I thought Froch won the first fight as well but officially he didn't. I think Kessler should fight him again in an attempt to end the tie. Groves may give Kessler a decent payday but E-Rod won't. I can't see him taking that fight. The only big pay days are Froch, Chavez Jr Ward in Denmark and maybe GGG and Groves.
Would Groves be a big pay day? I thought Kessler won the first fight and clearly in a tough fight. I thought Froch won the return and clearly in a tough fight, but I also think Kessler is faded. I think Froch would give Kessler a decider, but I would like to see Kessler against Ward, as neither has been too active and I dont think Kessler should boil down to MW
This is one case where I'd rather see a catchweight (not an opinion I usually have). Fighters on the tail end of their careers moving down in weight doesn't end well. Make it at 163 or 164. It won't be an official defense, but it'd make for a better fight IMO.
Blimey. In his shoes, at least coming off a lay-off like that, I'd do neither. If Froch does fight Chavez Jr, Kessler should target the Abraham-Smith winner. Should Kessler beat the winner of that (and even with the lay-off I would favor him to do so) a unification match with Froch (should he beat Chavez Jr) would probably be a good escape route out of boxing for both. Other belt holders at Super Middleweight, Ward and Bika, would probably **** his eye up worse than it is with their headbutts.
Mikkel is a proud man. I don't think he would say he could make 160 if he didn't truly feel he could, so it wouldn't be like a Pacquiao vs. DLH scenario where he was coming in skeletal and running the risk of getting humiliated.
Since they are Froch's two main rivals in recent years, it would drum up lots of interest among UK fans. Agreed. Kessler in a rubber match would definitely be the underdog, but it wouldn't be impossible. Ward has been inactive for a reason. The fact that a guy he beat years ago is calling him out for one last payday is probably not going to overshadow all the issues that have been keeping him from the ring of late.
He is the Viking Warrior, not the Viking "discretion's the better part of valor" Thinker. :yep For peanuts? :blood Why? Kessler vs. Groves would sell in the UK for the reasons mentioned above. Kessler vs. Smith would do about half as well, if that. Kessler vs. Abraham was much talked about back during the World Boxing Classic (and for a time afterward) but it has completely lost its luster by now. Abraham is barely hanging onto relevance. I don't expect Abraham vs. Smith to be all that lucrative an event...and should it end up being a stinker, it hurts them both as draws going forward. That much is true, Kessler even with the rust ought to be able to school both Smith and the current Abraham without breaking a sweat. Maybe if Froch tells him "yes we can do it again, but you have to wait until after Chavez or DeGale" that would be a good option for Kessler's 'tune-up' he said he would be willing to have. A gimme tune-up for a belt is never a bad deal. :yep Yep, and for that matter he should keep away from the increasingly hug-friendly Stieglitz even though he would be another high-profile 'tuneup' choice that would earn him a bit of dough and net him a ranking en route to his sought-after payday. Stieglitz held and led with the head like crazy against Khomitsky, blatantly scared of the old Belarus man's shots. Imagine what he would do with Kessler? :-( He'd never let go. It may well end in DQ. (but not before the eye got shredded up, ruining all of Kessler's plans...)
I think it would be despite his loss to Froch Saint Groves has a big fan base and Kessler is well known in the UK with his fights with Calzaghe and Froch. I think it has the potential to be a big pay day for both men.
It's the safer of the two fights for Kessler , Golovkin is the hungrier of the two .couple that with golovkins power and the possible weakening effect of Kessler having to make the middleweight limit .Froch is at the stage of his career where he may start to pace himself more carefully and although he ko'd groves his previous fights with Kessler have been distance fights .
Would you say the reward then for capturing a 2nd division title against the more dangerous Golovkin would be commensurately a lot higher than for beating Froch in a rubbermatch?
if kessler comes in at that sort of weight ggg could fight him at 168 at his normal fight weight without worrying about making weight. that'd sell in denmark, offering kessler his pay day and ggg a potential legacy enhancer. the nature of the ward defeat must rankle, though, i imagine he'd most like the chance to avenge against a similarly rusty ward, which again would sell in denmark. whether ward will want to know or goosen has any interest in finding ward a fight are different matters, though.