pick a winner. Anyways, all I know is that boxing fans will be in for a treat when the fight starts.

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